Bernard Clayton's New Complete Book of Breads

by Bernard Clayton Jr.

First published in 1973, Bernard Clayton's The Complete Book of Breads immediately became a modern classic; under his guidance, a generation of home bakers was introduced to the seductive pleasures of baking and produced their first loaves. But new products and equipment revolutionized the kitchen, and these changes inspired Bernard Clayton's New Complete Book of Breads, which first appeared in 1987. With an electric mixer, a food processor, or a bread machine, and with faster-acting yeasts, anyone could produce home-baked loaves in a fraction of the time bread-baking once took. The availability of a wide variety of flours and specialty products, once found only in health-food and gourmet stores, opened up a world of possibilities. Clayton revised 200 of the original recipes and added 100 more with these new ingredients and equipment in mind. Now America's best-loved bread-baking authority returns with the 30th anniversary edition of the New Complete Book of Breads, the definitive version of this baking classic. Clayton has written a new introduction, added a glossary, updated the sections on ingredients and equipment, and gone through every recipe, correcting and refining each one. The inviting new design keeps Clayton's explicit, easy-to-follow instructional format and makes the book easy to use. In these pages, home bakers will find an extraordinary range of variety, nearly enough to supply a new bread a day for a year. There are wheat breads -- Honey-Lemon, Walnut, Buttermilk; sourdough breads; corn breads; breads flavored with herbs or spices or enriched with cheese or fruits and nuts; and little breads -- Kaiser Rolls, Grandmother's Southern Biscuits, English Muffins, and Popovers, to name a few. For the baker who observes the holidays with a fresh loaf there are Challah and Italian Panettone. Offering classic recipes while making use of modern kitchen technology, this comprehensive volume is an indispensable reference for the novice or experienced home baker looking to make the best bread with ease.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Food, Nonfiction, Reference, Culinary

704 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1987

About the author

Bernard Clayton Jr., a newspaper reporter whose love for fresh bread inspired him to master the art of baking and write several classic cookbooks on bread and pastry, died on March 28 in Bloomington, Ind. He was 94.

Reviews

[Leona · Rating 5 out of 5]

My "go-to" bread book. It's quite outstanding. It's filled with great recipes, and great tips about baking bread. It doesn't get overly mechanical or technical, like other bread books do. Easy to understand with step by step instructions by hand, stand mixers, and food processors. With minimal effort, you're off to making great bread.

I believe this is out of print. But if you can find it secondhand, I would highly recommend.

[Beth Cato · Rating 4 out of 5]

This 700-page tome on the wonders of bread has sat in my to-read pile for years now--what better time to take a look than during quarantine? I skimmed through and jotted down pages and recipes of interest. This book has an incredible variety of bread on offer, from sandwich loaves to rustic boules to rolls to quick breads of all kinds to vegetable-stuffed to how to build your own backyard bread oven.

One of the great surprises was that most of the recipes include three versions: by hand, by Kitchen-Aid mixer, or by food processor. And hey, here I have a new big food processor... and lo and behold, I currently have a batch of brioche dough rising in my fridge. That will be the first of many recipes I try from this book.

[GoldGato · Rating 4 out of 5]

A decent cookbook should get you excited enough to cook whatever it is you wanted to cook. A superior cookbook will hypnotize you enough to make you believe you can actually create the same masterpieces described within the pages. This is a superior cookbook.

I read this as I would read a book on history. Clayton provides a background for each bread, describing the first appearance of each loaf and the city/country/human behind the story. For those who have never baked a loaf of bread, have no fear. The beginning of the book focuses on The First Loaf, with the idea that once you get hooked, you'll just want more and more.

STARFALL: I take one star away due to the lack of photos or even illustrations. Given the descriptions, one would like to see the end result of what one is supposed to be creating.

Book Season = Year Round (pass the butter)

[V · Rating 3 out of 5]

I very much like the breadth of recipes collected and offered by the author. It's clear that he is enthusiastic about the topic, and his writing has a friendly and approachable tone.

The things keeping me from really liking the book are twofold:

1. First, all of the recipe ingredients are volumetric, and not by weight or baker's ratio. This is for accessibility to the average home baker that makes up the book's intended audience, so it's not a bad thing. That said, there is a lot of variability in weight between one cup of flour and another, and baking is more dependent on accurate measurements of ingredients than other types of cooking, so for consistency's sake I prefer recording recipes by weight as well as by volume. With enough experience, though, you get a feel for the appropriate texture of the dough, so this is not a dealbreaker.

