Flour + Water + Yeast + Science = Successfully Delicious Sourdough The transformation of a few ingredients into a crackling-crusted sourdough is nothing short of miraculous. Complex and fascinating chemical and biological processes are taking place in your mixing bowl and oven, thanks to wild yeast and bacteria, and the natural sugars, enzymes, and proteins found in flour. However, baking a great loaf of sourdough does not have to be complicated or overwhelming. Understanding the science behind these processes makes all the difference. In Sourdough by Science, molecular biologist Karyn Newman provides a reliable path to sourdough success by arming you with informative descriptions of what’s happening on a molecular scale and a strategy for learning from and optimizing your own bakes. Recipes are delectable, doable, and dependable—from a Rustic Boule to Wild Challah to Hazelnut Buns— teaching you the hows and whys of bread making along the way. Sourdough by Science has the answers to an array of sourdough questions: What is a sourdough starter? How do different flours respond? When should you add salt to a dough? How does the crust get crisp and crackly? The book makes it easy for readers to develop sourdough intuition with an invaluable and wide-ranging troubleshooting guide. Complete with resources and step-by-step photos, this is an essential book to build your bread-baking expertise.

Sourdough bread fueled the labor that built the Egyptian pyramids. The Roman Empire distributed free sourdough loaves to its citizens to maintain political stability. More recently, amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, sourdough bread baking became a global phenomenon as people contended with being confined to their homes and sought distractions from their fear, uncertainty, and grief. In Sourdough Culture, environmental science professor Eric Pallant shows how throughout history, sourdough bread baking has always been about survival. Sourdough Culture presents the history and rudimentary science of sourdough bread baking from its discovery more than six thousand years ago to its still-recent displacement by the innovation of dough-mixing machines and fast-acting yeast. Pallant traces the tradition of sourdough across continents, from its origins in the Middle East’s Fertile Crescent to Europe and then around the world. Pallant also explains how sourdough fed some of history’s most significant figures, such as Plato, Pliny the Elder, Louis Pasteur, Marie Antoinette, Martin Luther, and Antonie van Leeuwenhoek, and introduces the lesser-known—but equally important—individuals who relied on sourdough bread for sustenance: ancient Roman bakers, medieval housewives, Gold Rush miners, and the many, many others who have produced daily sourdough bread in anonymity. Each chapter of Sourdough Culture is accompanied by a selection from Pallant’s own favorite recipes, which span millennia and traverse continents, and highlight an array of approaches, traditions, and methods to sourdough bread baking. Sourdough Culture is a rich, informative, engaging read, especially for bakers—whether skilled or just beginners. More importantly, it tells the important and dynamic story of the bread that has fed the world.

"An invaluable guide for beginning bakers." –Sam Sifton, The New York Times In 2009, journalist Samuel Fromartz was offered the assignment of a lifetime: to travel to France to work in a boulangerie. So began his quest to hone not just his homemade baguette—which later beat out professional bakeries to win the “Best Baguette of D.C.”—but his knowledge of bread, from seed to table. For the next four years, Fromartz traveled across the United States and Europe, perfecting his sourdough in California, his whole grain rye in Berlin, and his country wheat in the South of France. Along the way, he met historians, millers, farmers, wheat geneticists, sourdough biochemists, and everyone in between, learning about the history of breadmaking, the science of fermentation, and more. The result is an informative yet personal account of bread and breadbaking, complete with detailed recipes, tips, and beautiful photographs. Entertaining and inspiring, this book will be a touchstone for a new generation of bakers and a must-read for anyone who wants to take a deeper look at this deceptively ordinary, exceptionally delicious staple: handmade bread.

