The owner and chef of L.A.'s famous and successful La Brea Bakery reveals her magical recipes, adapted for home bakers. Before the baking even begi...
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reviews
Jul 29, 2011
Catherine
rated it: 
This book's starter recipe will get you a sourdough starter that really works. She has you feeding it three times a day and gives you no slack for things like work or family--she tells you what it will look like everyday along the way, what it should smell like, and what the consistency will be whenyou are done. She has a braiding set of diagrams for a 6 braid loaf which works and I use it everytime I make a double recipe of challah (or one with 6 c. of flour)
Nov 30, 2008
Amanda
rated it:
I think I might read this more for pleasure than I do to cook with it. This is my favorite book about sourdough -- the science, the method, and the art. Silverton's writing is both accessible and interesting. She takes you through how to make your own starter from flour, water, and grapes; how to maintain it; and how to use it in exciting and unexpected ways. Having a starter is like having a pet, though, so I've only done it once, but it was really fun!
Mar 17, 2011
Andy
rated it: 
I live a few blocks away from the La Brea Bakery and love most of the bread produced from them. However, Ms. Silverton abides by the sourdough starter system for most of the breads in this book, which is extremely labor and time intensive. If you don't mind spending hours upon days upon weeks in feeding a starter then this book is for you. If you like to produce a loaf in a day (like I do), then you might want to look elsewhere.
Oct 25, 2011
Mary Joy
rated it:
I miss my daily baguette/fougasse/fisselle that we used to get from the boulangerie in the village. The rosemary and garlic loaf from La Brea Bakery had a decent crust and flavor, for a mass-market bread, so I decided to see what their technique was like. Their starter takes 2 weeks to make, but this shows a dedication to the craft. I can't hope to make bread as good as our friend Benoit's, but I can try to make the best American bread. The owner of a French bistro down the street, who trained i
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May 27, 2008
ian
rated it:
You want to research the care and feeding of sourdough? You want to grow your own? You want to make the most addictive waffles ever--and with almost all the work done the night before? This is the book for you.
As is true with any cookbook, this one contains recipes I've tweaked to suit my tastes better. Nonetheless I find that Silverton's thorough and clear exposition of why sourdough does what it does, and how to "read" the dough and the finished loaf, is immensely helpfu More...
As is true with any cookbook, this one contains recipes I've tweaked to suit my tastes better. Nonetheless I find that Silverton's thorough and clear exposition of why sourdough does what it does, and how to "read" the dough and the finished loaf, is immensely helpfu More...
Jan 30, 2012
This book is for more advanced bakers! Absolutely fantastic and Nancy is the real deal when it comes to Bread Making!
May 04, 2009
Melissa
rated it:
Such an inspiring book. I love how Nancy sees this table staple as art and the creation of bread as almost reverent. If you are looking for a bread book that creates a loaf in an hour or less, this is not the book for you. True earthy, artisan baking. Beautiful.
Jul 16, 2008
Helen
rated it:
If you want to make breads and have the time to nurture a starter, you should own this book.
Mar 12, 2008
Luz-Maria
rated it:
great info on method and technique..but sometimes i'm not that patient...fyi
Jan 30, 2010
So excited about the process of making sourdough starter from this book!
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