So many new books...

new like sprouted grain breads from PR if I had to choose.

Hello

i've just finished reading "In search of the perfect loaf" and throughly enjoyed it. When I first picked the book up, i thought what a tiny litttle book, but it turns out to be quite expansive and well written. There is a good bit of info on grain origins, grain  breeding and the movement to reintroduce diversity, this, I found especially interesting.

Although it's subtitle reads "A home bakers odyssey", I believe that profi-bakers would also find the book to be a fully worthwhile read.

All in all , It's a very good read, highly recommended 

cheers

Hi Floyd,

Yesterday I received both In Search of the Perfect Loaf and  Bread Revolution.  I have only begun PR's book so can comment only upon it based on my baking experience.  

I will start off by saying that I had hoped for a less politically correct book about bread from PR. 

What became readily apparent was that there really isn't anything new between its covers that hasn't been spoken of here on your remarkable site Floyd.  People in this 'community' have been baking breads like this and sharing them for at least as long as I have been here so I can't really say he has presented me with anything new to explore.  

I much prefer his book Whole Grain Breads because it is that one that one that taught me, step by step, how to work with and manage baking with my whole grains through the utilization of soakers, bigas and sd starters.  I needed all of those baby steps when I started out and they have provided me with a foundation in understanding a bit about how grains 'work'.  I am not sure that this book will provide the same sort of foundation for new bakers but then I realize too that not all people want to know all the 'whys and wherefores' that I do when it comes to whole grain baking.

I can't help but wonder how many people will benefit from a book that uses speciality flours that simply are not available in many parts of our country and, if they are, they are very costly.  I say this because the woman from whom I purchase my grains sells grain to other women who are baking daily for their families - all on very tight budgets. They bake out of necessity not 'luxury'.  Peter does describe the process to make your own sprouted flours but that is time consuming and requires the ability to mill your sprouted grains.  Mills are not an inexpensive item.

I am sounding very negative so I better wrap up and say my comments come from my expectations about this book.

 For those seeking a book full of delicious looking breads baked with the use of sprouted grains and other types of speciality flours such as grape skin flour - this is an excellent book for you.  The formulas are all on one page allowing one to see %, volume, ounces and grams at a glance.  The method for mixing the doughs are nicely laid out - each step numbered and double spaced between each new step.  This is really helpful when your hands are full of sticky dough and you can't really remember where you are in the process.

Janet

Can anyone explain how PR can publish a book called "Bread Revolution" when a book of the same name was released 2 years ago by Duncan Glendinning and Patrick Ryan ? Seems a very silly state of affairs.