If I want to learn to bake bread

[Anonymous]

What is a good cookbook to start with? Pure beginner here but I’d love to learn - sandwich bread, rolls, baguettes, challah

I’d love a cookbook that starts easy and progresses as you master techniques.

[Anonymous]

Flour, Water, Salt, Yeast is a good place to start. This gives you the basics of sourdough. Once you get some basic technique from this book, you might consider moving on to the Tartine bread book.

If you want a broader range of bread that doesn’t necessarily use levain/sourdough starter, the King Arthur Flour book is also good.

You can also get a lot of good technique advice on YouTube and on Reddit. The Breadit forum on Reddit is super helpful

[Anonymous]

I like the Artisan Bread in 5 minutes series.
https://artisanbreadinfive.com/

[Anonymous]

I love baking bread! I bought a few cookbooks but my bread didn’t turn out well until
I took a class where I leaned the fundamentals I went to Surlatable. It’s about technique and getting a feel for the dough. But for recipes, I like King Arthur’s site better than any cookbook I own.

[Anonymous]

King Arthur or America’s Test Kitchen book on bread.

[Anonymous]

Definitely go to the King Arthur’s website and start with googling for easy bread recipes and click on any videos they have for technique help. That is how I learn to bake during the pandemic!

It was way easier than I expected with their help. You 100% want to be working with recipes that are by weight, not volume too

[Anonymous]

Not op. I want to bake bread too. Do I need to get weight scale something like that?

I have a bread maker. Is it easier to make it in bread maker or toaster oven or big oven if I only want to make a few?

[Anonymous]

Not op. I want to bake bread too. Do I need to get weight scale something like that?

I have a bread maker. Is it easier to make it in bread maker or toaster oven or big oven if I only want to make a few?

Yes, get a scale. Much more accurate (and less messy) than measuring cups. Especially if you get into naturally leavened (aka “sourdough”) breads, you’ll need to use baker’s percentages, which are based on weight not volume. I feel like bread makers had their heyday in the 90’s/early oughts. Just use bowls and your oven!

[Anonymous]

I agree, anything King Arthur will be good - including using their bread flour. Making bread is easy, it is just the rising times that make it seem hard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:King Arthur or America’s Test Kitchen book on bread.

+1

I was (still am, really) a klutz when it comes to yeasted breads....but we have a lot of fun trying! We usually 'proof' in the enclosure of the microwave. That's helped a lot.

Good luck....and buy some nice butter to schmear on your results!

[Anonymous]

I’m not much of a baker but Jim Lahey’s cookbook - the one with the no knead bread - has very reliable, very easy recipes.