great bread in the land of great bread
587683
I live in San Francisco, land of great breads.  Yes, you can buy better breads here than I can make from this book but they cost $7/loaf.  And I love the basic bread recipe.  My kids came for a visit and in 4 days they ate 3 loaves of it.  And bought the book afterwards.
1598211
This is a great book and  the Scandinavian aspect of it presents recipes is wonderful in that they are not in the usual low carb library.  But what was terrific for someone like me who may not miss bread as rule but who misses something like crackers or something to go with hummus,etc--- was the revelation of seed bread, the almond bread and the cheese bread.  They are all made without flour but with with seeds, with psyllium husk powder.  Great!  Also loved there was a meatloaf recipe and bechamel without flour.

A really different low carb recipe book.
4256700
This book is a wonderful source of bread recipes for a bread maker.  The incredible variety of recipes in this book, makes it one of those books, that if you only have the space for one book, this would be that book.

I'm working my way through the book and have only found a couple of recipes that don't work very well.  The rest have come out very successfully.

As I can't eat wheat, I've been substituting the wheat in the recipes, with Spelt, which I can eat and found, by reducing the amount of water by 20 mls or so and using Gluten free substitute, where the recipe calls for gluten flour, the bread comes out just fine.

There are gluten free recipes included in the book and recipes for Rye flour and various other flours that aren't used in your typical bread maker's manual.  There are ethnic recipes from various parts of the world, which adds further interest for people wanting to try recipes from outside the norm.

I've bought numerous bread recipe books, but find myself going back to this book, when I'm looking for a recipe that I can rely on to rise, or if I'm looking for a recipe that uses a particular ingredient that I have to hand, which needs using up.

I'm happy to recommend this book to bread bakers at all levels of experience.  Even beginners can find simple recipes that they can be confident in achieving success with.  I bought the hard cover version, so it would withstand the many years of use that recipe books are given, but it is available in paper back or e-book version as well.
225338
Daniel Leader's Simply Great Breads is a wonderful collection of recipes for people who enjoy making bread at home. This is not a huge book and does not cover everything like some other baking books that I have, but Leader has some recipes that I have not seen before that I am eager to try. There is a secion on ciabatta, which I love, and the recipe for cialbatta rolls sounds wonderful.

I usually use my stand mixer to knead my bread for me but Leader has a how-to guide on how to hand-knead bread that I think I am going to try. There is also a recipe for pancakes with yeast and a recipe for strawberry jam that caught my eye.

Some different ideas and recipes made this bread book worth while for me. I think that any one who enjoys making their own bread will find something that they would like to try in this delightful book.
3473172
A great overview of the region and the culture, leading to the awesome recipes, which bring back childhood memories.

I just had to go ahead and try the Synieh recipe, and it was just great.
It is not instead of a visit to Nazareth, but it comes close to that
1135551
I picked up this book because I was touched by the story behind the bakery that inspired it.  The Greyson Bakery is all about supporting the local community by providing jobs to people with difficult pasts.  I admire the efforts of the bakery and am pleased that the recipes in the book live up to their great vision.

Contained within the book are basics (i.e. whipped cream and butter cream frosting) as well as cakes, tarts, cookies and bars.  The creations are all sweet in natural so there aren't any yeast breads, croissants, etc., but there are so many delightful recipes I couldn't care.

I found the recipes to be approachable and well written.  Best of all, they were a good mix of more classic/expected recipes like peanut butter cookies, blondies, etc. as well as more unique creations like a maple fig tart, chocolate banana nut cake, and pineapple macadamia upside-down bars.  Because of this mix of recipes, I think it would be appreciated both by someone who is looking for a single beginning book to bake from as well as a cookbook collector who is looking to add another great book to the shelf.  It caters very well to people who have more traditional tastes as well as those looking for a little something more adventurous.

An important note, however, is that there are only 16 pictures in the book.  If you are a more visual baker and prefer a picture with every (or almost every) recipe you would probably prefer&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Martha-Stewart-s-Baking-Handbook/dp/0307236722/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook</a>, which has an exhaustive number of photos.  Overall though the photos in this book are lovely and pique my interest about recipes I might not otherwise think to try.

