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200th out of 696 books
—
663 voters
The Tassajara Bread Book
Good bread needs more than just flower and water, milk, or eggs. It requires nurturing and care. In this twenty-fifth anniversary edition of the international best-seller that started a generation of Americans baking, Ed Brown shows how to make—and enjoy—breads, pastries, muffins, and desserts for today's sophisticated palates. And in a new afterword, he reflects on the wi...more
Paperback, 176 pages
Published
June 12th 1986
by Shambhala
(first published 1970)
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I'm sorry I ever doubted you.
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Now, for a flavorful and not too heavy loaf of 100% whole wheat bread. It's not as fluffy as white bread, but it's nice and shapely and just dense enough to hold peanut butter without leaking:
First, if you've never baked bread before, read the detailed instructions starting on page 15 and really study them. There are invaluable drawings showing you exactly what things should look like. Refer back to these as often as needed.
Pay special atten...more
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Now, for a flavorful and not too heavy loaf of 100% whole wheat bread. It's not as fluffy as white bread, but it's nice and shapely and just dense enough to hold peanut butter without leaking:
First, if you've never baked bread before, read the detailed instructions starting on page 15 and really study them. There are invaluable drawings showing you exactly what things should look like. Refer back to these as often as needed.
Pay special atten...more
Apr 23, 2013
^
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Bakers & bread-makers
Here we have, as it were, Zen and the Art of Breadmaking. Heston & Delia should try this book. Have you noticed how many of their recipes are now copyrighted; such as “Heston’s Hottest Hummus”, “Delia’s Damson Duff.” (OK, I made those examples up, except for the generic formula + ).
I hadn’t read this book in five years, at least. I’ve never cooked from it (which is why, in all fairness, I cannot give it more than three stars). I was about to chuck it out for resale when I read Nigella Lawson...more
I hadn’t read this book in five years, at least. I’ve never cooked from it (which is why, in all fairness, I cannot give it more than three stars). I was about to chuck it out for resale when I read Nigella Lawson...more
I'd heard of this book for years, and it was only when I became desperate to find a way into the Panettone recipe I'd tried this past Christmas that I thought to consult the master. In The Complete Tassajara Cookbook I found an old handed-down recipe called Grandmother Mary's Coffeecake that is so similar to other books' rcipes for Panettone that I brought it to my house immediately to see what else was inside.
This book is warm and welcoming and contains much to aid the aspiring break baker. I e...more
This book is warm and welcoming and contains much to aid the aspiring break baker. I e...more
The idea of baking bread from scratch had long fallen into the same category as Beyoncé’s abs circa 2004: enviable but intimidating. But The Tassajara Bread Book has gently eased me into the art of breadmaking, revealing its ease and joy.
Tassajara is a Zen monastery in central California, and this book was developed with simplicity in mind. The ingredients lists for most breads feature four to six basic items, and the directions are straightforward and sweetly whimsical. Does this sound a little...more
Tassajara is a Zen monastery in central California, and this book was developed with simplicity in mind. The ingredients lists for most breads feature four to six basic items, and the directions are straightforward and sweetly whimsical. Does this sound a little...more
It might not be fair to be giving this book such a low rating. But really, the layout is appalling.
I learned about "The Tassajara Bread Book" after reading the rather lame novel, "Bread Alone" by Judith Ryan Hendricks. (But the novel wasn't a complete waste of time. Interspersed through the dumb story, there are some excellent bread recipes.) In the novel, there was a glowing description of banana cinnamon swirl bread but no recipe; just a note to add more bananas to "The Tassajara Bread Book" r...more
I learned about "The Tassajara Bread Book" after reading the rather lame novel, "Bread Alone" by Judith Ryan Hendricks. (But the novel wasn't a complete waste of time. Interspersed through the dumb story, there are some excellent bread recipes.) In the novel, there was a glowing description of banana cinnamon swirl bread but no recipe; just a note to add more bananas to "The Tassajara Bread Book" r...more
This book primarily focuses on whole grains but it does not deny the existence of unbleached white flower. This book touts the benefits of the "sponge method" in which the yeast gets started more easily in the absence of the salt which is not added until the very end of the mixing process. The mixing process is accomplished by folding thus maximizing the incorporation of oxygen. The basic Tassajara recipe for whole wheat bread makes four loaves so you know they like bread!
But whether you use thi...more
But whether you use thi...more
Right up there with the original as a book I hold near and dear to my heart.
