KitchenGeisha: My Bread Books as of 8/7/11

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Unfortunately, I am a collector, primarily books. When I get on a new hobby, I tend to buy a lot of books on the subject. I won't even tell you how many cookie books I have, I'll just look sad.

When I started my breadmaking "hobby", I created myself a library. This is it so far:

The books I use most:
The Tassajara Bread Book by Edward Espe Brown
Bread by Eric Treuille and Ursula Ferrigno
The River Cottage Bread Handbook by Daniel Stevens
Bernard Clayton's New Complete Book of Breads 30th Anniversary Edition by Bernard Clayton
The Bread Lover's Bread Machine Cookbook by Beth Hensperger
Canada's Best Bread Machine Baking Recipes by Donna Washburn

The books I use occasionally, or just to read:
Classic Sourdoughs: A Home Baker's Handbook (Revised) by Ed Wood and Jean Wood
Artisan Breads at Home by The Culinary Institute of America (CIA)- Mother's Day gift 2011
Baking Artisan Bread by Ciril Hitz
The Bread Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum
The Bread Baker's Apprentice: Mastering the Art of Extraordinary Bread by Peter Reinhart
Peter Reinhart's Artisan Breads Every Day by Peter Reinhart
Whole Grain Breads by Peter Rienhardt
Crust And Crumb: Master Formulas For Serious Bakers by Peter Reinhart
Bread by Jeffery Hamelman
Beard On Bread by James Beard
Artisan Baking by Meggie Glezer
200 Fast and Easy Artisan Breads: No-Knead, One Bowl by Judith Fertig
Bread by James Phillips
The Bread Machine Magic Book of Helpful Hints by Linda Rehberg and Lois Conway
More of Canada's Best Bread Machine Baking Recipes by Donna Washburn and Heather Butt
The Best Low-Fat, No-Sugar Bread Machine Cookbook Ever by Madge Rosenberg
Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook by Martha Stewart
The Practical Step-by-step Guide to Baking Bread: 75 Step-by-step Recipes for Artisan Loaves from Around the World by Christine Ingram (on order)

Add to that three 3" ring binders full of printed internet recipes. I'm probably in need of a 12 step program.

Let me be upfront...

I hate to cook.

I don't understand it when people say, "I love cooking! It's so much fun and I feel creative!" It's like they're speaking a foreign language... I cook because my family expects to eat every day, the fools.

However, my passion is baking. Cookies, bread, brownies, things that are fun and delicious. I have yet to find the drive to make all my cakes from scratch, I do make a few, and I haven't really developed a knack for pies.

I write this blog so I can store recipes where my kids can someday find them, or some else can find them. I don't pretend to be a fantastic cook or someone who is the "go to" person for a recipe. I'm not an expert on anything. As the saying goes, "Jack of all trades, Master of none."

BUT, I also cook and bake a lot. I have many years of being a wife and mom who has had to cook and bake to fulfil demands for cupcakes, cookies, parties, bake sales, and the every day dinner - " Dinner, again? You just had it yesterday...".

I generally cook basic foods, nothing particularly exotic. I hate seafood so you'll never find a recipe for anything other than tuna salad here, but it's a good tuna salad.

I have yet to kill anyone, so I'm not doing too badly. I will freely share my mistakes/disasters and tell you what I could possibly do differently the next time.

So thank you for stopping by and reading, I appreciate it.

1 comment:

fleshegAugust 23, 2011 at 5:46 AM
I don't think you are in need of a 12 step program. Here's a couple of other suggestions from England. Check out Richard Bertinet's Dough (which you may be a bit advanced for now but pics are gorgeous)and his second book Crust. I'm also a keen follower of www.weekendbakery.com. Personally I think Jamie Oliver knows nothing about bread - he's Ok on other stuff - but he doesn't claim to be a baker. I love the fact that you have named your cultures. I am now going to go home to christen mine. My recipe is from www.weekendbakery.com - but i think in turn, this is the Peter Reinhart one. Happy Baking!
Gill

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My Bread Books as of 8/7/11

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