Top 10 Los Gatos Library Books About Bread

1. The bread baker's apprentice: mastering the art of extraordinary bread, Peter Reinhart

Co-founder of the legendary Brother Juniper’s Bakery, author of the landmark books Brother Juniper’s Bread Book and Crust & Crumb, and distinguished instructor at the world’s largest culinary academy, Peter Reinhart has been a leader in America’s artisanal bread movement for over fifteen years. Never one to be content with yesterday’s baking triumph, however, Peter continues to refine his recipes and techniques in his never-ending quest for extraordinary bread. (amazon)

2. Crust & crumb: master formulas for serious bread bakers, Peter Reinhart

Discover the true heart and soul of bread in CRUST & CRUMB, from whole-wheat, sourdough, and rye to pita, focaccia, and naan. In this classic cookbook, expert baker Peter Reinhart shows how to produce phenomenal bread, explaining each step of the process in detail and giving you knowledge and confidence to create countless variations of your own. (amazon)

3. Confessions of a French baker : breadmaking secrets, tips, and recipes, Peter Mayle and Gerard Auzet

A behind-the-scenes look at the art of French breadmaking includes sixteen recipes from the award-winning Provençal baker, Gerard Auzet, and includes tips for adapting recipes to the American kitchen.

4. Artisan bread in five minutes a day: the discovery that revolutionizes home baking, Jeff Hertzberg

There’s nothing like the smell of freshly baked bread to fill a kitchen with warmth, eager appetites, and endless praise for the baker who took on such a time-consuming task. Now, you can fill your kitchen with the irresistible aromas of a French bakery every day with just five minutes of active preparation time, and Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day will show you how. (amazon)

5. Kneadlessly simple: fabulous, fuss-free, no-knead breads, Nancy Baggett

For years, home cooks have shied away from baking their own yeast bread because they were intimidated by the mess, expertise, and kneading required. Now in paperback, Nancy Baggett's revolutionary Kneadlessly Simple lets even complete novices bake bread quickly and easily in their own homes, with no kneading and no mess. (amazon)

6. My bread: the revolutionary no-work, no-knead method, Jim Lahey and Richard Flaste

When he wrote about Jim Lahey’s bread in the New York Times, Mark Bittman’s excitement was palpable: “The loaf is incredible, a fine-bakery quality, European-style boule that is produced more easily than by any other technique I’ve used, and it will blow your mind.” Here, thanks to Jim Lahey, New York’s premier baker, is a way to make bread at home that doesn’t rely on a fancy bread machine (amazon)

7. 200 fast & easy artisan breads: no knead, one bowl, Judith M. Fertig

Baking fresh bread at home brings fragrant aromas and fresh tastes, but it also delivers a quintessential home-baking experience. Judith Fertig's recipes provide shortcuts for all the mixing, kneading and baking that takes too much time for busy home cooks. The secrets she reveals guide the home cook in preparing artisan bread in only five minutes. (amazon)

8. Tartine bread, Chad Robertson

For the home or professional bread-maker, this is the book of the season. It comes from a man many consider to be the best bread baker in the United States: Chad Robertson, co-owner of Tartine Bakery in San Francisco, a city that knows its bread. (amazon)

9. Classic sourdoughs: a home baker's handbook, Ed Wood and Jean Wood, 1928-2010.

This authoritative sourdough baking classic is updated with new recipes and the authors' recent discovery of a technique that allows the baker to control sourness while ensuring consistently leavened loaves. Renowned sourdough authority Ed Wood has traveled the world capturing wild sourdough cultures and experimenting with baking methods. This new edition of his baking tome reveals his latest discovery: proofing the sourdough culture before use gives the baker control over the leavening and taste.

10. Flour water salt yeast: the fundamentals of artisan bread and pizza, Ken Forkish

From Portland's most acclaimed and beloved baker comes this must-have baking guide, featuring scores of recipes for world-class breads and pizzas and a variety of schedules suited for the home baker. In Flour Water Salt Yeast, author Ken Forkish demonstrates that high-quality artisan bread and pizza is within the reach of any home baker.