I made the basic batter bread religiously for quite a while when I was a big ole hippie in new mexico, and I would recommend any of these bread recipes/instructions to the novice bread baker as well as someone who just wants to broaden their repetoire.
I made the basic batter bread religiously for quite a while when I was a big ole hippie in new mexico, and I would recommend any of these bread recipes/instructions to the novice bread baker as well as someone who just wants to broaden their repetoire.
i'm reading the omnivore's dilemma and remembered this book as being particularly interesting in that apart from the great bread recipes it is also a philosophy of how to view food.
May 01, 2009
Julia
added it
My mom just sent me this book and I am in love. It is the 25 year Anniversary Edition, known as "The bilbe for bread baking."
Any bread book that contains poetry has got to be good. I guess not really - but this one is.
Bread baking is love and I am finding this book that insinuates the same.
I don't know if this "goodreads" is supposed to be just fiction or if "cookbooks" are allowed, but you might want to read this book like a fiction book. You'd need quite a bit of imagination, but it is possib...more
Any bread book that contains poetry has got to be good. I guess not really - but this one is.
Bread baking is love and I am finding this book that insinuates the same.
I don't know if this "goodreads" is supposed to be just fiction or if "cookbooks" are allowed, but you might want to read this book like a fiction book. You'd need quite a bit of imagination, but it is possib...more
After trying this book I have very high hopes for it. It produced two enormous and very edible loaves of bread.
A very important tip though - read the instructions! They start on page 15 and help immeasurably! The recipe for the standard Tassajara yeasted bread starts on page 34 and the instructions start on page 14. They really help flesh out the instructions for the bread and add to the quality of the loaves you'll end up with - they show you how to knead and shape the bread, how long and when...more
A very important tip though - read the instructions! They start on page 15 and help immeasurably! The recipe for the standard Tassajara yeasted bread starts on page 34 and the instructions start on page 14. They really help flesh out the instructions for the bread and add to the quality of the loaves you'll end up with - they show you how to knead and shape the bread, how long and when...more
I was introduced to this book by a friend of mine when I wanted to learn to bake bread. I used it side-by-side with her when learning to bake my bread, which helped us to realize that my copy had a major error in the quantities of ingredients. Had I not been comparing my book with hers because we were talking through the process, I never would have known that. That aside, it is a great book for teaching someone the basic process of making a bread from a sponge. I also like the way in which it ta...more
Sep 16, 2007
Kristine
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
anyone interested in learning more about baking
Shelves:
reference
Being an inexperienced baker, I wanted a cookbook that would give me some basic knowledge on the art of baking bread. The moment I saw this book, I realized this is something that's been around for several years.
The ingredient glossary it provides at the beginning of the book is excellent in helping you understand what some of the ingredients in bread are and what they're there for. For example, "Milk makes bread smoother, softer and more cakelike and modifies, masks the 'coarse' grain taste."
Th...more
The ingredient glossary it provides at the beginning of the book is excellent in helping you understand what some of the ingredients in bread are and what they're there for. For example, "Milk makes bread smoother, softer and more cakelike and modifies, masks the 'coarse' grain taste."
Th...more
I love used bookstores because I can pick up gems like this one, with an inscription in the front cover (very sweet, from roommate to roommate), old bookmarks marking favourite recipes, and a well-worn feel to all the pages.
I don't have the 25th anniversary copy, mine was printed in 1970, and is wonderful in all its hippie glory. :)
It's the first bread I've every made all by myself, the dough is on its last rising now. I love that it always recommends whole wheat flour over white flour.
I don't have the 25th anniversary copy, mine was printed in 1970, and is wonderful in all its hippie glory. :)
It's the first bread I've every made all by myself, the dough is on its last rising now. I love that it always recommends whole wheat flour over white flour.
My bread bible from the 70s - still use it. I make a half recipe of the basic yeasted bread (recipe #1) and mix whole wheat and white flour. It's wonderful. Sometimes I use the author's suggestion to add other things as well - oatmeal is a particular favorite.
As much as I love the bread recipe, dessert recipe #79 - Torte with Sour Cream Fruit Topping - is an all time favorite. Dense cake, surprising sour cream topping, and lovely fruit. A virtuous dessert.
As much as I love the bread recipe, dessert recipe #79 - Torte with Sour Cream Fruit Topping - is an all time favorite. Dense cake, surprising sour cream topping, and lovely fruit. A virtuous dessert.
