To see for yourself what I’m talking about, go get a loaf of bread that you’ve bought from the store, now read the ingredient list and google all of the really long words that don’t sound like natural ingredients. You will be shocked at what you discover.

For example, the ingredient “monoglycerides,” found in almost every store bought bread, is actually hydrogenated oil/fat otherwise known as trans fat. Hydrogenated oil is oil saturated with hydrogen at a high temperature. This creates tight bonds with the hydrogen which allows it to remain semisolid at room temperature and increases shelf life drastically by delaying rancidity. What allows it to be solid is how tightly the molecules of the fat bond to each other. In your blood stream this means the fat clumps to itself much easier and clogs your veins much easier.

This is why hydrogenated oils and trans fats have been labeled “the silent killer” because they dramatically increase the risk of coronary heart disease. The bread manufacturers try to be sneaky and put monoglycerides in the list of ingredients in place of hydrogenated oils to fool you. You could look at the nutrition panel on the same loaf of bread with the ingredient monoglycerides and under trans fats it will list zero grams. This is because under FDA regulations if the serving contains less than 0.5 grams of trans fat, the package is free to say it has zero.

But lets say you eat four slices of bread (with each serving containing 0.4 grams of trans fat) then you just consumed 1.6 grams of trans fat, despite the fact that the nutrition panel on your bread claims that it has zero grams of trans fat per serving.

You can’t trust store bought bread, it’s that simple. The bread manufacturing companies do what they can to save money in production of the bread but in the long run it costs you your health. The only solution that I’ve found is to bake your own bread. This isn’t as complicated as it sounds, it’s actually very easy once you learn how.

My favorite bread to bake is whole wheat bread because it’s so heart healthy and you get so many vitamins and minerals from it. If the whole wheat bread is made correctly you also get a really amazing tasting bread that can put store bought imitations to shame. I call them imitations because a lot of bread manufacturers actually use white flour to make “whole wheat” bread and then color it with caramel to make it look authentic. So again check ingredients on your bread. If the bread has unbleached enriched flour as the first ingredient you could actually be buying white bread disguised as whole wheat bread, look for caramel coloring in the ingredients list as well to prove this.

Other ingredients to watch out for:

Calcium sulfate: This is also known as plaster of Paris, this additive is used as a dough conditioner and firming agent. As it absorbs moisture and hardens quickly, one caution is that it can cause intestinal obstruction. It is banned in some countries.

Calcium propionate: This additive is used as a mold inhibitor but may be linked to migraines.

So do yourself a favor and start baking your own bread. It’s probably one of the greatest health choices you can make.

- Beth Scott

Beth Scott is the author of The Ultimate Whole Wheat Bread Baking Guide. For more information visit her Easy Bread Baking website.

The battle rages on…

On which side of this debate do you stand?

For that matter, which side should you REALLY be pulling for?

Lets weigh all the facts, the faults about each choice and determine which one we should honestly be proclaiming as “the honest to goodness best!”

The Faults of White Bread

1. White bread is nutrition less. Even fortifying it with vitamins can’t replace half of the nourishment that is lost through the bleaching and sifting process that is used on the flour which white bread is make out of.
2. White bread has a lot harmful chemicals and preservatives added to it to increase it’s shelf life, but they decrease your lifespan.
3. White bread is practically tasteless. This is a pro to some people but a con to a lot of others who enjoy tasty food.

The Faults of Store Bought Whole Wheat Bread

1. Store bought whole wheat bread would be extremely healthy and good for your body IF you could find a loaf made without fattening and nutrition less sweeteners like sugar (but no store that I know of sells any such thing).
2. Store bought whole wheat bread contains, unfortunately, the same chemicals and preservatives that white bread does, also to lengthen shelf life.

On light of this information which viewpoint do you now hold to?

Neither hopefully. There is only one thing you can do to make sure you are getting the best tasting, highest quality and healthiest bread. And that is…

Bake your own whole wheat bread! Read why you should below.

