We know whole grain breads are better for us, but will we actually eat them, much less take time to bake them?
Yes, says beloved baking instructor Peter Reinhart, but only if they are very, very good. So Reinhart, with his decades of experience crafting amazing artisanal breads, has made it his mission to create whole grain breads that are nothing short of incredible.
In this follow-up to his award-winning book The Bread Baker’s Apprentice, Reinhart offers groundbreaking methods for making whole grain breads that taste better than any you’ve ever had. And because his approach is also simpler and less labor intensive than conventional techniques, you’ll choose to make and eat these breads. His fifty-five recipes for whole grain sandwich, hearth, and specialty breads, plus bagels, crackers, and more, incorporate widely available whole wheat flour as well as other flours and grains such as rye, barley, steel-cut oats, cornmeal, and quinoa. Each is so rich with flavor and satisfying texture that white-flour counterparts pale in comparison.
Written in Reinhart’s famously clear style and accompanied by inspiring photographs, these recipes were perfected with the help of nearly 350 testers. Introductory chapters provide a tutorial, with step-by-step photographs, of the delayed fermentation method that is at the heart of these recipes, as well as a crash course in baking science, discussions of grains other than wheat, and more. Advanced bakers will relish Reinhart’s innovative techniques and exacting scientific explanations, and beginning bakers will rejoice in the ease of baking wholesome breads with such extraordinary flavor.
Peter Reinhart is a baking instructor and faculty member at Johnson and Wales University in Charlotte, North Carolina. He was the cofounder of Brother Juniper’s Bakery in Santa Rosa, California, and is the author of six books on bread baking, including Brother Juniper’s Bread Book, Crust and Crumb, and the 2002 James Beard Cookbook of the Year and IACP Cookbook of the Year, The Bread Baker’s Apprentice.
List Price:
$35.00
Our Price:
$22.17
You Save:
$12.83 (37%)
Shipping:
Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25.
*Shipping:
Product Details
Author:
Peter Reinhart
Hardcover:
320 pages
Publisher:
Ten Speed Press
Publication Date:
2007-08
Language:
English
ISBN:
1580087590
Product Length:
9.38 inches
Product Width:
1.07 inches
Product Height:
10.31 inches
Product Weight:
3.25 pounds
Package Length:
10.1 inches
Package Width:
9.0 inches
Package Height:
1.3 inches
Package Weight:
3.15 pounds
Average Customer Rating:
based on 89 reviews
Customer Reviews
Average Customer Review: ( 89 customer reviews )
Write an online review and share your thoughts with other customers.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
356 of 364 found the following review helpful:
Ideal book for a very specific audience Sep 05, 2007
By H. Grove
"Errant Dreams Reviews"
Let me make a couple of things clear up front. First, this book is not for the casual baker who likes to toss a recipe together on short notice, throw it in the oven, and be done with it; Reinhart goes the extra mile of effort to extract every last ounce of perfection from whole grain breads.
Second, it is entirely possible to make delicious whole grain breads without using his complex methods. I've done it using the recipes in both the King Arthur Flour Company's "Whole Grain Baking", and "Secrets of a Jewish Baker". If you are the aforementioned casual baker then I highly recommend picking up one (or preferably both) of those books instead.
However, this is the perfect book for the cook who's always fiddling with their recipes trying to make them Just Right. It's the ideal companion for the home baker who's willing to go the extra distance to get not just delicious and enjoyable whole grain bread, but perfect whole grain bread. It isn't the right book for everyone, but for the right audience I can't imagine a better read.
Do be sure to read the first few chapters, which explain the history and science behind Reinhart's methods. Not only is it fascinating stuff, but it's necessary to give you the understanding you'll need to make the most of the recipes. Unlike simple recipes where you can just follow a few steps and be done with it, these methods require you to have a feel for the doughs. The amount of kneading required, for example, can vary so much depending on which grains you've used, how you've kneaded them, and so on. If it weren't for Reinhart's "windowpane test," which has you test the gluten development of a bread by gently stretching the dough and seeing if you can stretch until it's somewhat translucent (illustrative photos are included), we wouldn't have known that the difference in airiness between the loaves we made was entirely due to kneading. But because he armed his readers with that knowledge, we were able to make a loaf of super-high-fiber oat bran bread that was fluffy. Yes, I did indeed just describe a whole grain high-fiber bread as fluffy.
No matter the grains you want to try in your breads, you'll find a formula to use them in here. Quinoa? Cooked rice? Bran? Doesn't matter--there's a recipe in here you can use. Reinhart has also included a number of `transitional' breads that use part-white flour and part-whole grains so as to ease your transition to whole grains.