Update: I finally got the courage to make the basic bread recipe, and WOW. It took 5 hours but was entirely worth it - the bread was really unbelievably good, very light and not yeasty tasting at all. This was by far the best loaf of bread I've ever made. All those complicated steps paid off! So I'm giving the book 5 stars for this recipe alone.
Original review: As far as anyone can read a cookbook, I have read this one. I've made one recipe (popovers) and was not at all impressed with the resul...more
Original review: As far as anyone can read a cookbook, I have read this one. I've made one recipe (popovers) and was not at all impressed with the resul...more
There's nothing I love more than the smell of baking bread, and yet baking has always been one of the most intimidating things to approach in the kitchen. I learned about the Tassajara Bread Book after watching a documentary on Edward Espe Brown. This book took the anxiety out of bread-baking for me. After reading it, I baked my first loaf of hand-made bread - a loaf of braided Finnish bread from scratch from start to finish and enjoyed the process!
I heard of this book while watching How To Cook Your Life:
"German filmmaker Doris Dörrie documents a summer in the life of renowned Zen practitioner and cook Edward Espe Brown as he teaches culinary classes in Zen centers in Austria and California, revealing the role food plays in our bodies and spirits. Informative, provocative and funny, Brown serves up a unique combination of inspiring wisdom and kitchen skills that will raise even the most demanding foodie to new spiritual and gastronomic he...more
"German filmmaker Doris Dörrie documents a summer in the life of renowned Zen practitioner and cook Edward Espe Brown as he teaches culinary classes in Zen centers in Austria and California, revealing the role food plays in our bodies and spirits. Informative, provocative and funny, Brown serves up a unique combination of inspiring wisdom and kitchen skills that will raise even the most demanding foodie to new spiritual and gastronomic he...more
I learned to make bread from this cookbook, and I learned to braid and how to make fancy coffeecakes--it is a hands on book that you can teach yourself from--and the whole grain recipes are very good, as is the sponge technique for making heavy breads lighter
Oct 27, 2012
Shannon
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
beginner bakers
Shelves:
641-food-drink
I learned how to make bread using this book and it's fantastic. The basic dough can be used for everything from a loaf of bread to dessert rolls and it's heavier on more whole-grain, earthy type breads. This should be in everyone's kitchen!
B Some good bread recipes; a rather old cookbook but with a warm, hippie vibe. Too bad I use my machine solely or I'd use these. Other useful recipes, though, like various butters (savory, sweet, nutty), biscuits, quick breads, etc. Yum!
It was a comforting, full-sensory experience to make bread following Ed Brown's encouraging and sensitive instructions. Even in my grief-induced haze, I was able to make a batch of dough and come out with two loaves that are beautiful, wholesome, and nourishing. And very handmade.
I will be honest; I haven't actually successfully managed to make anything from this book (not that I've tried particularly hard) but I find it incredibly entertaining (and maybe even a little enlightening) to read.
I love this book -- funky as it is! I have been cooking from this book for the last 20 years. Edward Espe Brown is not only a talented chef and bread baker but brings his spirituality to his work and his food.
This was my first bread baking book. I am now on my third copy, as two have been loved to pieces.If you bake bread, or have any desire to learn to bake more interesting breads, this is the book for you.
My favorite bread book ever! Such a necessity in my kitchen. This book taught me to make really tasty, completely whole wheat, bread using nothing more than a bowl and wooden spatula.
I knew I wanted to try this book after seeing How to Cook Your Life, a documentary on the zen monastery where the author teaches, about a year ago. When I picked up a copy of the book and I read Brown's intro and the reviews of his recipes by famous chefs, I realized what a beloved work this was. Then I went to cross-reference my own pizza dough recipe (which I have been using for years) with Brown's recipe for foccasia bread- exact same recipe! Coincidence?
The techniques Brown describes helped...more
The techniques Brown describes helped...more
I LOVE this cookbook and use it all of the time. Really simple, easy, walk-you-through-it bread making. Really yummy healthy simple yeasted pastries in here too. So good.
for those who don't know Tassajara ... it is one of Northern California's most amazing bakeries .. bread, pastry .. you name it these guys know what they are doing
Love love love this book for bread and pastries. Not a single thing has been snubbed at my house. Love that almost everything is whole grain. Excellent book!
My sister gave me this for Christmas years ago. I made bread using it for years. Wonderful wonderful bread. But it took all day.
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Edward Espe Brown is a Zen Buddhist priest and professional chef.
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14. April, 19:53 Uhr