The Virtues of Home Baked Whole Wheat Bread

1. Home baked whole wheat bread tastes good. Home baked whole wheat bread has a very delightful taste that is probably the main reason (even more so than it’s health aspects) people prefer home baked whole wheat bread to it’s bland counterpart, white bread or unhealthy store bought whole wheat bread.
2. Home baked whole wheat bread contains vitamins and minerals your body needs. Medical studies have proven that all the B vitamins in whole grain foods help you to have a healthy heart, and guard against heart disease.
3. Baking your own whole wheat bread is not the least bit “difficult” either. Just learn the basics to baking bread along with a few proven recipes and you’ll be set.

- Beth Scott

Beth Scott is the author of The Ultimate Whole Wheat Bread Baking Guide. For more information visit her Easy Bread Baking website.

Let’s face it EVERY cook makes mistakes (yes, even professional bakers make boo boo’s).

I’m going to list here, the 7 most common whole wheat bread baking mistakes that you’re probably making, or might make if you’re not forewarned, and what you can do about to stop them.

Whole Wheat Bread Baking Mistake 1

By far the most common bread baking mistake is when the salt is forgotten to be added to the whole wheat bread dough.

This results in very bland bread, and even effects the rising of the dough. Making your whole wheat bread flat on top.

The best solution for this is to use a post it note as a reminder to yourself, to add the salt to the whole wheat bread dough.

You can stick the post it note where ever you’re most likely to see it (fridge, recipe book, etc..)

Whole Wheat Bread Baking Mistake 2

The second most common mistake is when the whole wheat bread dough is allowed to over rise, which leads to it falling.

This usually happens when the whole wheat bread dough is forgotten about. And with so much going on our lives, who doesn’t forget things like this now and then?

But don’t fret, there is a solution: If the whole wheat bread is already in the bread pans when it over rises simply use a pair of kitchen scissors to cut the excess dough off the sides of the unbaked loaves.

Separate and roll this dough into a few medium balls of dough. Allow them to rise 20 minutes to 30 minutes on a medium oiled cookie sheet, and then bake them on 350 Fahrenheit, for 15 to 20 minutes as whole wheat rolls.

Also allow the whole wheat bread dough to rise for about 15 to 20 more minutes before baking if it is extremely flat on top.

Another solution to help you keep from forgetting about your bread, is to use a timer which will beep loudly after the selected time period is up.

Using a timer can also help stop other whole wheat bread baking catastrophes from happening.

Whole Wheat Bread Baking Mistake 3

When you heat up your water to put your yeast in, it is easy to accidentally make the water a bit too hot. This mistake will kill the yeast and your bread will not rise.

To correct this mistake I strongly recommend you invest in a cooking thermometer, to measure the temperature of the water with it.

Whole Wheat Bread Baking Mistake 4

If the recipe you use makes too much dough for your family’s needs and you worry that the extra bread will grow stale before you use it, fear not.

It is perfectly safe to refrigerate unused dough for a few days and allow the whole wheat bread dough to finish it’s rising time once you get it out to use it.

You can place a ziploc bag or plastic wrap over bowls that contain your whole wheat bread dough, to store it in your fridge and prevent oxidation.

Whole Wheat Bread Baking Mistake 5

Burned bread. Yup, nothing tastes worse than whole wheat bread which is black as charcoal.

To avoid this, be sure you follow baking times and temperatures strictly. And again use a timer to remind yourself when it’s time to remove your whole wheat bread from the oven.

Also remember that gas ovens and electric ovens vary in their temperatures. If you’re using an electric oven you should bake almost all pastries on 350 Fahrenheit.

Sometimes a recipe will call for you to start baking a loaf of bread on a higher temperature, but will also usually tell you to turn the heat down after a certain amount of time.

Whole Wheat Bread Baking Mistake 6

Mistakenly or purposefully using the wrong type of flour. If you are baking whole wheat bread, the only way to get good results is by using whole wheat flour to bake your bread.

There are different recipes for all the different types of bread and they all use one specific flour for each recipe.

So don’t try any substitution hoping that by adding rye flour for instance, you will actually turn a whole wheat bread recipe into rye bread. Because you won’t.

Whole Wheat Bread Baking Mistake 7

Last but not least there is the problem of air bubbles (also called ”pockets”) which create large holes inside the whole wheat bread, after it’s done baking.

The best solution for this is to pinch any such bubbles whenever you see them in your whole wheat bread dough, before you bake it. This will immediately deflate the bubble.

