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(Paperback)
A master baker's 300 favorite recipes.
Unlike electric ice cream makers and pasta machines, the bread machine hasn't really enjoyed wholehearted acceptance in the culinary world. There are hordes of enthusiasts, no question about it, but many who consider themselves serious bakers look upon the machine with a skeptical eye. However, the newer generation of machines turns out excellent bread, and after being bombarded with know-how by this James Beard Award-winning writer, even the most reluctant may be inspired to give it a go. The book opens with an excellent orientation to both the machine and the basics of bread making. Step-by-step instructions are given for a few basic loaves. (Less helpful is a "what went wrong" section, which displays a firm grasp of the obvious.) The 300-plus recipes are so far-ranging it's hard to believe a bread exists that isn't included here. There are white breads and sourdoughs, all manner of whole wheat and grain breads and breads featuring nuts and dried fruits, cheese and savory flavorings. There are crusty ciabattas, a sturdy Irish Potato Brown Bread and a variety of challahs. Hensperger also includes dozens of sweet breads, including croissants, coffee cakes and traditional holiday confections. There are recipes for pizza and flatbreads, as well as selections from a variety of traditions, from Alsatian kugelhopf to Zuni Indian bread. She even offers instructions for using bread machines to make pasta, jams and chutneys. By the end, Hensperger (The Bread Bible, etc.) will have convinced readers that it's time to overcome any qualms and get to work. The bread machine is here to stay. (Aug.) Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.|
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September 26, 2009: This has so many wonderful recipes. I think it is a great value.
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June 16, 2009: I just bought this book yesterday. I just started baking with a bread machine and was having issues with the quality of the finished product. After getting recipes from online sites I decided to invest in a bread machine cookbook. I can't say enough about this book. I'm a huge collector of cookbooks and this one may be my favorite so far in a 100 book library. I sat down with the book intending to just give it a quick glance and wound up spending 3 hours "reading" this book! My bread machine bit the dust and I'm awaiting my new one so I haven't been able to put the recipes to the test yet. I have noticed one big difference in Beth's recipes, they all use vital wheat gluten. I hoping that this addition will solve my problem of dense, heavy loaves. The VWG should give the bread some rise and lightness. Can't wait to get started!