Book Information: Bread Matters

bread Book Information: Bread MattersBread Matters

The State of Modern Bread and a Definitive Guide to Baking Your Own

by Andrew Whitley

Price: $34.99
ISBN-13: 978-0-7407-7373-0
ISBN-10: 0-7407-7373-9
Format: Hardcover
Size: 7 3/8 x 8 5/8 in.
Page Count: 416 pages

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Bread Matters Reviews

bread Bread Matters ReviewsBread Matters: The State of Modern Bread and a Definitive Guide to Baking Your Own is more than a simple collection of recipes. … Whitley’s recipes demystify the bread-baking process by combining simple ingredients with clear, concise instructions. He thoroughly explains the essential steps involved in making homemade bread and includes a guide to improving your results if things don’t go exactly as planned. … Bread Matters is a book that anyone who loves baking bread should add to their cookbook collection for guaranteed best results.” ––My Gourmet Connection http://www.mygourmetconnection.com/finds-reviews/cookbooks/bread-matters.php

“Everything about Bread Matters, from the book’s stout weightiness to its unadorned cover, telegraphs the comfort of homemade loaves. … After a thorough schooling on leaveners, preservatives, emulsifiers and the like, Whitley offers more than 50 recipes for everything from basic bread to milk bread, rye bread, stollen and ciabatta. The recipes are involved, but if you harbor fantasies of warm loaves on cold days, this is your book.” ––Winston-Salem Journal http://www2.journalnow.com/content/2010/jan/20/texas-style-spreads-and-homemade-breads/

“If you’re wondering why bread matters and what’s the matter with modern commercially-made bread, Andrew Whitley spells it out in Bread Matters: The State of Modern Bread and a Definitive Guide to Baking Your Own, and he doesn’t mince words. He spends the first 50 pages or so explaining why the commercial bread baking process (specifically in Britain, although I think it largely applies to most industrialized societies) is “a nutritional, culinary, social, and environmental mess.”” ––Wild Yeast http://www.wildyeastblog.com/2009/12/06/fruit-and-nut/

“It’s really changed my mindset and been a lovely introduction into the bread craft. Because of the thoughtfulness and care with which the book was written, and because of the connection I feel with Whitley’s perspective on baking, I do wholeheartedly recommend Bread Matters.” ––Willow Bird Baking http://bit.ly/sMKsY

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Bread Matters: The State of Modern Bread and a Definitive Guide to Baking Your Own

bread Bread Matters: The State of Modern Bread and a Definitive Guide to Baking Your OwnEven in our health-conscious society, most people don’t know that store-bought bread contains unnecessary additives and has little nutritional value. Professional organic baker Andrew Whitley offers a solution to this problem in Bread Matters: The State of Modern Bread and a Definitive Guide to Baking Your Own (Andrews McMeel Publishing, LLC, $34.99). The book explains the issues surrounding commercial bread production and teaches the rewarding art of baking delicious, healthy homemade bread.

Whitley shares his over 25 years of baking experience and more than 50 recipes in Bread Matters. His detailed approach walks readers through the baking process, with chapters such as Starting from Scratch, Bread–A Meal in Itself, and Easy as Pie. Also included are chapters dedicated to gluten-free baking and uses for day-old bread. The recipes are supplemented with explanations of essential tools and ingredients, tricks of the trade, and troubleshooting tips.

Previously published in the United Kingdom, Bread Matters is the winner of the 2007 International Association of Culinary Professionals award for Best Bread, Other Baking, and Sweets.  The U.S. edition’s recipes have been tested and Americanized.

Bread Matters dispels any qualms and myths about baking homemade bread.

•    Baking a loaf takes only 30-40 minutes, broken up by periods of waiting.
•    A mixer isn’t necessary to make good bread. Kneading by hand works just as well and can even be a therapeutic exercise!
•    Wetter is better. No need to fear dough sticking to your hands, or to coat them in flour. Slightly wetter dough makes for better bread.

From pumpernickel to sourdough, Bread Matters takes the mystery out of baking homemade bread. Its compelling case against the commercial baking industry will inspire beginners and expert bakers alike to take control of the bread they eat.

“In his wonderful book, Bread Matters, he [Andrew Whitley] not only brings this powerful and ancient symbol down to earth and demystifies the process, but also communicates from his heart how anyone can easily participate in the joys and rewards of the bread baking craft.”
—Peter Reinhart, author of Peter Reinhart’s Whole Grain Breads: New Techniques, Extraordinary Flavor

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Cheese Bread

cheesebread Cheese BreadFrom Bread Matters/Andrews McMeel Publishing

Bread and cheese go together in so many ways, all of them delicious in my opinion. One of my favorites is a large, flat roll with cheese baked inside and on top. Sliced horizontally and filled with salad leaves and perhaps a thin strip of ham, this is as good a lunch as I can think of.

The flavor of cheese can easily get lost in bread dough so it is important to use something strong, such as a mature Cheddar or a creamy Lancashire. The chili powder and cumin in this recipe add a little something that seems to boost the cheese flavor.

Makes 3 round cheese breads

1⁄2 teaspoon (1⁄28 oz) (1g) Chili powder
1⁄2 teaspoon (1⁄28 oz) (1g) Ground cumin
1 cup (4 1⁄4 oz) (120g) Shredded cheese
2 1⁄2 cups (1lb 4oz) (570g) Basic Savory Bread Dough (page 212)
1 lb 8 3⁄8 oz (692g) Total

2⁄3 cup (3 1⁄2 oz) (100g) Beaten egg, to glaze
Grated cheese for topping

Stir the spices into the grated cheese and add this to the prepared Basic Savory Bread Dough. Fold the cheese through the dough until it is fairly evenly distributed. You may need to add water if the dough shows signs of tightening.

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Stollen

stollen StollenFrom Bread Matters/Andrews McMeel Publishing

Rich Christmas tea breads of German origin are found in various parts of northern Europe and seem to have had Christian or even earlier connotations. In one version from Dresden, the marzipan running through the middle of the loaf is used to create a shape suggestive of the infant Jesus wrapped in swaddling clothes. Other versions omit the marzipan altogether. In the recipe below, I use marzipan because it gives a wonderful moistness to the loaf, but I like to disperse it more evenly than in the Dresden stollen by rolling a sheet of it up with the dough, so that every mouthful benefits.

Makes 1 large stollen

Stollen fruits

Scant 1⁄2 cup (21⁄2 oz) (70g) Golden raisins
Heaping 1⁄4 cup (2oz) (60g)Raisins
1⁄4 cup (1 3⁄4 oz) (50g) Candied mixed peel
4 teaspoons (3⁄4 fl oz) (20g) Rum, brandy, or fruit juice
7 oz (200g) Total

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About Andrew Whitley

In 1976, Andrew Whitley opened his award-winning bakery near his home in Cumbria, England. Since then he has perfected the craft of bread baking, and in 2002 he founded Bread Matters, an organization devoted to improving the state of bread. He is also one of the founders of the Real Bread Campaign in Britain, which began in 2003. He still resides in Cumbria where he teaches baking classes and continues to promote bread without additives.

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