[.ca] The Italian Baker (ISBN 0061812668)

The very best bread book!:
This classic kitchen text is an essential addition to the library of any cook interested in serious bread baking. When I bought this book, I'd never baked a loaf of bread in my life. I started reading on page one and quickly read the whole thing. In six month's time, I could bake a wide variety of Italian breads, all thanks to Carol Field's clear directions and wonderful recipes. The book covers everything from rustic country breads to holiday and celebration breads to biscotti to fococcia and pizza. Also, there are great suggestions and recipes for using left over bread.

Simply extraordinary:
This is by far one of the best book I have (and I have over 100)!. I don't think there's one recipe that's not great. The ricota pie, pandoro and focaccia are worth the whole book!. This is definitely an essential baking book!.

Passionate and Practical:
Carol Field has created a wonderful cookbook with a wealth of useful information and delicious recipes. The book is useful for bakers of any experience level. She expresses and instills a love for her subject that makes the book a joy to read and use. She has great stories of her trips to Italy. Even if you can't make the real trip yourself, her recipes will help you feel one step closer. One very nice feature of the recipes is that she provides specific instructions based on the type of equipment you're using to prepare the recipe (mixer, food processor, hand). Highly recommended.

Add me to the list of admirers....:
This book is well written, nicely laid out, and a treasure trove of regional recipes. I've tried three breads and all came out perfect. I'm not master baker, either -- I've only been at it for the last three months. If you follow the recipes to the letter (some take a day of preparation) I can't see how you could fail. If you want to recreate great Italian baked goods, I know of no better place to start.

For the truly gifted baker:
I'm a lazy, quick recipe kind of guy, and this is a gourmet breadmaking encyclopedia. If you're really into the baking thing, this is a great book. If you were hoping for a quick pizza dough, or easy foccacia recipe, this is probably too much information for you.