In Search of the Perfect Loaf: A Home Baker's OdysseyI read most of this, but not enough to feel like I can mark it done and give it a Goodreads rating. I thought I was interested in bread, and I am interested in bread, but apparently I'm not all that interested in bread. I failed halfway and gave up trying.
The details of aging and feeding the sourdough, learning the feel of the kneaded dough, smelling the starter for the best mix of bacteria, and judging the skin of the dough ball for just the right degree of stretchiness...well...he lost me. To be honest, his research left me with the feeling that I couldn't possibly ever produce a loaf of decent bread myself even if I followed his recipes and repeated a hundred times. Yes, it's true he is in pursuit of an impossibly high, ever-changing standard. He admits his own notion of perfection changes over the months and years as he tries new techniques and ingredients. But even so, reading of all his hard labors left me feeling a little overwhelmed. It will be a while before I'll ever attempt Bread again...and when I do, I think I'll just throw a few ingredients in the machine and let it create its own, mediocre version.
Despite all the negativity I express, I think it's a great book and would recommend it to any baker who is obsessed (or wants to be) with bread.
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