10.01.2010

An interesting collection of lean and enriched breads

I have Reinhart's Baker's Apprentice and don't really like it much.  I love to bake, but the preps are a bit involved for me.  I think the processes therein are more targeted to a bakery than a home - larger scale, more production oriented.

I grabbed his Artisan Breads Every Day from the library and can't put it down.  It's got a bunch of starter-derived (levain, starter, etc) breads and, yeast-loaded, enriched, soft breads.  It's rare to see a baking book with the word artisan in the title that has processes for enriched loaves.  I've always had a fondness for enriched loaves, they have a bad rep; been beaten down by anyone who lives by the baking metaphor longer rise is better - no exceptions.  

Given my busy schedule lately, my only problem with the book is where to begin.  There's a great seedy wheat loaf that has a great flour blend to keep it light, a soft sandwich white bread, and, of course, a traditional baguette.  Among the next posts will be several executions of Reinhart's breads from this volume.