Now you are armed with the knowledge of the 7 most common whole wheat bread baking mistakes (most of which also apply to all other rising breads) and how you should deal with them.

So don’t let the bread mistake blues get you down ever again.

- Beth Scott

Beth Scott is the author of The Ultimate Whole Wheat Bread Baking Guide. For more information visit her Easy Bread Baking website.

For example…did you know that the inclusion of hydrogenated oils, artificial preservatives, emulsifiers, additives and other chemicals in bread became standard practice in the mid 1950′s?

At this same time whole wheat flour was replaced by bleached, enriched white flour. In this process, grain is bleached and sterilized with chemicals to make it white and soft.

It is then artificially enriched by adding vitamins, minerals and other materials destroyed in the chemical process.

Despite what you may have been told, trying to ”enrich” something with the very vitamins and minerals that were removed from it in the first place, does not make it even half as healthy as the natural unrefined version.

When you think about this, it doesn’t even make much sense.

It is also a growing practice in many bread producing factories to replace white flour with substances like alum, ground rice, and whiting.

Alum is the most commonly used of all these substances, because it gives the bread a whiter color and causes the flour to absorb and retain a larger amount of water than it would otherwise hold.

This enables the factories to produce bread which imitates bread made from a higher quality flour.

This tainting of your bread with harmful chemicals, such as potassium bromate, emulsifiers (both commonly used in bread production), and alum, jeopardizes your health.

Do you know why your store bought bread has such a long shelf life?

The mysteriously prolonged shelf life is because of a particular emulsifier used in making the bread. This emulsifier is mainly used as a softening agent and tends to deceive buyers as to the real age of their bread.

This emulsifier can hide the signs that your bread is rotting (it certainly doesn’t stop the rotting) for a few extra weeks, but the harm it does to your body (and the harm in eating the half rotten bread) makes the cost for this ”convenience” very high.

Is it any wonder then, that every year a growing number of people just like you and I, are being hospitalized with illnesses and incurable diseases?

Is it possible for you to protect yourself and your loved ones against unhealthy and harmful bread?

Well, buying bread from a store is certainly not the right choice to make. Even if you buy commercially produced whole wheat bread you’re not getting healthy food.

A lot of times what passes for whole wheat bread is actually white bread colored with caramel.

If the first ingredient in a loaf of whole wheat bread is unbleached enriched flour, then you’re not truly buying whole wheat bread at all, just white bread (loaded with chemicals) that is disguised as whole wheat bread.

There is only one true solution to ensure that you avoid poisonous, toxic bread. And that is to bake your own healthy whole wheat bread.

This is no where near as difficult as it sounds. In fact it’s dead set simple. All you need is a good proven recipe, and an expert guide to teach you just once what to do.

- Beth Scott

Beth Scott is the author of The Ultimate Whole Wheat Bread Baking Guide. For more information visit her Easy Bread Baking website.

While the breadmaker is baking, the worderful smell that fills your home, gets deep into the soul of every member helping to integrate a family atmosphere that will be remembered during their lifetime.

If you have children and are old enough, you can teach them how to make bread and help prepare them for life. If you are single, you can teach your friends. If you are just married, making bread together helps to build a strong and enduring relationship.

Baking bread at home is a wonderful thing and it be a family affair!

Should You Bake Your Own Bread?

By: Beth Scott

Maybe you’ve never heard it before, but you really should be baking your own bread.

Why?

I think the number one reason everyone should bake their own bread is that it redeems you from years of bad health and medical bills. How so?

Homemade Bread is Healthier

It is much healthier to bake your own bread instead of buying bread that contains chemical additives, hydrogenated oils, unhealthy preservatives, and fattening sweeteners.

If you buy white bread you’re also getting bread that is nutritionless, but don’t be fooled, store bought whole wheat bread is just as bad for you. A lot of times the whole wheat bread sold in stores isn’t really made out of “whole meal” but is just white bread that is colored (using caramel) to make it appear like it’s whole grain and healthy. Store bought whole wheat bread also contains the same emulsifiers, and chemical by products that are in store bought white bread.

When you bake your own bread you never have to worry about these “hidden dangers” or chemicals in bread. Instead you can control every ingredient that goes into your bread, and you’ll know exactly how it is processed and created.

