Living Bread: Tradition and Innovation in Artisan Bread Making

Daniel Leader, founder of New York's Bread Alone bakery, is a restless soul who is always investigating what other serious bakers are doing. Here he provides an inspiring and rigorous collection of bread recipes—largely but not exclusively pre-fermented or sourdough— drawn from or inspired by some of the world's great boulangers. Leader makes it very clear that he's writing for serious bakers: ingredient measurements are provided in baker's percentages or by metric weight. No messing around with cups and all the uncertainty they introduce. Recipes also include notes for professional kitchens, suggesting things such as the incorporation of an autolyse duing the mixing process or baking olive oil-rich loaves on parchment to keep the floor of a deck oven free from grease.

The breads themselves are an appealing and interesting assortment. In addition to expected standards such as baguettes and ciabattas, there are innovative loaves such as a laminated honey rye infused with lemon and herbs, a German seed loaf updated with the addition of quinoa, and a circular loaf from Nantes that incorporates a high percentage of buckwheat. Leader also profiles and shares ideas from bakers throughout Europe, from Finland to Sicily and makes it clear how much he admires their work and perseverance. One could almost plot a bread-lovers Grand Tour by reading Living Bread.

Hardcover. Color photographs throughout.