The recipes do involve a certain amount of flipping around from section to section, and you need to start them the night before. (In the case of those recipes involving a wild yeast starter--which he does tell you how to make from scratch--you'll need to engage in even more advance preparation.) The book is complex in ways that normally I would hold against a cookbook. However, in this case I won't. These aren't unnecessary complexities at all.
Reinhart set out with a very specific goal in mind--the creation of the perfect whole grain loaf of bread--and did everything he had to do in order to achieve that goal. Through playing with the recipes I'm convinced that everything he has you do is, in fact, integral to achieving his fantastic results. It may take you a few tries with any given recipe to make it come out perfectly as you learn how to gauge the feel of the doughs, but with practice... well, let's just say I'm going to take a break after this review to go back to the fridge for some more oat bran bread. Surprisingly yummy, fluffy oat bran bread.
56 of 57 found the following review helpful:
Best and Easiest Whole Grain Bread I've Made Jan 13, 2008
By Adam Tenner As others have said before, this may not be the right book for beginners.
As most regular home bakers know, practice is the best teacher; no one book has taught any of us how to get the best oven spring, to know when the bread is finished rising, etc. Great bread books only serve as great "Teaching Assistants" to our own paths towards learning how to make great bread at home. And Reinhart's earlier books were some of the best TA's I had.
But this book is really something different. My family consumes a lot of bread, and I prefer to make sure that it's whole grain, organic and healthful. So while I still turn to a variety of bread recipe books for making authentic-ish French baguette, or an Italian corn/rye bread, this is the one I've turned to week after week to make the staple bread on our table.
The formula used in the book really creates an outstanding, high-quality loaf of bread - in texture, taste and beauty - while capitalizing on the hard work of enzymes and the natural yeast, and yes instant yeast, and minimizing my time in the kitchen.
Here's how it works for me. Before and after work on Thursday and Friday, I refresh my starter (5 min each time). On Saturday, I mix the soaker and the wild yeast starter (15 minutes). On Sunday afternoon I assemble the bread (15 min), do the usual two risings and bake. I never feel like I have to hover over the bread. So other than needing to be around the house (happily doing other things) on Sunday afternoon, the only real time commitment is the actual baking.
This book is not without some problems (like somewhat strange measurements (5/8 teaspoon, 501 grams, etc.) That said, once I got my brain and hands around the method, it has quickly become my favorite bread book for my weekly loaf of whole grain bread.
As I write this, I'm happily ignoring the makings of muligrain Straun (one of my favorite recipes in the book. I'm going out for lunch and feel great about rolling back around after 3 and making great bread before dinner. I would also put a plug in for the High-Extraction Flour Miche, similar to the wonderful Poilâne bread.
Peter Reinhart, thank you for this book. I was lucky enough to be a tester and worried about how complicated the method might become, but you've done a great job. I get to bake beautiful loaves that nourish my family. What more can a baker ask for?
39 of 42 found the following review helpful:
For a serious Whole Grain Baker, This book is for you Sep 22, 2007
By N. DeWitt This book is not for anyone and unless you appreciate the art and the science of baking, you might find this book too complicated. This book would be the right one if you:
-are a whole grain lover, or thinking of exploring whole grain baking -loves artisan baking and not satisfied with "quick-and-easy" bread machine bread recipes -have tried wholegrain baking before but failed miserably because you weren't sure what you were doing -don't mind going extra mile for the greatest tasting whole grain bread you ever had -loves to tweak and make your own recipes
Just as the title says, it is "Whole Grain Bread" book. You will not see any recipe with less than 50% whole wheat in it. If you are not sure how you would like whole grain breads, you should try another Peter Reinhart's book "The Bread Baker's Apprentice" and try his whole grain bread recipe first. "The Bread Baker's Apprentice" book will provide you with great artisan bread recipes around the world and most of his recipes are not whole grain, so it will give you a good place to get started with the art of bread baking.
I got this book just a week ago and as a serious bread baker who likes to bake more whole grain, I just LOVE this book. I tried out a couple of recipes, and it is AMAZING how great the bread taste. It is worth your effort and this book will make you not want to go back to your regular loaf of bread at supermarket.
Some people wrote his recipes are too long and tedious in their reviews, but this is what makes his recipes fool-proof. If you follow his recipes, it is very hard to mess up your bread. Again, this is not a casual bread cook book. You should consider this more like a text book. He will teach you everything you need to know about Whole Grain Bread Baking.... So, when you get a copy of this book you should not skip the first few chapters where he explains why all these steps are necessary to successfully bake a whole grain bread.
I highly recommend this book to all serious bread bakers.
