Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery That Revolutionizes Home Baking

Features

• Cover Type: Hard Cover with 256 pages
• Published by: Thomas Dunne Books November 13, 2007
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 0312362919
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-0312362911
• Book Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.5 x 1.2 inches
• Weighs: 1.5 pounds

From Publishers Weekly
While the phrase artisan bread typically evokes images of labor-intensive sessions and top-notch ingredients, for authors Hertzberg and François it means five minutes. An intriguing concept—high-quality, fresh bread in less time than it takes to boil water. The authors' promises of no kneading, no starter, no proofing yeast and no need for a bread machine is based on the concept of mixed and risen high-moisture dough stored in the fridge for up to two weeks (dough is cut into pieces and popped in the oven for fresh loaves as desired). Note: for those tracking minutes, the five-minutes doesn't include the 20-minute resting time for dough or thirty minutes for baking. After concise, introductory chapters on ingredients, equipment, and tips and techniques, readers are presented with the master recipe, a free-form loaf of French boule that is the model for all breads in the book. Three main chapters—Peasant Loaves, flatbreads and Pizzas and Enriched Breads and Pastries—are filled with tempting selections and focus on ethnic breads and pastries including Couronne from France; Limpa from Scandinavia; Ksara from Morocco; Broa from Portugal; and Chocolate-Raisin Babka from the Ukraine, but the basics (Oatmeal Bread, Bagels, White Bread) are all here, too. A smattering of companion recipes such as Tuscan White Bean Dip and Portuguese Fish Stew are peppered throughout. While experienced bakers and true gourmands will skip this one, those looking for an innovative approach to making bread just might find it in these recipes. (Nov.)
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Product Description
There’s nothing like the smell of freshly baked bread to fill a kitchen with warmth, eager appetites, and endless praise for the baker who took on such a time-consuming task. Now, you can fill your kitchen with the irresistible aromas of a French bakery every day with just five minutes of active preparation time, and Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day will show you how.



Coauthors Jeff Hertzberg and Zoë François prove that bread baking can be easier than a trip to the bakery. Their method is quick and simple, bringing forth scrumptious perfection in each loaf. Delectable creations will emerge straight from your own oven as warm, indulgent masterpieces that you can finally make for yourself. In exchange for a mere five minutes of your time, your breads will rival those of the finest bakers in the world.



With nearly 100 recipes to put this ingenious technique to use, Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day will open the eyes of any potential baker who has sworn off homemade bread as simply too much work. Crusty baguettes, mouth-watering pizzas, hearty sandwich loaves, and even buttery pastries can easily become part of your own personal menu, and this innovative book will teach you everything you need to know.



Reader Reviews
Beautiful book and easy to read. I am experienced baker and have tested many of the recipes in my own kitchen. A couple of words of caution: 1. Wet doughs can be difficult to handle, especially ones supplemented with whole wheat or rye flour. Many users may have problems manipulating the wet dough into shapes beyond the boule. The authors' pain epi only approximates the authentic shape and style of the prototypical loaf. 2. Even the pictures in the book show that the products have poor dough strength. Use good flours. Carefuly follow the directions to get good "oven spring." The more you manipulate this dough - the tougher the crust and crumb will be. 3. Corn meal burns. The wet dough resting on a peel prepared with corn meal or flour may stick to a wooden peel. Need quite a bit to keep the dough from sticking. I saw this in a TV interview with one of the authors - he had to use handfuls of corn meal see YouTube). I got better results and less mess with parchment paper. If you still want the corn meal look on the bottom of your loaf - spread a sparing amount on the parchment paper. 4. The recipes use a fair amount of yeast and salt. As such - poorly imitate traditional sourdoughs, poolish, levains or pre-ferments. 5. Because of the high percentage of water - you can imitate the ciabatta or italian breads pretty well - but don't expect the texture of other european breads. 6. The book title is misleading - no breads described in the book can be made in less than sixty minutes - and most need the 12-18 hour pre-fermentation stage. The book presented interesting concepts for "no kneed" breads that seem to be the fad now. For real bread - you need to use your hands.