Synopses & Reviews
There are few joys in life as simple yet profound as taking that first bite from a lovingly baked loaf of bread, the crust crackling between your teeth. Maybe you've dreamed of baking a boule, a baguette, or a brioche yourself, but assumed it would be too difficult. Well, fear not. You do not need to be a baking expert to make fine artisan breads at home. All it takes is the knowledge of ingredients, equipment, and techniques found inside this book.
Backed by The Culinary Institute of America's expertise, Certified Master Baker Eric Kastel takes you by the hand and gently guides you through the mysteries of bread baking. Beginning with a thorough discussion of ingredients and equipment, Chef Kastel explains everything from how to shop for flour to how to use a shower cap during the dough's rise. From there, he outlines the twelve steps of bread baking, describing each one in detail. With these steps in mind, you'll be set to mix, shape, and bake anything from ciabatta to rye bread, challah to pizza dough. And once you've mastered these basic breads and are inspired to try something more complex, Chef Kastel will demonstrate advanced techniques such as how to build a sourdough starter from scratch, which you can then use to create more than a dozen varieties of sourdough.
Packed with tips, troubleshooting advice, and step-by-step photographs, the chapters include:
Basic breads and rolls: Using little more than flour, water, yeast, and salt, you can bake Kaiser Rolls, Rustic Rye Bread, Whole Wheat Bread, and the most deliciously simple White Bread you'll ever taste.
Enriched breads and rolls: Made with butter, eggs, sugar, or other additions for a softer crust and a more tender crumb, these recipes include Ham & Provolone Rolls, Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Bread, Cottage Dill Buns, and even several coffee cakes.
Flatbreads: Lightly leavened with yeast, puffed up with steam, or rolled as thin as parchment, these old-world favorites include Lavash, Paratha, Grissini Breadsticks, Pita, and Tortillas.
Advanced artisanal breads: Learn to make and use starters like pâte fermentée, sponge, biga, poolish, and sours to bake Peasant Bread, Apple Cinnamon Epi, Fougasse, Bagels, and more than a dozen varieties of sourdough.
Advanced enriched breads: These rich, complex breads include Panettone, Focaccia, Hot Cross Buns, Gugelhopf, and a spectacular six-braid Challah.
Whether you're a beginner or already an accomplished baker, Artisan Breads at Home with The Culinary Institute of America provides everything you need to bake a perfect loaf of artisan bread.
Synopsis
Artisan Breads at Home is the comprehensive bread baking resource for all home bakers. With extensive explanations of ingredients, from flour breakdowns to chemical reactions, and a through equipment guide, the first part of the book gives you all the information and guidance you need to get started making artisan breads. Subsequent chapters begin with lean doughs to create ryes, multigrains, white and wheat breads, and kaiser rolls. Basic Enriched Doughs and Rolls covers doughs incorporating eggs or dairy, like Ham and Provolone Buns, , coffee cakes, and sticky buns. Artisan Breads doesn't just mean leavened bread-- the Flatbreads chapter includes recipes and step-by step tips for naan, lavash, pizza dough, and even English muffins.When the home baker is ready to advance, later chapters include more advanced artisan bread baking, from creating your own starters to shaping and baking baguettes, bagels, pretzels, and sourdoughs. Finally, a chapter on advanced enriched doughs teaches the beloved challah, panetonne, and stollen, among others. With master bread baker Eric Kastel helping at every step with troubleshooting, tips, and techniques, any home baker can create artisan breads. This substantial, must-have book features 170 full color photos of finished breads and working techniques.
Synopsis
An illustrated guide for anyone who wants to master the art of baking delicious artisan breads at home
This addition to The Culinary Institute of America's "At Home" series is perfect for home bakers who want to go beyond the basics to create delicious artisan breads. Backed by the CIA's expertise, Eric Kastel leads readers through simple and challenging recipes from Baguettes, Peasant Bread, and Ciabatta to Cheddar Onion Rye Rolls, Coffee, Cake, and even Sourdough.
In addition, Artisan Breads at Home provides thorough explanations of ingredients-including flour breakdowns and chemical reactions-easy-to-understand terminology and definitions, and a detailed equipment guide.
- Includes tips, troubleshooting answers, and nearly170 full-color photos of techniques and finished breads
- Covers the basics of bread making as well as advanced techniques-from lean dough breads and rolls to flat breads and enriched doughs
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Author Eric Kastel, CMB, CHE is now Senior Manager of Bakery Projects at Panera Bread and a former associate professor of baking and pastry arts at The CIA. He has also been the head baker for Whole Foods and Bread Alone.
Artisan Breads at Home is the ideal resource for home bakers who want to take their baking to the next level of complexity and taste.
Synopsis
The ultimate guide to baking exquisite loaves, rolls, and flatbreads at home"Most home bakers don't have a fancy brick oven, and many people stiffen up at the mere mention of the word 'yeast.' The words 'sourdough starter' can make the blood run cold. Maybe you are one of those people thinking, 'Who, me? I can't control yeast. And besides, who has time for that?' . . . Or maybe you used to bake bread and want to get back into it again and, say, try your hand at that elusive sourdough. You can do it! Have a good time. The last thing baking bread should be is stressful or onerous. There are too many things in life that are not fun, and bread baking should not be one of them. Let the process of baking and breaking bread add enjoyment to your life."
—Eric W. Kastel
Synopsis
Beginning with a thorough discussion of ingredients and equipment, Chef Kastel explains everything from how to shop for flour to how to use a shower cap during the dough's rise. From there, he outlines the 12 steps of bread baking, describing each one in detail.
About the Author
ERIC W. KASTEL, CMB, CHE, is an associate professor of baking and pastry arts at The Culinary Institute of America. He is a 1990 graduate of the CIA, and has worked as production manager at Whole Foods Bakehouse in Dallas, Texas, and as head baker at the famed Bread Alone in Boiceville, New York.Founded in 1946, THE CULINARY INSTITUTE OF AMERICA is an independent, not-for-profit college offering bachelor's and associate degrees in culinary arts and baking and pastry arts, as well as certificate programs in culinary arts, Latin cuisines, and wine and beverage studies. A network of more than 45,000 alumni has helped the CIA earn its reputation as the world's premier culinary college. The CIA, which also offers courses for professionals and food enthusiasts, as well as consulting services for the foodservice and hospitality industry, has campuses in Hyde Park, New York; St. Helena, California; San Antonio, Texas; and Singapore.
Table of Contents
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS.
1 Introduction to Artisan Bread.
2 Ingredients and Equipment.
3 The Basics of Bread Making.
4 Basic Lean Dough: Breads and Rolls.
5 Basic Enriched Dough: Breads and Rolls.
6 Advanced Artisan Bread Making.
7 Basic Flatbreads.
8 Advanced Breads with Preferments.
9 Advanced Enriched Dough: Breads and Rolls.
SAUCES AND DIPS.
APPENDIX.
READINGS AND RESOURCES.
INDEX.