The Bread Bible

There is something truly wonderful about freshly baked bread. This comprehensive cookbook is both an illustrated guide to the breads of the world and a practical bread-making manual, with over 100 recipes for delicious home-made loaves of all kinds.This book begins with a fascinating introduction to the history of bread and bakers. A section on yeasts and leavening opens the techniques section, which describes, in an easy-to-follow photographic format, the basics of bread-making from mixing dough to baking the loaf. A round-up of useful equipment, from baking pans to bannetons, completes the section. The comprehensive reference guide that follows is a fantastic visual catalogue of the breads of the world. Organised by country, each entry includes fascinating background information such as how the bread is baked, its history, its shape and flavour and the type of flour used.There are breads from almost every country in the recipe section too. Over 100 recipes and variations have been tested and adapted where necessary so that you can bake them easily at home. Illustrated step-by-step instructions take you through each stage of the preparation and there is a photograph of every finished bread, so that you can see what you are trying to achieve.Whether you'd simply like to identify an unusual bread or want to try your hand at baking a classic loaf, this volume is an essential addition to your kitchen shelf - it is not only the definitive cook's reference guide to the breads of the world, but a comprehensive technical handbook and an enticing and inspiring recipe resource.Over 100 traditional bread recipes and variations from every corner of the world, from northern Europe and the Mediterranean to India and the AmericasFeatures an fully illustrated reference guide to the different breads of the world, with fascinating information on their history as well as how each bread is baked, its shape and flavourOver 600 colour photographs, both step-by-step instructions and glorious pictures of the finished breads, show clearly what you are aiming for at every stageIncludes recipes for classic breads such as Italian ciabatta, Irish soda bread and San Franciscan sourdough as well as less well known breads such as Portuguese corn bread and Syrian onion breadA detailed step-by-step techniques section explains every stage of the bread-making process from mixing and kneading to glazing and baking, and offers advice on using automatic bread-making machinesIncludes nutritional information for every recipe