Six-Word Saturday: 7 Av, 5770

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Two new bread books inspiring discoveries…

The two books are Artisan Baking Across America: The Breads, The Bakers, The Best Recipesand My Bread: The Revolutionary No-Work, No-Knead Method(cover images below).

Funny, because they seem kind of opposed in lots of ways.  Yet both are obsessed with creating the best bread in the home kitchen.

Despite that tedious word Artisan in the title, Glezer’s book offeres riveting insight into the baking process, all the way down to the flour and beyond.  I have only just begun to delve into it.

Lahey’s book is more hands-on and more evangelical in its approach, but it was a surprise in that I assumed that he, like Jeff Hertzberg of Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Dayfame, came from a non-baking background.  True, he used to be a sculptor, but was also a professional baker, looking for a way to teach home bakers how to create professional-quality bread (or better) without complicated commercial kitchen equipment or ovens.

Definitely makes me want to buy a cast-iron pot to try baking in.  I think that’s the next step, but the “bakey-wanty-list” just keeps on growing:

  • instant-read thermometer
  • dough whisk
  • decent rolling pin (SO sick of using wine bottles!)
  • peel
  • baking stone
  • closed cast-iron dutch oven

Well, it could go on and on.  Meanwhile, lots of happy new breads to try.  Lahey has a potato-based focaccia that seems right up my alley.  His potato pizza is also very inspiring-looking… which means yet another item for the wish list:

  • mandolin slicer

Sigh.

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