In Search of the Perfect Loaf: A Home Baker's Odyssey (Thorndike Press Large Print Nonfiction) - Hardcover

Fromartz, Samuel

3.85

611 ratings by Goodreads

9781410473400: In Search of the Perfect Loaf: A Home Baker's Odyssey (Thorndike Press Large Print Nonfiction)

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1410473406 ISBN 13: 9781410473400

Publisher: Thorndike Pr, 2014

View all copies of this ISBN edition:

"If you love great bread, you will love this book! From Paris, to Berlin, to Marienthal, Kansas, we follow Sam on his quest as he shares his love for bread and the 'baking secrets' he learned along the way." -Daniel Leader, founder of Bread Alone Bakery and author of "Bread Alone" "This fascinating, beautifully written memoir reveals Sam Fromartz as that rare breed of cook: craftsman, historian and scientist all in one." -Alice Waters, chef/owner of Chez Panisse and author of "The Art of Simple Food" In 2009, journalist Samuel Fromartz was offered the assignment of a lifetime: to travel to France to work in a boulangerie. So began his quest to hone not just his homemade baguette--which later beat out professional bakeries to win the "Best Baguette of D.C."--but his knowledge of bread, from seed to table. For the next four years, Fromartz traveled across the United States and Europe, perfecting his sourdough in California, his whole grain rye in Berlin, and his country wheat in the South of France. Along the way, he met historians, millers, farmers, wheat geneticists, sourdough biochemists, and everyone in between, learning about the history of breadmaking, the science of fermentation, and more. The result is an informative yet personal account of bread and breadbaking, complete with detailed recipes, tips, and beautiful photographs. Entertaining and inspiring, this book will be a touchstone for a new generation of bakers and a must-read for anyone who wants to take a deeper look at this deceptively ordinary, exceptionally delicious staple: handmade bread.

"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.

Review:

"In this lovely book, Sam Fromartz offers a signature mix of baking insights and wonderful storytelling as he hits the road to find his perfect loaf. If you make bread--or ever intend to--you need to read this book."
-Ruth Reichl, former editor-in-chief, "Gourmet" and author of "Delicious!"
"In Search of the Perfect Loaf is really the best kind of read--a quest for true bread enriched by research, knowledge and pleasure. The passion Sam Fromartz brings to this journey is incredible and infectious. Fromartz is generous in sharing his baking intel, but the real recipe for delicious bread, we learn, begins long before the kitchen. This book will change the way you look at bread."
-Dan Barber, James Beard award-winning chef of Blue Hill and Blue Hill at Stone Barns and author of "The Third Plate"
"In his search for the holy grail of baguettes, Sam Fromartz has beautifully captured the joys, loneliness, frustrations, and rewards of his bread making journey. And, wonderfully for us, he shares both the life and baking lessons learned from the many amazing people he met along the way. You will want to bake from this book."
-Peter Reinhart, James Beard award-winning author of "The Bread Baker's Apprentice" and "Bread Revolution"
"This book makes the reader reexamine a subject truly overlooked: the culture of the baker and, in particular, of bread. Through his quixotic quest to find and learn how to make the perfect bread, Sam Fromartz brings us into the bakery and illustrates and captures the essence of what bread culture is. It is an exquisite work, written with passion and expertise. With many of the stories, Fromartz helps the reader understand the mind of the baker. He himself is truly obsessed, and this book is ideal for anyone wishing to further their knowledge of the subject of what craft or artisan baking is and ought to be. He presents, through the lives and stories of other practitioners of the craft, a future for bread whichl

"This fascinating, beautifully written memoir reveals Sam Fromartz as that rare breed of cook: craftsman, historian and scientist all in one, following his senses and questing after what is delicious, authentic, and pure."
-Alice Waters, vice president of Slow Food International, owner of Chez Panisse, and author of "The Art of Simple Food"
"In this lovely book, Sam Fromartz offers a signature mix of baking insights and wonderful storytelling as he hits the road to find his perfect loaf. If you make bread--or ever intend to--you need to read this book."
-Ruth Reichl, former editor-in-chief of "Gourmet" and author of "Delicious!"
"Sam Fromartz's odyssey teaches us that being a great baker takes more than simply following recipes--it is a relentless quest. His conversations with bakers and then his reinterpretation of their lessons at home is a double education. I love this book."
-Nancy Silverton, founder of La Brea bakery and author of "The Mozza Cookbook"
""In Search of the Perfect Loaf" is really the best kind of read--a quest for true bread enriched by research, knowledge and pleasure. The passion Sam Fromartz brings to this journey is incredible and infectious. Fromartz is generous in sharing his baking intel, but the real recipe for delicious bread, we learn, begins long before the kitchen. This book will change the way you look at bread."
-Dan Barber, co-owner/executive chef of Blue Hill and Blue Hill at Stone Barns and author of "The Third Plate"
"In his search for the holy grail of baguettes, Sam Fromartz has beautifully captured the joys, loneliness, frustrations, and rewards of his bread making journey. And, wonderfully for us, he shares both the life and baking lessons learned from the many amazing people he met along the way. You will want to bake from this book."
-Peter Reinhart, author of "The Bread Baker's Apprentice" and "Bread Revolution"
"This book makes the reader reexamine a subject

"Thoroughly researched and engagingly written....This impressive work falls somewhere between a cookbook, an exploration of bread-baking techniques, and a history of bread....Even those who think they know bread will find something to gain here....Highly recommended."
-"Library Journal, "starred review
"[A] fun and informative memoir [that] provides a fascinating miniature course on the techniques involved in making different varieties...baking methods used by our ancestors...and even a little history on grains and practices dating back to the Fertile Crescent."
-"Publishers Weekly"
"A consummate celebration of the deceptively simple loaf of bread...Besides imparting a history of grains and their places in culture over the past 105,000 years (when grain consumption appears to have begun), Fromartz includes step-by-step recipes for nurturing dough starters and for baking baguettes, flatbread, rye bread (which he learned to make in Berlin) and a loaf made from an artisanal grain, Turkey Red wheat....Richly detailed [and] lively."
-"Kirkus Reviews"
"This fascinating, beautifully written memoir reveals Sam Fromartz as that rare breed of cook: craftsman, historian and scientist all in one, following his senses and questing after what is delicious, authentic, and pure."
-Alice Waters, vice president of Slow Food International, owner of Chez Panisse, and author of "The Art of Simple Food"
"In this lovely book, Sam Fromartz offers a signature mix of baking insights and wonderful storytelling as he hits the road to find his perfect loaf. If you make bread--or ever intend to--you need to read this book."
-Ruth Reichl, former editor-in-chief of "Gourmet" and author of "Delicious!"
"Sam Fromartz's odyssey teaches us that being a great baker takes more than simply following recipes-it is a relentless quest. His conversations with bakers and then his reinterpretation of their lessons at home is a double education. I

About the Author:

Samuel Fromartz's work has appeared in "The New York Times," "The Washington Post, " and "The Atlantic, " among other publications. He lives in Washington, D.C.

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.