Giveaways and Reviews

Do You Like My Buns?

Baking By Hand book reviewBy Tara Richter…

There is something about making homemade bread that I absolutely love. Maybe its the joy of getting back to basics, or the meditative state I go into while mixing the dough – wondering how on earth my great grandmothers made fresh bread day after day.

I was excited to receive Baking by Hand: Make the Best Artisanal Breads and Pastries Better without a Mixer by Andy & Jackie King and of course I liked the fact that it was the back-to-basics approach of using the 2 best tools in the kitchen to mix the dough, your own hands.

A few years ago my mom taught me how to make her family- famous “Mom’s Buns” recipe. I distinctly remember her comment while feeling the dough I was preparing, “No, it doesn’t feel right yet”. Frustrated, I continued, waiting for her to tell me when it was ready. There is something about years of experience that cannot be taught through a recipe. Once I got the feel of the dough, I’ve never forgotten, nor is it something that a bread-maker or commercial mixer could ever teach me.

My first attempt with a Baking by Hand recipe was an epic fail. I knew by feel of my dough that something was terribly wrong, and finally just got frustrated and threw it out. I completely understood why my attempt at the bread failed when I read from the book. “…. the more you understand about the science of baking, the better a baker you’ll be”.

Instead of tackling the recipe again, I sat and read through the first section of the book, which very effectively lays out the personal baking philosophy of the authors, their history, as well as the instruction, knowledge, techniques and tools required to make the artisan breads in the book.

Baking By Hand reviewSince I do not yet have all the tools recommended in Baking by Hand, I opted to make my Mom’s Buns recipe with modifications I learned from the cookbook. Seemingly small details turned out to be major points for success as I literally made the best batch of ‘Mom’s Buns’ in all my years of making them. I learned about the importance of picking the right kind of flour, measurement, heat, humidity, yeast and the techniques for creating and kneading the dough. All these little factors as written in the Baking by Hands cookbook contributed to the huge success of my buns.

This book is definitely not for anyone looking for a quick and easy way to make a loaf of bread but instead about the careful and deliberate process of making truly aesthetic and delicious artisan breads. Bread making requires time and patience however the reward of fantastic tasting breads is hugely satisfying. I felt especially proud as members of my family made a special trip over to my house to have one of “Mom’s Buns”. This was a sentiment also echoed in the book as the authors shared how a great artisan bread serves as the perfect starting point for greater things; gathering of friends and family around and sharing in a meal.

This is definitely going to be a well used cookbook in my home, with ear-marked pages, notes, and a worn-out look over time; a true compliment to the authors with their great instruction and recipes.

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