Despite its appeal, bread baking can intimidate even those who are comfortable in the kitchen: so many factors, so many recipes to choose from. Brian Hart Hoffman, editor-in-chief of Bake from Scratch magazine, has assembled a mouthwatering batch of classic and innovative bread recipes in his first cookbook, The Bread Collection.
Each of the book's four sections--quick, twist, yeast and pull-apart--has its own stars, such as a recipe for strawberry balsamic muffins or a gorgeous Nutella crunch braid sprinkled with hazelnuts. Some of the time-honored classics--banana bread, Parker House rolls, marbled rye--are here, as are twists on old standbys, such as sweet potato biscuits and pear chai scones. Gorgeously illustrated and packed with tips on key baking techniques like feeding a sourdough starter and rolling out biscuits, Hoffman's collection lives up to its title and subtitle. Tie on an apron and pass the flour, please. --Katie Noah Gibson, blogger at Cakes, Tea and Dreams