There are many other great incentives for baking homemade whole wheat bread, and I’ll go into each one below.

Homemade Bread Tastes Better Than Store Bought

Absolutely no argument here. Everyone I’ve met agrees that the taste of homemade bread far surpasses that of store bought bread, (some have even said they could taste the chemicals in the store bought bread and really hated it). Taste is a biggie for a lot of people, and since everyone wants to eat tasty meals, you can’t go wrong by baking your own bread.

Homemade Bread Saves You Money

It’s much cheaper to buy all the ingredients for making bread separately, than buying them already made into bread. You can easily save $30 or $40 dollars a month, by baking your own bread. This might not sound like much but over time, believe me, it adds up. This is especially true if you buy as many of your bread ingredients as you can, in the bulk department of a supermarket. An entire bag of whole wheat flour (enough to make 4 to 6 loaves) could cost $4.00 or less. This is just one example of how cheap baking your own bread is.

Homemade Bread Is Lower In Fat, This = Weight Loss

My favorite reason for baking bread, is that, if you bake the right kind of bread (like whole wheat bread) it can be a great way to help you lose pounds or maintain a healthy weight.

I’m sure you’ve heard the myth before that bread is really fattening, it’s a myth at least for homemade whole wheat bread. Store bought bread really is fattening because of all the extras that large scale manufacturers stuff their bread with. Manufacturers do this to give their bread longer shelf life and to make the bread look more appealing so they’ll get more customers to buy their bread. These big corporate CEO’s could care less if their bread causes you to pack on pounds. You’ve got to remember, after all, that they’re only in it for the money.

But if you bake your own whole wheat bread you’ll have a truly wholesome bread that will help you to achieve the healthy body and goal weight you desire. Don’t think you can bake your own whole wheat bread? Don’t know where to start? I’ll teach you how to bake your very own bread with no hassle, in simple steps. Visit my Easy Bread Baking website for more details.

Making No-Knead Bread At Home

The Ultimate Whole-Wheat Bread Baking Guide

by Beth Scott

Average Reader’s Score:

PDF Edition:

Review

It’s Virtually Impossible Not To Get It Right The First Time.

Beth, this book is a winner! So many cookbooks simply give you a recipe to follow (which frequently goes wrong) and very little else. No wonder people try once and then give up. Your step by step guide, with its great illustrations, takes people through the whole process from start to finish. It’s like having a master baker looking over your shoulder. You make it all so easy, it’s virtually impossible not to get it right first time and every time. I like your method so much – not to mention the great tasting result – that this is the one I will be using in my kitchen from now on. I thoroughly recommend it to anyone, even the first time beginner, and as a chef I heartily endorse your comments on the nutritional value of wholemeal bread. It is so important in a healthy, well-balanced diet. Everyone who cares about what their family eats should get hold of a copy of your book and start baking right now! Best wishes. – Michael Sheridan (TheCookBook.com)

Bread Baking: An Artisan’s Perspective

by Daniel T. DiMuzio

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Description

A guide to making artisan breads practically and profitably, Bread Baking: An Artisan’s Perspective includes step-by-step instructions on mixing, fermentation, shaping, proofing and retarding, and baking. Written for both experienced and novice bakers, Bread Baking contains more than 150 helpful photos and drawings that illustrate techniques and showcase beautiful artisan bread products. Covering the business of bread-making, this book features practical advice from successful artisan bakers as well as forty plus tested artisan bread formulas, including ciabatta, pain au levain, bagels, honey whole wheat, croissants, and many more. Artisan bread baker and teacher Dan DiMuzio provides invaluable information on troubleshooting, ingredients, laminated dough, and creating dough formulas. Professional bakers and baking and pastry students will benefit from this practical resource to artisan breads. – Amazon

