Few experiences are more satisfying than biting into well-baked bread, be it sourdough, baguette, bagel, or any untold number of other shapes, sizes, textures, and flavor profiles. Baker and James Beard Award nominee Melissa Weller (A Good Bake) has spared no instruction or detail for readers to craft their own in Very Good Bread: The Science of Dough and the Art of Making Bread at Home. A former chemical engineer, Weller stresses the role that exactitude plays in baking. The sourdough baguette recipe is made over a period of four days, for example, and she advocates planning the time frame for each project.
Weller's career has featured stints at prominent restaurants in New York and California, and her encyclopedic knowledge is on full display throughout this beautifully photographed book, an essential resource for novice and experienced bakers alike. She advises which ingredients are preferrable (for example, salted or unsalted butter), whether it's better to weigh or measure ingredients, and how autolyse can contribute to a better crumb.
Every step, including preparation, seasoning, serving, and clean up, is covered thoroughly and accessibly in a way that makes failure seem impossible--or at least decidedly unlikely. Once a particular bake has been successfully achieved, readers can make use of appetizing complementary recipes, such as lamb meatballs with yogurt and pickled onions, and pulled pork tacos with salsa ranchera. Very Good Bread is sure to delight bakers and those lucky enough to sample their wares. --Elizabeth DeNoma, executive editor, DeNoma Literary Services, Seattle, Wash.