5.0 out of 5 stars Superb book - simple clear instructions and excellent photos

R.K. · 11 April 2013

I can believe that every recipe here has been tried and tested. I have gone through about a dozen of the recipes and the breads come out pretty much perfect.There was only one I was not 100% happy with so far - the croissant recipe, which does not use any milk at all, but that's a very minuscule point. I've used other croissant recipes that use milk (50%) in the dough and seem to give a better texture. I own several bread-making books and would rate this one 5/5. If you are learning to make bread without going on a course, I think this book is probably the best one for several reasons: very clear instructions; good photos that show many of the steps; simple technique (stretch and fold); extensive range of recipes. If you follow the instructions to the letter, you can't go wrong. I like Hadjiandreou's approach for sourdough - keeping a very small quantity of starter and making a sort of a poolish (maybe not technically the correct term) from this; a much more economical and practical approach than the large quantity starters, which involves throwing away "half" each time the starter is refreshed. The bread-making technique he teaches is essentially "stretch and fold" so no energetic kneading required ( c.f. Bertinet or Hollywood). Instructions are very precise and easy to follow. Incidentally, I own a other bread-making books which I would rate as: RB's Dough - 4/5; PH'S Bread - 3/5; PR's Bread Maker's Apprentice - 4/5.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book

D. · 4 February 2025

Fantastic lovely glossy colourful book with some really good recipes, tips and tricks. Full of useful information and was well worth the cost.

4.0 out of 5 stars Very clear instructions BUT quite a lot of errors in the recipes

L.T. · 7 February 2022

This is a really good book for novice and experienced bakers alike. The author uses the "stretch and fold" technique of kneading, which works well and is very easy to master, especially with the detailed instructions provided and accompanying pictures. There are also a lot of interesting recipes for different kinds of bread, including sourdough, gluten-free and wheat-free options.The first loaf I made was a traditional granary tin loaf, which came out well. The next one I tried was from the sourdough chapter - the "levain de campagne". This is where I noticed the first major error, which was that the quantity of water was completely incorrect and meant that the recipe could not work as written. Because I'm quite an experienced baker, I added more water because I know the dough was far too dry. I sent Emmanuel Hadjiandreou a message on Instagram but unfortunately he didn't reply. However a bit of googling revealed a whole list of errata on his Facebook page which I've added to my copy of the book. For those who are interested, in the above recipe, 150g of water should read 250-300g - a massive difference.I do really like this book, but have deducted a star because of the number of errors. I can only conclude that the book was badly edited, or not properly recipe tested. Do try the potato sourdough though - it's great!

5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific bread making book

S. · 27 November 2011

I have been on two courses run by Emmanuel at the School of Artisan Food and this book perfectly complements the content. Great photos and easy to follow recipes. I have several bread making books by Peter Reinhardt and Dan Leppard amongst others but of all of them Emmanuel's is my favourite.If you are used to the traditional method of bread mixing, which is to spend ten minutes working up a sweat throwing the dough around a floured table, then those days are over. As Emmanuel explains, just four ten-second kneads and then let time do the rest of the work for you. Finally, the ciabatta recipe is amazing and never fails.

5.0 out of 5 stars A masterpiece for the home baker

C.L.S. · 4 November 2011

As a commercial baker I have bought most of the books about baking, going right back to the 1970s classics such as the Sunday Times Book of Real Bread and Elizabeth David's English Bread and Yeast Cookery. I have to declare that Emmanuel was head of production at Judges Bakery in Hastings, our business which we started with him. So we already knew he was a master at making perfect bread. This book is brilliant - the photographs ensure that you never get lost or end up wondering if what you have in front of you looks like it should - it holds your hand as it takes you step by step through the almost magical process where flour is transformed into a living dough and then into a wonderful loaf of bread. The patisserie recipes are excellent too - if you make the Napoleons I suggest a double batch - the first lot out of the oven will disappear into grateful mouths - they are the best Danish pastry type recipe I've ever triedCraig Sams

3.0 out of 5 stars Arrived badly damaged

C. · 21 January 2025

The book itself seems really good, although I haven’t tried any recipes yet. How on earth did the carrier manage to badly bend a sturdy book like this in transit though? It must have been seriously mishandled, it looks like someone has driven over it. It won’t even sit on my bookshelf properly, it’s so badly distorted.

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing Book - Must Buy!

T. · 8 January 2012

I HAD to leave a review, this is such a useful book - exactly what I was looking for! The recipes are clear and well labeled, there are step-by-step pictures of how to create attractive bread designs, and easy to follow complicated dough making techniques, and handy notes within the recipes (e.g. which ingredients you have freshly made can be frozen and/or how long they will keep for), with a short intro into bread history, and the different type of ingredients. Perfect for a novice like me!

5.0 out of 5 stars Bread

T.h. · 25 February 2025

I bought this book to learn how to make bread, there so many different types of bread ,the book shows you step-by-step how to make the perfect bread, the was great value and the quality was really great, fast delivery, highly efficient

Highly recommend this book.

J.E. · 4 January 2017

Having tried making bread on a few occasions that were total failures, I decided to try this book as it looked good. I've made my first recipe from it, the Challah and it turned out great! This is so encouraging. There are great photos to guide you and lots of information. The step-by-step written/photo guides are really helpful. So, if you're a beginner bread maker or more experienced, I'd highly recommend this book. There are great photos of all recipes as well as photos describing various specialty steps.I like the technique which is easy. No need for a dough hook machine although I have one; it's just done by hand.

One of the best bread books

s.o. · 2 May 2012

I have been so impressed with this bread book in many ways. The method of kneading is new to me, but produces excellent results. The 10 minute rest periods works well with coordinating cooking and baking at the same time. The recipes are tasty and varied. I like the similarity of preparation which makes you want to try his other recipes. One of my favorite bread recipes is the spelt bread to which I add walnuts, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds. So much tastier than whole wheat and healthy, makes great toast. The pita bread is an easy recipe and are wonderful. I could continue with the post, but this bread book is my new favorite and the recipes will be used for years to come. Definitely worth it.

Una maravilla para los amantes del pan.

M. · 21 January 2013

Mi "biblia" de como hacer pan. Explica desde lo más básico a como hacer panes muy complejos, pasando desde la forma más facil de fermentación hasta el uso de masa madre. Muy bien ilustrado.

una scoperta!

l.b. · 16 September 2014

Questo libro è diventato la mia bibbia! Una vera scoperta per una come me che fa il pane da sempre, soprattutto per le ricette con la pasta madre.

Ótimo para iniciantes

M.F. · 2 June 2018

Já tinha alguns livros sobre panificação mas este é o mais indicado para quem quer começar. Muito bem ilustrado e explicado. A panificação exige um respeito muito grande em relação às proporções de ingredientes e tempo de preparo. Ótimo custo benefício.