Baking Bread the Way Mom Taught Me

This is as much a "zen of bread baking" as it is a cookbook. I loved that the author shares a story about each recipe, as well as an extensive introduction that will give the reader/baker a firm understanding of how the ingredients conspire to make a loaf of bread. This is perhaps the best facet of the book--by the time you've used it to bake a few loaves, if you've paid attention, you will be empowered to create your own tasty loaves with your own favorite ingredients, because you will know what is necessary to "make it work." I first bought this book when it was newly published, and am buying another today, because my copy is so destroyed by years of heavy use.