JAMES BEARD AWARD WINNER • NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A dynamic, authoritative sourdough baking bible for those looking to build confidence in the craft with a wide range of foolproof recipes, from pan loaves to pizza to doughnuts, by the beloved blogger and resident bread baker at Food52 “Maurizio Leo has given all bread-heads, whether newbies or experienced bakers, the ideal gift.”—Peter Reinhart, author of The Bread Baker’s Apprentice and host of Pizza Quest ONE OF THE BEST COOKBOOKS OF THE YEAR: Saveur Maurizio Leo’s blog The Perfect Loaf is the go-to destination on the internet for beginner sourdough bakers. He now brings his impeccably detailed techniques, foolproof recipes, and generous teaching style to a groundbreaking debut cookbook that delves into the absolute fundamentals of sourdough—plus the tools and confidence to explore beyond. Recipes cover flavorful, crowd-pleasing favorites: Essential freeform loaves: Simple Sourdough, Rosemary & Olive Oil, Extra-Sour Sourdough, Cranberry & Walnut, Demi Baguettes Pan loaves: Everyday Sandwich Bread, Naturally Leavened Brioche, German Whole Rye, Honey Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread Pizza and flatbread: Roman-Style Pan Pizza, Focaccia, Naan, Flour Tortillas, Pita Buns, rolls, and more: Soft Dinner Rolls, Potato Buns, Ciabatta Rolls, English Muffins, Bagels Sweets: Weekend Cinnamon Rolls, Italian Doughnuts, Summer Fruit Sourdough Crostata, Banana Bread, Cinnamon Babka Beginner bakers will have their hands held the entire way, with troubleshooting sections and numerous sidebars answering almost every question they may have—like how to store a sourdough starter long-term, how bakers’ percentages actually work, and a visual guide to common “bread fails” and how to remedy them. Seasoned bakers will relish deep dives into the science behind baking processes and expert information on how to build their “baker’s intuition” and level up by experimenting with hydration, ingredient ratios, freshly milled grains, and specialty flours. Whether you're new to bread baking or a pro, The Perfect Loaf will be your indispensable guide in the kitchen.

Sourdough Baking with Kids brings the tradition of baking bread into your home by introducing kids to the kitchen and sharing easy tips for creating sourdough starter and recipes for sourdough loaves and baked goods.

Sourdough is magic. It’s healthy, it’s tasty, and it’s alive. But that doesn’t mean you have to be a magician to craft beautiful, tasty loaves from it. Baking sourdough bread is an art for everyone. Baking Sourdough Bread is the cookbook and guide into the delicious, healthy world of sourdough. Baking with sourdough isn’t difficult; the biggest challenge is patience! But take it easy, and your taste buds will be rewarded with a crispy crust and rich, full flavor. Of course, it doesn’t hurt to know a few tricks when mastering the art, and this book offers plenty. Learn to make a sourdough starter, and keep the leaven active with regular feeding. Try different flours and unique ingredients; did you know you can make delectable bread with apples and raisins, for example? The book contains recipes for classics like levain and Old English wheat-and-sourdough, unique twists like carrot bread and hazelnut, and sweet breads such as the German gugelhupf, among many others. But it’s not just the recipes that make the book a treat. It’s the creativity it cultivates. The book is a starter—and not just for sourdough.

Make Delicious, Whole Grain Bread with Minimal Kneading * Selected as one of the best cookbooks of 2020 by delicious. magazine! * Baking a loaf of beautiful crusty bread can be intimidating when you want to include nutrient-dense whole wheat flour and other ancient grains that are famously harder to work with. Elaine Boddy is here to help. She has spent many years honing the science and art of baking bread with whole grains in her home kitchen. In Whole Grain Sourdough at Home, she shares all of her secrets with you. Elaine’s master recipe and philosophy for bread making are all about simplicity, flexibility and having fun. Sourdough does not have to be complicated or require a lot of hands-on work to be great. With one bowl, a handful of simple ingredients, minimal kneading and less than 24 hours, you can have a loaf of delicious whole grain sourdough bread on the table. Elaine has mastered the unique nuances of nutrient-dense flours like whole wheat, einkorn, spelt and rye to create a variety of lovely breads—no dense whole wheat bricks here! Packed with a step-by-step sourdough starter guide, plenty of tips and tons of recipes for everything from sandwich loaves to focaccia, this book gives you everything you need to bake amazing whole grain bread today, tomorrow and beyond. This book has 60 recipes and 60 photographs.