2. The book not only provides instructions in the preface for kneading by hand, in a mixer, and in a food processor, but also repeats these instructions with slight modifications for each recipe. This is good for when you want to flip to a recipe and have all of the instructions in one neat package, but also makes it more difficult to quickly understand at a glance what part of the procedure is common to all recipes vs what is specific to this particular recipe. Again, this is something that enough experience will help you figure out on your own.

Over all, this book is still a good introduction to a wide variety of bread-based projects, so have a look at it and get your bake on!

[Suible · Rating 5 out of 5]

I make a lot of bread. I had been planning on buying a bread book for a while and finally got around to actually looking for one. I was looking for yeast bread recipes, and maybe a few for quick breads. I was not at all interested in other kinds of baking - no cakes, cookies, etc., etc. Oh, and I like unusual breads - especially whole-grain, but not ones that use odd ingredients. (I define odd as any ingredient I don't already own or can't easily substitute or buy - fairly cheaply. Not that I'm picky.)

So far I've only actually made one recipe - Wheat and Oat Bread. It turned out well. I've got my eye on several others.

This book has a plethora of directions - by hand, by processor, by mixer, by foot, etc., etc. (Okay, not really by foot.) The directions seem rather over-done to me, but I've made lots of bread and I already pretty much know what I'm doing and my breads are all made completely by hand. Still, probably useful for newbies. Also, good tips and troubleshooting for newbies.

My biggest complaint is the index is not as thorough as I would like.

I've been using King Arthur Flour for years - and will probably buy one of their books next, but I'm really enjoying using this one.

[Lia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great bread baking primer, with an impressive list of recipes (no photos, though) that includes instructions for those using mixers or bread machines, as well.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

www.2thepointbooks.blogspot.com

Love this cook book! It is chock full of recipes that I actually want to bake! Everything from basic loaf bread to sopapillas, crackers, and ethnic breads. It doesn't go much into method, but I wasn't looking for that. Very easy to read, I like the writing style. It's very down to earth and friendly. I also like how the author approves of substitutions. Some authors won't even entertain the notion. I've made one recipe so far (a fabulous dinner roll), that my kids (even my picky eater) ate. I'm talking my mom into getting for me for my birthday. Can't wait to get it and start experimenting.

[Villa Park Public Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a working cookbook with the goal of encouraging anyone to bake a loaf of bread, and have fun doing it. Bread has fallen somewhat into disrepute as people have gone carb-conscious, but homemade bread is experiencing something of a renaissance now. Clayton makes sure to share the essential equipment, ingredients, and techniques before setting the reader loose on The First Loaf, a basic white bread. One of the best things about this book is that the author gives instructions in each recipe for making bread by hand (my preferred method) or with the help of mixers, food processors, or even bread machines. Throughout, Clayton’s tone is encouraging and inspires confidence.

This classic baking book is a personal favorite of mine. This is the book I started using when I first started baking bread seriously, and I even created my own recipe by accidentally combining two of Clayton’s!

Find this book in the SWAN catalog

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a working cookbook with the goal of encouraging anyone to bake a loaf of bread, and have fun doing it. Bread has fallen somewhat into disrepute as people have gone carb-conscious, but homemade bread is experiencing something of a renaissance now. Clayton makes sure to share the essential equipment, ingredients, and techniques before setting the reader loose on The First Loaf, a basic white bread. One of the best things about this book is that the author gives instructions in each recipe for making bread by hand (my preferred method) or with the help of mixers, food processors, or even bread machines. Throughout, Clayton’s tone is encouraging and inspires confidence.

This classic baking book is a personal favorite of mine. This is the book I started using when I first started baking bread seriously, and I even created my own recipe by accidentally combining two of Clayton’s!

[Melissa Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I considered myself a pretty good bread baker, until I purchased this book a few years ago. This book brought my homemade bread baking to a whole new level. Baking in a dutch oven? Rye bread? Baguettes comparable to a traditional bakery? All that and much more. A must have for the home cook

[Pat Wadas · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my all time favorite cookbooks. It was gift from my father and I am certainly glad that he like the cheese bread which I have made for him several times-It reminds him of the bread that his mother used to make.

[S Vanorse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just about any bread recipe you could possibly want, no pictures here, but you can always google it as I did several and easily found to get a better idea and if it is something I want to try. Easily understood directions. Big book but the pages stay and lay nicely open if following a recipe.

