The Bread Bible: Beth Hensperger's 300 Favorite Recipes

This book is one of the rare books that takes the novice baker to the heights of artisan bread making in an easy-to-read and easy-to-follow step by step approach. More importantly, Beth's tips will help allay the most common enemy of novice bakers - their fear factor. Not only have I yet to make a bad loaf (one set of very impressed parents and many adoring friends later)-- I really appreciated the finer points of baking that are detailed in the side bars and the "alternatives" that are provided in the recipe itself -- unlike other books, you don't have to flip pages to figure out the different things you can do with the recipe. I also have learned from her the different ways to experiment and to be creative - something that you don't always feel comfortable with since bread recipes are not the best type of recipe to experiment with. This book is an excellent compendium of many different bread styles and types, and thus, its shortfall may be that it is too dense a read for someone who wants pretty pictures a la ....

I own ten bread books, among them, those from famous artisan bread bakeries and I bake at least once a week. This is by far the best bread cookbook I own. I've baked ten breads, so far (Rosemary Raisin, Honey Whole Wheat, among them) and they have all been perfect (which I can't say for the breads I've baked , from other books). The instructions are precise, easy to follow, foolproof, really. Right now, there is a Farmstead Sourdough Bread in my oven, and, after sneaking a peek, I had to come online and rave. Whether you're a novice, or experienced, this is the cookbook for you!

I bought this cookbook and "Saved by Soup" by Judith Barrett a few months ago because i really needed to focus on getting back my health. Beth Hensperger's whole grain and sourdough breads are incredibly delicious and good for you. The only addition I make is to add flax seeds to every recipe. I have been baking bread for many many years. This book is a must have.... especially if you want to shift from white bread.

I LOVE this book. It has lots and lots of recipes for whole grain breads, white breads, rustic breads, quick breads, flat breads, etc, etc. However, what sets her book apart from other "comprehensive" books is the quality of the recipes. I am constantly picking up my copy of the Bread Bible to try something new, and I haven't been disappointed in the results yet. She also gives great pointers on ingredients and methods, and tells you how to convert "by hand" recipes to recipes for either the food processor or bread machine. The book doesn't have photographs in it like some, but frankly, if they had to make room for photos there wouldn't be so many great recipes, so that suits me just fine. It's beautifully designed and easy to read. It's a pleasure to own this book.

There are many recipe books from which to choose. What sets this book apart (this or any of Beth's books) is the author herself. Her reverence and enthusiasm for this most ancient and important of arts shines through in her writing. Parts of her books make for interesting reading outside of the kitchen as well. The reader learns recipe and technique along with a little culture and history as well.