****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
My wife bought this book for me as a Father's Day present. The ease of directions took away the stress of double and triple checking everything. The pictures enhanced both the explicit instructions, as well as the mood of cool calm collectedness conveyed by the author. The author's instructions are infused with humor, without the overwriting often found in blogs, encouraging experimentation and a sense of low key fun to go along with the practice. It is always fun to eat your mistakes, with this book. First picture is of the 2nd loaf, which you will notice is a marked improvement from the 1st, and still room for improvement. The chew and crunch alone on the 2nd loaf is award winning, but the flavor is perfectly subtle yet distinct enough to stand alone. After at least three previous attempts from mostly on-line sources of instruction, I was able to put the scale away that I had purchased and rely on a more simple combination of equal parts measurement tools (eg., Table spoon, measuring cup) and instinct. If I had one complaint, it is the sheer volume of recipes and guide posts offered along the way to go with my starter, flour and re invigorated passion for baking. There is plenty of time though to continue exploring. Before I realized there were great sauce recipes, I grabbed a handful of basil from my garden, and mashed some pesto together in my mortar and pestle (another winning gift from the wife), and smeared on an untoasted slice. After that, there was no need to build a great cathedral of toasted paninis, fit with caramelized onion, cheeses and meat. Trust the process, and with "Bread Baking Basics" as your passport, travel the world back through time without even leaving the kitchen.
