Local Breads: Sourdough and Whole-Grain Recipes from Europe's Best Artisan Bakers

I really like the way the author explained the bread making methods. It helps me to be able to improve my baguette making by following his instructions to knead and fold the dough. He also gave most bread recipes their origin and credit to the original owner. I think that is very honest! I recommend this book!❤️

I have always felt that Bread Alone was the best bread primer on the market both because of the simplicity of the recipes and Mr. Leaders description of his journey to great, simple breads. This book is far simpler in many ways but his love and respect for bakers, their tools, and their craft still comes thru. This is a much better book for a beginning baker, much broader and deeper explanations then in other books. He has also expanded his repertoire with the addition of Italian breads, Biga based recipes, and many of the other non-French recipes. If you are a "sourdough" baker this is the book. If the section on starters and theirproblems and fixes had been around 10 years ago when I started baking life would have been a lot easier, he has all of the hard lessons that I have learned over the years. All in all a good first bread cookbook, and a great addition to the bookshelf

I've been making sourdough bread for 5 years with two cultures I've sustained. I have numerious bread books which all are good. The sourdough books I had were very informative. While it's important to understand the science behind sourdough bread, I feel it's equally important to understand the techniques and styles. That's something other books don't emphasize. They basically provide a recipe with directions. With Local Breads, I've learned so much more!! I never realized all the different techniques for making the various types of bread, ranging from the moisture of the bread (and tips to handle it) to the various ways of kneading the breads. Some breads need more kneading.. others need less. It's all fully explained in his book. While it may not cover every country in Europe, I don't thing that was his scope for this book. I think you'd need volumes of books to cover that!! But it does give you a flavor of the various regions of bread making in Europe, with each one being distinctly different. It's a book well worth the money!!

I like this book even more than Daniel Leader's first book (Bread Alone). It has the same mix of bread stories and recipes that made the first book so much fun. But unlike the first book, the recipes are not repetitive. This book gives detailed instructions on how to cultivate various types of sourdough cultures without yeast (I tried them - they work) and the most convincing argument I ever heard, of why it's impossible to fail at making a sourdough culture (hint: think Passover). The only problems I found are some typos and the lack of metric temperatures - and I would have liked more photographs of the breads' crumb. I think this book is great for both beginners and more experienced bakers. This could be the only or first book for a beginner as it does not assume any prior knowledge, and the black & white drawings illustrate techniques such as kneading and shaping quite adequately.

There are many fine books detailing the art and science of crafting artisan breads. Among the best are those authored by Bernard Clayton, Jeffrey Hamelman, Rose Levy Beranbaum, Peter Reinhart, Maggie Glezer, Nancy Silverton, and Beth Hensperger. Now comes Daniel Leader with his second book, "Local Breads" and it's nothing short of extraordinary. While Clayton's book boasts 300 recipes, "Local Breads" has only about 50 (with variations). Where "Local Breads" shines is technique - tools and expert advice - that will serve the baker - at any level of experience - across all breadmaking endeavors. How can you ignore an author whose first directive is to "seek out flour with integrity"? Among the book's best features are the FAQ's throughout. Leader anticipates virtually every possible question about creating bread - from start to finish - and answers them in a straighforward manner. The section on "Ingredients and Equipment" is well-researched and enormously helpful. "Kitchen Notes" and beautifully rendered illustrations are equally beneficial. The layout is logical and navigable and the entire book has a clarity that makes intimidation impossible. Even the choice of paper stock (enamel paper would have made the book too heavy) and fonts were wise, making the book easy on the eyes. All ingredients are given in metric weights as well as U.S. measurements, although temperatures are in Farenheit only - a very minor oversight. Perhaps a second printing might include a temperature conversion chart. Much thought was given to the book's overall design, however - a credit to its eminent editor, Maria Guarnaschelli. This is not a volume meant to be "edgy" or "cool". It's a beautiful book, intelligently written, and would make a thoughtful gift for any baker. Above all, this is an instruction manual - delivered with passion, not pontification. It's like having a Master Baker in the kitchen with you - a Rabbi of Bread, teaching and encouraging you through every step of the process. I initially took the book out of the library (and have since purchased it) and was up until 3:00 a.m. completely engrossed within its pages. From the beautifully written "Introduction" to the final pages dealing with "Czech and Polish Ryes", I was hooked. Even if you never bake a loaf of bread, you will enjoy Leader's tales of traveling throughout Europe in search of bread Nirvana. Warning: The recipes given in this book are largely rustic European loaves. Leader gives us truly authentic breads from France, Italy, Germany, Austria, Poland and the Czech Republic. Sadly, breads from Scandinavia, Russia, and India are not represented - but Leader did not set out to cover those parts of the world in this volume. If you're searching for soft American-style white or wheat breads - you won't find them in this tome. This is NOT the Pillsbury book of bread making. Most of the bread recipes advocate the use a wild starter or pre-ferment (sourdough), rather than store-bought yeast

I really love this book. I want to apprentice in Daniel Leader's bakery. I started my journey into artisan baking with Daniel Leader's first book, Bread Alone. This book is more advanced than Bread Alone and he has changed and refined a few of his techniques. If you are like me, an amateur artisan baker who wants to take the next step, this book is for you. With the help of this book, I have grown my first wild yeast starter and have baked three types of bread from it. The Quintessential French Sourdough that just came out of my over is almost as good as I have ever sampled from any artisan baker. If you have not baked hearth breads before but are an adventurous baker who is interested in learning how to create artisan loaves, then this book would work for you as well if you remember that artisan baking is 75% technique and craftmanship. Read his directions well (cover to cover), do everything exactly as he says and you will have good results. I agree with the previous reviewer that this book is probably best for bakers with at least some experience. This is a great book and a must for anyone doing hearth breads.