 Jeffrey Hamelman's Bread Book
I swore I wasn't going to buy any more bread books. 21 books should pretty well cover the subject. Then, at the suggestion of a guru, I looked at Hamelman's "Bread: A Baker's Book of Techniques and Recipes". OK, 22 books should do it.
This is an awesome book. It's in the same vein as Peter Reinhart's Crust & Crumb and The Bread Baker's Apprentice. This is a book that teaches you. Not surprising as, like Reinhart, Hamelman is an educator in addition to being a world class bread baker. This is not just another recipe collection.
The first recipe appears on page 101. The first 100 pages provide a level of insight into bread baking not available in most bread books. Dough temperature, mixing technique, ingredients, oxidation etc. are all covered in depth. This is a book that is designed to take your understanding of bread baking, and thus your bread, to a whole new level.
One unique aspect of this book is its intended audience. It was written for both professional and home bakers. Books written for professional bakers can often be a little intimidating to home bakers, think Calvel. Bread books aimed at the home baker can often be a little patronizing. This book is neither intimidating nor patronizing when addressing those of us who bake bread for sport. After years of having our noses pressed up against the windows of bread bakeries, this book lets us in!
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