From a Baker’s Kitchen: Techniques and Recipes for Professional Quality Baking in the Home Kitchen

by Gail Sher

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Description

This classic all-in-one baking book remains the best single introduction to making delicious, professional-quality bread and other baked goods at home. From a Baker-s Kitchen, now again available in this twentieth anniversary edition, is one of the essential books for any home baker who aspires to make professional-quality bread. Gail Sher, the first head baker of the celebrated Tassajara Bread Bakery in San Francisco, offers over 100 recipes-clear, foolproof, wonderfully varied and kitchen-tested. Sher divides them into two basic categories: yeasted breads-ranging from white breads to whole-wheat, rye, and specialty-flour breads (including recipes for rolls and buns as well as loaves), and quick breads-covering corn breads, spoonbreads, biscuits, tea cakes & batter breads, gingerbreads, and muffins. But Sher goes beyond the recipes to clearly and carefully describe all of the tools, ingredients, equipment, and, most originally, the bread-making methods and principles that make each recipe work, including her ingenious “”sponge method”" for making yeasted breads, which prominent bakers-the most effective technique for creating richly flavorful bread at home. – Amazon

How Baking Works

by Paula I. Figoni

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Description

Understanding and applying food science to the bakeshop-now revised and updated How Baking Works, Second Edition thoroughly covers the entire baking process, emphasizing the “whys” at work behind basic techniques. The book takes the user through the major ingredient groups, explaining how sweeteners, fats, milk, leavening agents, and other ingredients affect the appearance, flavor, and texture of the end product. The coverage also includes scaling and measurements, heat transfer, and sensory properties in baking. This revised and updated Second Edition features: Hands-on exercises and experiments at the end of each chapter, with many involving the sensory evaluation of ingredients Expanded coverage of sweeteners, variety grains, enzymes, starch structure and gelatinization, and gluten structure Important coverage of changes to federal laws, such as food allergen labeling Coverage reflecting consumer awareness of nutrition and health, including information on dietary fiber, trans fats, and trans-free fats in the baking context More photographs to illustrate the science of baking End-of-chapter questions that both review content and require readers to apply and synthesize what they’ve learned How Baking Works, Second Edition offers a dynamic, hands-on learning experience to both practicing and future bakers and pastry chefs. – Amazon

The Bread Builders: Hearth Loaves and Masonry Ovens

by Alan Scott & Daniel Wing

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Description

In recent years, a revived and burgeoning interest in wholesome, locally baked bread has swept the country, with bakeries springing up in medium towns and major urban areas alike, producing an astounding variety of interesting, crusty, tasty, handmade breads. The Bread Builders explains the grains and flours, leavens and doughs, the chemistry of bread, and the physics of baking in a big book filled with helpful drawings, photographs, recipes, and tips. In a unique angle for a book on baking bread, it also includes detailed diagrams and instructions for building your own masonry bread oven from scratch.

As Laurel Robertson, author of The New Laurel’s Kitchen says, “This book is ice cream for a baker! We visit legendary bakeries, meet wonderful people, learn all sorts of fascinating scientific information with practical usefulness in bowl and oven, and best of all, get the skinny on masonry ovens, the cherished fantasy of us all.” The enthusiasm of the authors in their search for the perfect loaf of bread permeates this detailed but lively and accessible book, and will offer much of use to both amateur and professional bread makers. – Mark A. Hetts (Amazon)

Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery That Revolutionizes Home Baking

by Jeff Hertzberg MD & Zoë François

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Description

There’s nothing like the smell of freshly baked bread to fill a kitchen with warmth, eager appetites, and endless praise for the baker who took on such a time-consuming task. Now, you can fill your kitchen with the irresistible aromas of a French bakery every day with just five minutes of active preparation time, and Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day will show you how.

Coauthors Jeff Hertzberg and Zoë François prove that bread baking can be easier than a trip to the bakery. Their method is quick and simple, bringing forth scrumptious perfection in each loaf. Delectable creations will emerge straight from your own oven as warm, indulgent masterpieces that you can finally make for yourself. In exchange for a mere five minutes of your time, your breads will rival those of the finest bakers in the world.