[Katelyn Jenkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book to keep on the shelf until the end of time.

[Sir · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not certain I like this book for it's plethora of recipes or the enthusiasm of the author for bread. I would not recommend this to a beginning baker of bread simply because they might become frustrated with the amount of prep work that goes into preparing starters days and weeks before you ever even get to the baking part. However, there are several breads in this book for the beginner, just be sure as a beginner you start with those. Advanced bakers would find this enjoyable as the author includes breads in his travels from all over Europe and the USA.

[Micah Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tons of recipes, and all of the breads I've made so far have turned out great. It's an excellent resource for when I need a good recipe quickly--saves me the time of trying to find a decent one online, and I know that I'm not wasting my time on a bad recipe since these are tried and proven (the same cannot be said for many recipes found on food websites... sorry, Food Network). I've been baking bread for several years and I find that I use this book as much as any other in my library. Highly recommended.

[Ebookwormy1 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love reading this book. It has such a quiant, sharing stories and recipes over a cup of hot liquid kind of feeling.

I have also enjoyed learning baking concepts/ science and baking these recipes.

My only regret is that I don't have more time to experiencially learn and bake as he directs!

But I own it, as a dream that I refer back to and occassionally have the enjoyment of savoring either in imagination or by actual practice.

[Saleris · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the first month I owned this book, I tried a recipe. It's well written, and even if you don't agree with everything he says, there's some solid logic behind his reasoning behind his ideas of breadmaking. If you're serious about breadmaking (either by hand or machine) buy this - you won't be sorry. I recently became lactose intolerant and while there's a large percentage of breads I now can't make (because of ingrdients I cannot substitute) *boo hoo*, I wouldn't get rid of this book.

[Carmen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got a Kitchenaid standing mixer for Christmas and instantly i wanted to bake bread. The cook at work recommended and i instantly fell in love. It has directions bread using your hands, a standing mixer, and a food processer [i didn't know you could use one!]. My first loaf of bread was English Oatmeal Bread- delish!

[Zelda · Rating 5 out of 5]

All of my unrisen loaves were explained by this book. Mr Clayton gives measured temperatures for hot water added to yeast mixtures -- not the "hot water" direction that led me to use hot tap water, which is nearly always the wrong temperature. Need to make co-workers your slaves? try the blueberry lemon muffins dipped in butter and sugar.

[Phrenzel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cut my artisan bread baking teeth with Bernard Claytons books of breads. I did not only use them for a basis on my formulas, but for a look deep into the history and the craft of breads. I read his books as if they were novels. So many great loaves of bread can be produced by following this mans directions.

[P. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I made the zucchini basil muffins and mint yogurt bread. I love bernard clayton! His recipes are nicely formatted, but I always forget there's a food processor option because it's printed after the regular way. Everything that I've made from his books always comes out great.

[Mary Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great bread book. There are several of the recipes that I make quite often! Good instructions and it tells the "why" of what you do! My only complaint is the construction of the book. After only one year, my book is falling apart.

[Marlee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great little backgrounds on each recipes and some personal stories. Great variation in levels of difficulty. For people who go by hand or by machine. Breads for all tastes and occasions.

Contrast in type could have been better and of course a few more pictures.

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like the wide (really, incredibly wide) variety of breads collected here. It's also cool that the author is from Indiana, so if you read the recipe intros there are some references to local places.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read it once and I keep reading it and trying new recipes all the time. I got it out of the library and renewed it so many times that I must have had it in my possession for 3 months! So good I finally got my own copy. A must have for any bread baker.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just read that Bernard Clayton died on March 28th - obit is here:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/06/din...


His Book of Breads is still the best bread book out there. I've had it for nearly 20 years and have used it countless times!

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best cookbook I own & use it every week. I even nicknamed it the "Bread Bible" & recommend it to all of my friends. I just love that each recipe has hand/mixer/processor instructions. Everyone should own this book!

[Lindsay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Many of the recipes in this book sounded good, but his overuse of dried milk was frustrating to me, and the blueberry mufin recipe had way too much baking powder and was, as a result, nearly inedible.

[Sophie]

I love this book. It's fun to read and the recipes I've tried have been great. Here's my adaptation of the Kolach recipe, a braided festive enriched bread: http://painterlychef.blogspot.com/201.... It turned out great.

[Linda]

If I had to choose to keep but one of my many bread books, this would be the one. It really is the complete book of breads and how best to make them. I can't put a date I finished reading this book, because I refer to it all the time.