I really enjoyed this cookbook and think that other bakers, both new and more experienced, will as well.
3364861
Love this book and the stories and pictures.  And the recipes. I might run away and marry the country bread.  Its seriously that good.  It took me all day to make it, but was well worth the effort.  If I can't go to Tartine, I'll bring Tartine to me! (or i'll give it a try...nothing compares)
1669046
This book is great for people who want to eat healthy bread. I was surprised to find that it contained so much information. This book is written by the best bread author in the country.
4761677
After reading an excerpt about this book on another website, I decided to give it a try.  You will not be disappointed by this book and the recipes it contains, nor the ease at which you can have fresh baked bread daily.  I've made the 100% Whole Wheat bread recipe many times now and have passed the recipe on to friends who I've given a loaf and they are just as excited as I am.  Don't hesitate if you aren't sure about buying this book.  It is truly wonderful!
4923297
This book has some great gluten free bread recipes. The author states that you need to purchase a newer bread machine in order to obtain the best results, however I used my old bread machine using the first rise setting. Dumped the dough into a bread pan and baked it in my oven with great results. I normally use the first rise setting as I do not like the shape of my bread machine pan. I highly recommend the cheesy bread recipe as mine turned out great. I am looking forward to trying more of the recipes.
728680
When I scan books on Amazon, it seems I always read the bad reviews first, the one star reviews. So did I when I came  across this one. Perhaps, I think, the detractors 'get' something that those more affirmative do not. Reading the reviews here, I was struck that they missed something perhaps, of the essence of making bread, and so ordered the book. I was not disappointed. I have made bread all my life, and was looking for a new text, authored by a kindred spirit. Ms. Field's book does not disappoint. You see, bread is not cooking. It is alchemy. Elemental components - flour, salt, water, yeast, mixed in a secret way, to make something simple yet complex, easy yet hard. Did you ever wonder why one can take these same four ingredients, and make something that is either sublime or grotesque, and that each tastes a little different? Ms. Field writes a book that is captivating yet practical; she shares her secrets, the wizard of bread, in a way that is on one hand practical, and on the other magical - her text is as compelling (moreso!!) than the recipes. Bread is historical. Bread is spiritual. Bread is love. It is no accident that Christ broke bread with his disciples. This is my body. This is my food. This is my love for those with whom I break it.

The book is in two halves. Let's say that the first is spiritual. What are the ingredients, how do they differ, how does one handle them, how are they combined, what is the history of each, what is the mythology of each? Do you want to make the perfect loaf? Learn the mythology before you measure out a cup of flower. The second half of the book is recipes. The recipes of bread all seem stereotyped: this much flour, this much yeast, this much water, etc., etc. Ms Field elaborates the subtleties of them all. I have made about half a dozen so far and all have been wonderful. Yet I think perhaps it is because I read the first half of the book before I started. You see, you need both. The right amount of flour, and the love in your hands. Read the first half, then use the recipe from whatever book you want. I am sure that the effort will be rewarded.

One of my fondest memories is of my grandmother cooking dinner. I remember her kneading bread, as I came as a small child to her apartment after church. She sang in Italian as she worked on the loaf. Later, over dinner, the warm loaves were served alongside our pasta or roast. I remember her sitting quietly as we rolled our eyes in ecstasy, and consumed her labors. Now, after a lifetime of pursuing perfection in a mixture of baked wheat, water, salt and yeast, know what she was thinking; I have given this up for you.

If you want recipes go elsewhere. If you want a spiritual experience, I heartily recommend this book.
3839902
Birdsong Bread is a little gem of a book that has something for all bread lovers. In clear simple words, Luke Och describes both the art and science of bread baking. I gained a deepened appreciation for the labor of love that baking bread can be, and an understanding of why artisan bread is so expensive, and so good.

With recipe titles like Buck Wild and Wait a Millet, its a delight to read, even if you are not a bread machine baker ready to go to the next level. After chuckling over pun after pun, and salivating over the beautiful photographs, I worked my way through the book backwards, starting with eight really good seasonal bruschetta recipes. Treat yourself and your fellow bread lovers to this book!
4154450
Every bread recipe I've tried out of this book has come out beautifully. I love the early chapter on adapting traditional recipes and what each of the flours do - and the idea of using the protein content of a loaf for adaptation purposes and flour replacement. I've made the French Bread, Cheezy Dinner Biscuits (which were bloody amazing), Pull Apart Rolls, Sandwich Bread, Pitas, and Raisin Bread. Fantastic purchase.
1004102
A valuable resource. The basic recipe is great and we enjoy have quality bread all of the time. At some point, I'll explore the many other recipes in the book, but we have been very satisfied with the basic and the multigrain recipes.
3711459
If you love great bread and think you could never make it yourself, you have to buy this book. Yummy!
559997
This is a must have book for anyone who wants to bake GREAT bread, but be warned ahead of time, if you are OK with average bread that has no taste, no texture, comes in a plastic bag from your local "mega-mart", then you probably need to pass this by, real bread takes time and effort.  If you are ready for a bread experience then buy this book, read it, and then prepare to spend a ton of money and time making bread (because once your friends and family find out about your baking adventures, they will hit you up for bread ALL THE TIME).  Good luck and don't burn yourself.  LOL
965870
I know that you want my review because you need good reviews so you can sell  more and more books and also I think that you are making me writing a review as you ask me to review it, it was not my decision of reviewing it, and that is not very nice. I started baking this bread way before I bought the book from the recipe taking from Jim Lahey book a friend of mine has.
I am just reviewing it because I think Jim Lahey deserves all the credit. His recipe is out of this world as it goes against all bread recipes and works as well as any bread you can buy at the best bakeries you can find.