With nearly 100 recipes to put this ingenious technique to use, Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day will open the eyes of any potential baker who has sworn off homemade bread as simply too much work. Crusty baguettes, mouth-watering pizzas, hearty sandwich loaves, and even buttery pastries can easily become part of your own personal menu, and this innovative book will teach you everything you need to know. – Amazon

Understanding Baking

by Joseph Amendola & Nicole Rees

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Description

This Second Edition builds upon the tested methodologies of the past by incorporating the essentials of our advancing knowledge of food science. Readers get a closehand look at new baking ingredients and additives; the latest in modified starches, fat substitutes, and sweeteners; and the wide variety of gums and thickening agents now being used as substitutes for foods high in calories. – Amazon

BakeWise: The Hows and Whys of Successful Baking with Over 200 Magnificent Recipes

by Shirley O. Corriher

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Review from Publishers Weekly

It’s not surprising that James Beard Award-winner Corriher (CookWise) once worked as a chemist. Her no-nonsense approach to cakes, muffins, breads and cookies shows her deep knowledge and understanding that baking is, above all things, a science. This hefty collection of more than 200 recipes offers amateur and expert bakers alike clear, numbered steps and a plethora of information on ingredients, equipment and method. Invaluable troubleshooting sections solve pesky problems on everything from pale and crumbly cookies to fallen soufflés. With a sense of expertise and ease, the author showcases recipes from the basic (cherry pie, fudgy brownies, baguettes) to the more specialized Bordeaux Macadamia Crust and Bourbon Pecan Oatmeal Cookies, focusing on the reasons for each step (e.g., “using shortening limits the cookie’s spread”). Astute references to a variety of chefs, cookbook authors and restaurants add a knowing punch to this solid collection that’s sure to please bakers of all skill levels. – Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

Peter Reinhart’s Whole Grain Breads: New Techniques, Extraordinary Flavor

by Peter Reinhart (Author) & Ron Manville (Photographer)

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Review

Bread is back, Reinhart (The Bread Baker’s Apprentice) asserts, and it’s better than ever after being villainized during the anticarbohydrate diet fads; his manifesto of renewal, this enthusiastic tome featuring the kinds of whole grain breads he sees as the way forward, will be eagerly received by serious bakers. In three useful preliminary chapters, Reinhart describes how he developed the delayed fermentation process that makes these breads delicious as well as wholesome, dissects wheat’s route from stalk to loaf and patiently walks through the new technique’s theory and process, in order to arm bakers with every bit of information before they start kneading. The level of technical detail and demand for scientific precision may overwhelm amateurs, but anyone with some experience working with bread dough and starters, as well as a desire to get to the next level, will be gratified by Reinhart’s intense but friendly approach. In the more than 50 recipes, from a variety of breads including multigrain loaves, whole wheat cinnamon buns, brioche and crispy lavash, Reinhart builds on the first chapters with detailed commentary on ingredients and preparation, encouraging bakers to own the process but never leaving them in the lurch. Whether or not a home baker is looking for healthier recipes, Reinhart’s peerless way of writing about bread is sure to inspire a new respect for whole grains. Color photos not seen by PW. – (Oct.) Publishers Weekly. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking: Delicious Recipes Using Nutritious Whole Grains

by King Arthur Flour

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Description

Hang on to your pie plate—King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking will change the way every baker thinks about whole grains.

Forget what you know about whole grain baking. Instead, envision light, flaky croissants; airy cakes; moist brownies; dreamy piecrusts; and scrumptious cookies—all made with whole grains. This is what you get in King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking, a revolutionary cookbook that breathes new life into breads, cakes, cookies, pastries, and more by transforming the dark and dense alchemy of whole grain baking into lively, flavorful, sweet, and savory treats of all types.

King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking is a book that only the bakers at King Arthur Flour could successfully complete, opening up the home baker’s repertoire to new flours, new flavors, and new categories of whole grain baked goods. It spills over with helpful tips, how-to illustrations, sidebars on history and lore, and a friendly voice that says to readers, “Come into the kitchen with me and let’s bake.” Thousands of hours were spent testing these recipes, making sure that each one met their high standards. The final result is more than 400 delicious, inviting, and foolproof recipes that have earned a place in King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking—the next generation whole grain cookbook. 125 black & white illustrations, 16 color pages, index. – Amazon

Whole Grain Breads by Machine or Hand: 200 Delicious, Healthful, Simple Recipes

by Beatrice Ojakangas

Average Reader’s Score:

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Description

“Possibly the best such bread book on the market… every recipe a winner.” – New York Times

This accessible book gives new and experienced bakers the freedom and flexibility they need to make excellent homemade loaves, with more than 190 recipes that range from a simple Sourdough Bread to a fancy Finnish Cardamom Coffee Braid. Celebrated as a “reliable and inventive recipe writer” by Publishers Weekly, Beatrice Ojakangas shares four ways to make each delicious whole-grain recipe step by step: by hand, mixer, food processor, and bread machine.

