[.ca] Crust And Crumb (ISBN 1580080030)

too much ego -- not for home bakers:
Rarely has the personality of the author intruded into a cookbook to the point where I found myself unable to continue to read it. This book stinks. All the author does is talk about how great he is "world class..bread olympics" Thats not what home baking is about. If you want to learn to bake great bread at home get Bernard Clayton's books --he will teach you how to make great bread for fun and make all your friends happy. If you want someone to be rude to you and talk down to you about his supposed baking skill ---then you can by my copy cheap!

Crust and Crumble:
Just not practical for the everyday home-baker. I am serious about baking and breadmaking, and have been very successful doing so. These Formulas are difficult to follow and usually take two to three days to make (Some even 5 days). The reality of this book is...it is more like a text book for a culinary school student not for a weekend baker. If you want some great bread baking recipes (all kinds like this book provides), invest in the Joy of Cooking. You'll get some great other recipes as well and EVERYBODY can enjoy making them. Hope this helped.

this book rocks...:
and now, so does my bread baking technique. although i still have yet to really "get" the baker's math formulas in the book(and for that i blame my fourth-grade math teacher, who made me math-phobic, not the writer... :)). Peter Reinhart's writing style is friendly and entertaining, so it's much more than just a cookbook; it's fun reading. His passion shines through in the clear, detailed and organized instruction. Makes me long to take some classes with him at J and W! Definitely invest in a stand mixer if you are eager to try all the recipes in this book--or just be happy with the biceps and triceps workout you'll get mixing them up. Excellent book for intermediate to advanced bakers, for sure, though some motivated beginners may catch on just fine. Just a great resource book, from his advice on what kitchen gadgets are must-haves or ought-to-haves, the "mise en place" mindset/workspace, to the recipes. there is always some sort of bread in progress in our kitchen all the time now; sort of in defiance to the low-carb craze... get this book. you will be amazed at how much you can take from it.

WODERFUL BOOK:
This is a GREAT book for dedicated bread bakers.

Best pancakes ever:
While other reviewers have covered the bread aspects of this book quite well, I wanted to mention the little recipe tucked in the back for "Perfect" buttermilk pancakes. I am a pancake addict and these are truly the best pancakes I have EVER had. The sourdough pancakes on the following page are quite good as well, but the buttermilk recipe is perfection. Unlike some artisan bread books (i.e. The Bread Bible), Crust and Crumb is detailed and intricate but entirely clear in its instruction. I highly recommend it for the serious bread baker.