219 of 257 found the following review helpful:
Whole Grain Bread with a Twist Feb 12, 2008
By IMNSHO
"Diane"
I have been baking bread for many years. I also like to read about bread baking practice and theory, so when Peter Reinhart published his new book, I was eager to try it.
On the positive side, I like the fact that the recipes focus on whole grains. The photographs are done well throughout the book. I also applaud Reinhart for thinking out of the box, trying new techniques.
Essentially, Reinhart's technique is to prepare two mixes the day before: a sourdough starter or biga, and a soaker or mash. This advance preparation coaxes out the flavors in a relaxed way, so that the following day, you combine both parts to flour, salt, and yeast, and then proceed with traditional timing. Reinhart refers to this amalgamation as epoxy glue, an unfortunate image.
Because the purpose of this book is to promote whole grains, I find it counterproductive that practically every recipe includes quite a bit of sugar, brown sugar, honey, or agave nectar. The complex, tantalizing taste of a freshly made whole grain bread should be plenty reward for most.
Reinhart explains in great detail the attributes and construction of using a soaker and a mash. However, out of a total of 55 bread recipes, only 4 recipes utilize the mash.
Some of the recipe quantities are curious: 1/2 cup plu 2 TB water or 5/8 tsp salt. Bread baking is not an exact science because so much depends on variables, such as type and age of flour, humidity, etc.
I am hesitant about recommending this book. If you are a first-time bread baker, you will find the techniques advanced. And, unless you like to read about bread, you may find reading the very long personal narrative gratuitous. Finally, baking hints, rather than organized by topic, are placed sporadically throughout the text.
In sum, Whole Grain Bread: New Techniques, Extraordinary Flavor is a good concept, but, for me, at least, I found redundant recipes with ordinary editing.
100 of 116 found the following review helpful:
Great-- if you think whole grains are great Aug 24, 2007
By D. Smith This book is appropriate for anyone looking to expand their whole-grain or artisan baking repertoire and for people who are *really* into whole grains. Reinhart is serious about his whole grains-- there are VERY few recipes that call for any white flour (and when there is white flour, it is a very small amount... these are not WGINO (Whole Grain In Name Only) recipes.
In addition to recipes, you get a long explanation on his method and why/how it is different than other whole grain baking formulae. He insists the result will not be bitter, flat, or gritty, but he makes some suspicious suggestions along the way (give a recipe three or four tries before you give up). I have also had problems getting my dough to pass the so-called 'windowpane' test-- not surprising considering the low gluten/protein content of the flours/grains. Likewise, the loaves seem dark and flat-- again, not surprising considering the percentage of whole-grain flour. One of the recipes I tried was tasty (and surely healthy), but there was not enough strength in the dough to support a very high rise.
Most recipes involve some combination of a biga, mash, starter, and, of course, whole grains. Like other artisan baking methods, there is enough flexibility in the recipes so you do not need to stand over your dough doubler waiting for the precise moment to do the next step.
If you are not interested in eating A LOT of whole wheat or rye, this book is not for you.
Here are his chapters: 1. following the flavor (anecdotal account of his own experiences with Whole Grains and the rise in popularity of whole grains) 2. From wheat to eat: a tutorial 3. The theory and practice of delayed fermentation (this is a unique aspect of the book that sets it apart from some other baking resources) 4. The breads this chapter includes: enriched breads (whole wheat sandwich breads; oat bran broom bread-- this is called broom bread since, according to the author, it cleanses the colon; rye sandwich meteil, etc.); hearth breads (whole wheat hearth bread, three rye hearth bread, etc.) specialty breads (power bread, 100% sprouted grain bread, spent-grain bread etc) International breads (transitional german-style many seed bread-- he's not kidding--, vollkornbrot, swedish limpa rye, santa lucia buns, etc) Bagels and Flatbreads (whole wheat pita, whole wheat naan, roti, focaccia, etc.) crackers (lavash, matzo, seeded crackers)
In sum a good resource for whole grain fanatics, Peter Reinhart fans, artisan bread bakers interested in whole grain baking. NOT a good resource for people who do not want to work exclusively with whole grains or for people who want to mix together some ingredients and have bread ready after 2-3 hours.
This is probably a four-star book for people who are very interested in whole grains.. probably a three for artisan bakers who are not enthusiastic about whole grains. Daniel Leader's new bread book is a better alternative for skilled bakers who do not want a book exclusively devoted to whole grain.
based on 89 reviews
Ideal book for a very specific audience Sep 05, 2007
By H. Grove
"Errant Dreams Reviews"
Whole Grain Bread with a Twist Feb 12, 2008
By IMNSHO
"Diane"
Great-- if you think whole grains are great Aug 24, 2007
By D. Smith
