The Larousse book of bread Recipes to make at home

After the bread renaissance began in France in the 1990s, Parisian master baker -Kayser heard from many consumers wanting to make artisanal breads. In response, he wrote this book, first published in 2013 as La Larousse du Pain by the French reference publisher of the legendary Larousse Gastronominque. Descended from a long line of bakers and experienced at training, Kayser has made bread baking accessible by detailing its fundamentals and giving clear recipes for traditional and modern tastes (as well as varying skill levels). His 80 recipes fall into categories: traditional breads; specialty breads; organic, naturally leavened breads; sweet pastries & breads; breads with extras; bread rolls; and oil-enriched breads. With a more formal feel than Dean Brettschneider's Bread in which recipes' introductions are brief, emotional, and descriptive, Kayser's manual has more process photos (with 30 illustrating scoring dough), includes timing summaries, and has directions for both stand mixers and hand kneading. A handy bulk conversion chart helps bakers scale-up every recipe. VERDICT Recommended for home bakers worldwide, particularly visual learners or those interested in natural leavening.-Bonnie Poquette, Milwaukee © Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.