Learn to Bake Delicious Artisan Breads with The Tassajara Bread Book

EE: Four batches of flour ruined. Loaves do not rise after the first "punch down". Time to move on to another method. (Not the fault of the yeast, as the bread rises fine once.) Tried it without the "punch down" and the cooking time was way off. Do not recommend this book.

United States on Sep 19, 2023

Marie Mitchell: fast shipping, book in better condition than advertised

United States on Jul 16, 2023

Elizabeth B.: If you wanted to make bread, whether you're new to it or have a lifetime behind you, this book will teach you something new. Why treat your yeast nicely? How can you get smoother bread texture? I highly recommend this cook book!

United States on Feb 22, 2023

T. Shaw: I bought the digital version of this book so I could have it with me anywhere.
This is the book that *really* taught me how to make bread - after a lifetime of doing it.
There are differences between the digital book and the physical book but the info is still there.

Canada on Nov 25, 2021

D J: Love the recipes in this book. I had one from a long time ago but is not available to me right now so was excited to be able to get this

Canada on Mar 30, 2021

j farrell: I was disappointed to find that many of the original recipes were missing. I bought this book in the 70's and loved it until I lent it out and it was stolen. I have been looking for another copy since. A lot of recipes have been replaced by muffins and pancakes (in my opinion far more Americanized than the original) I'm not a fan of either and would have preferred the original version.
As regards condition it was advertised as used but in excellent condition without notes or highlights. The condition isn't bad but there are some handwritten notes made by the previous owner. Thankfully, they had neat handwriting!!

United Kingdom on Sep 14, 2018

N. Meltzer: The bible of bread baking, and a classic for decades. My mom's first bread book 40 years ago, my first bread book 10 years, and now I often give it as a housewarming gift. The recipes are easy to follow and provide a comprehensive understanding of the process. The recipes span the genres of bread from sandwich loaves, to breakfast items, to desserts and even sourdough. Brown is a holistic baker, which I mean he uses a lot of whole wheat flour, encourages use of fresh ingredients readily available, and is flexible within his recipes. By far my favorite part of the book is Brown's attitude towards baking, and cooking in general--one that emphasizes the process as much as the product, and is forward about a good baker's best ingredient is a love of baking. Perhaps a little too "touchy feely" for some, this book single handedly taught me to bake excellent bread!

The basic recipe, honey oat sandwich loaf, french bread, and multi grain are all good. English muffins are surprisingly easy and so much better than store bought. The sourdough pancakes are amazing. And the muffin recipe is so simple and delicious. Sometimes I double the sweetener (still doesn't make things anywhere...

United States on Dec 19, 2016

Andy Kokuu McLellan: Although I knew how to make bread before I bought this book, I can say with certainty that Edward Epse's excellent advice has taken my baking skills onto a whole new level. There are so many wonderful recipes in here including Swedish rye bread (with orange peel and caraway seeds - yum!), oat bread, rosemary foccacia, unyeasted Tibetan barley bread and muffins, cakes, pastries and many more. Bread making is something I find to be very therapeutic and to have a delicious loaf at the end of it is a great bonus. It is much easier than many people would think (seriously, you really don't need a bread maker - use your hands to feel the beautiful texture of just-risen dough) and this book is all you need to explore baking for the rest of your life. As if all the practical and down-to-earth instruction on kneading and proving wasn't enough, Epse adds little nuggets of Zen wisdom and poetry in amongst it all to keep your kitchen a calm place. There really aren't enough books in existence like this one. It's a gem.

United Kingdom on Jul 06, 2011

Dogen Zenji: Ich bin durch den Film "How to cook your life" auf Edward Espe Brown aufmerksam geworden. Nachdem ich mir dieses Buch gekauft hatte, habe ich das Brotbacken neu für mich entdeckt! Und zwar so wie es sein sollte: Mit viel Spass (beim Backen und beim Essen)!
Dabei hilf Edwards einzigartige Art, die Dinge zu präsentieren, ebenso wie seine Fähigkeit, Lebensweisheiten scheinbar beiläufig zu vermitteln; so merkt man eigentlich gar nicht, dass man nicht nur ein Backbuch sondern auch ein Zen-Buch in der Hand hält.
Kurz gesagt, alle Rezepte die ich bisher ausprobiert habe, begeistern mich vorbehaltlos immer wieder auf's Neue. Schade nur, dass so wenig Bilder dabei sind (aber die, die dabei sind, sind schön, keine Frage!). Allerdings stellte sich dies bei mir entgegen anfänglicher Befürchtungen, aufgrund der wenigen Bilder würde die Motivation zu backen auf der Strecke bleiben, nicht als Problem heraus. Jede neue Kreation entpuppt sich als kleiner Schatz!!!
Da das Buch in Englisch geschrieben ist, ist etwas "Küchenenglisch" natürlich erforderlich. Aber alles halb so wild: Das Buch ist einfach und kurzweilig geschrieben und kommt mit einem Minimum an amerikanischen...

Germany on Jun 02, 2010

akrobert: I grew up with this book, with my family baking bread from it a couple of times a year. Grew up with stories of 'yeastie beasties'. Wanted my own copy, and figured others in my family would appreciate. Actually purchased four copies of this. So, several got this for Christmas. Two of the recipients of this book are tactile people who enjoy doing things with their hands. The third was given this book as a form of therapy after heart surgery.

For those that aren't familiar with this book, it's more like bread theory in an easy and laid-back to read, almost proverbial form. Lots of basic tips which I've even applied to other types of cooking not in this book. IE, how to care for yeast, start new sour-dough starters from rice, rules for oil and eggs. All bakers stand to gain from this book. This book is next to my copy of Joy of Cooking.

Tassajara Bread Book was written around the Zen Center in San Francisco in the 60s, originally published in 1970. The story I heard growing up, which I don't think is in the book, was that Zen practitioners get a task associated with their meditation, and this book is an example of the results of one of those tasks. For the author,...

United States on Jan 10, 2010