Beatrice Ojakangas (Duluth, MN) is a well-known food writer, author, and consultant whose articles have appeared in Gourmet, Bon Appétit, Redbook, and other magazines. Her many books include the James Beard Award—winning Light and Easy Baking. She has been a guest on radio and television, including CNN, Martha Stewart Living, and Baking with Julia. – Amazon

Great Whole Grain Breads

by Beatrice Ojakangas

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Description

The crust, the texture, the aroma, the taste-a hearty whole grain bread makes the meal or, in the case of the cheese breads, blinis, or calzone that Beatrice Ojakangas serves up, becomes the meal. The seasoned baker and the passionate amateur, the connoisseur and the simply famished will find plenty to celebrate in Ojakangas’s classic bread-making book.

Whether it’s traditional Finnish rye, old-fashioned corn bread, scones, croissants, pretzels, or popovers, the perfect bread for any occasion can be found in this book, along with companionable advice for making it perfectly every time. For the baker with no time to spare, Ojakangas includes a large assortment of fast and easy breads.

With more than 250 sweet-and-savory recipes, easy-to-follow, step-by-step techniques for mixing and kneading, and special hints for working with whole grains, Great Whole Grain Breads should find a place in every baker’s kitchen.

Beatrice Ojakangas is the author of dozens of cookbooks, including The Great Scandinavian Baking Book (1999), Scandinavian Feasts (2001), and The Great Holiday Baking Book (2001), all published by Minnesota. She has appeared on television’s Baking with Julia Child and Martha Stewart’s Living, and has written articles for many newspapers and magazines, including Cooking Light, Family Circle, and Bon Appetit. She lives in Duluth, Minnesota. – Amazon

The Laurel’s Kitchen Bread Book: A Guide to Whole-Grain Breadmaking

by Laurel Robertson

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Description

The Laurel’s Kitchen Bread Book is the classic bestselling cookbook devoted to baking light, healthful, delicious bread entirely from whole grains. This specially updated edition includes an entirely new chapter on making excellent whole-grain loaves in a bread machine. Now even the busiest among us can bake the delectable loaves for which Laurel’s Kitchen is famous.

New research proves what we’ve known all along: Eating whole grains really is better for your health! Here, the switch from “white” is made fun and easy.

Like a good friend, the “Loaf for Learning” tutorial guides you step-by-step through the baking process. You’ll make perfect loaves every time, right from the start.

Here you’ll find recipes for everything—from chewy Flemish Desem Bread and mouthwatering Hot Cross Buns to tender Buttermilk Rolls, foolproof Pita Pockets, tangy Cheese Muffins, and luscious Banana Bread—all with clear explanations and helpful woodcut illustrations.

The brand-new chapter on bread machines teaches you to make light “electric” loaves from whole-grain flour. No matter what your schedule, you can come home to the wonderful smell of baking bread, fresh, hot, and ready to enjoy. – Amazon

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

by Daniel Leader & Lauren Chattman (Contributor)

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Description

Recipes from the back rooms and basement bakeries that produce Europe’s best breads. When Daniel Leader opened his Catskills bakery, Bread Alone, twenty years ago, he was determined to duplicate the whole-grain and sourdough breads he had learned to make in the bakeries of Paris. The bakery was an instant success, and his first book, Bread Alone, brought Leader’s breads to home kitchens. In this, his second book, Leader shares his experiences traveling throughout Europe in search of the best artisan breads. He learned how to make new-wave sourdough baguettes with spelt, flaxseed, and soy at an organic bakery in Alsace; and in Genzano, outside of Rome, he worked with the bakers who make the enormous country loaves so unique that they have earned the Indicazione Geografica Protetta (IGP), a government mark reserved for the most prized foods and wines. Leader’s detailed recipes describe every step that it takes to reproduce these rare loaves, which until now were available strictly locally. 32 pages of color illustrations. – Amazon