These are some of the reviews for the Bread Handbook that we've had sent in to us here at River Cottage HQ. But it would be really great to hear more reviews from the whole community.

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Customer Review

The book arrived, and straight off I read the whole thing. Firstly “pay attention, here comes the science bit” Ok, that’s that out of the way, but actually (as someone who is ashamed to admit that until now my bread adventures have consisted of bunging some part-baked rolls from the supermarket in the oven) the science is helpful. It lets you know why your bread does what it does. And now you know that you can get right on with baking some delicious bread. With full instructions on how to get the kneading, proving and shaping right, all that is left is to chose one of the numerous recipes and bake some bread. I already have, and with stone ground flour from the local windmill. The smell was wonderful and the taste was mouth-watering. (That might have had something to do with the amount of butter melting into it!) No more supermarket loaves for me. (Well, soon, I’ve got a work/life balance to sort out first.) I was very pleased with my first effort, and it’s thanks to this beautifully photographed, clearly and well written, excellently produced book. Which has now got dough on it.



Vicky

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Customer Review

My Bread Handbook arrived this morning, and I just wanted to write to you to say that the recipe from this handbook, and the methods outlined have produced the nicest bread I have ever made! So I just wanted to thank Daniel Stevens for providing me with a completely amazing book, and amazing recipe. In my book, River Cottage can do no wrong!!



Ian

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I am a very keen bread baker, and I have had too many disasters thanks to ill-explained instructions from generic recipe books.... This one really explains it in a way that it almost seems like you can't go wrong. Being my first bread-specific cookbook, it felt like I had hit the goldmine, again every detail is covered, every method and every alternative. Really great book, written by a truly genius expert. Could not reccommend it more. Just Genius.

This handbook is great - I think the best bit about it is the troubleshooting guide! We've made 3 batches so far and although we've had to "troubleshoot" all of them(!), at least we know what we are doing wrong and can improve each time! So thanks Daniel

Bread is a wonderful source for all matters on bread making. I have made many baked delights from this handbook already.(hot cross buns, bread, muffins, rolls) This book will live in the kitchen but has,and will alway venture out with me when I travel so I can seek comfort and plan another baking session.

Brilliant book, I cannot stop making sourdough now!, must try some of the other recipes soon, especially the walnut and honey bread.

I came across this diminutive little book at my local bookshop and my first thought was, I don't need another bread book, but I'll just have a quick look... Twenty minutes later I had read through most of the first section. At this point, the only right and decent thing to do is to buy the book, which I did. What is so good about this book is that it gives a full explanation of the bread making process, neither over-simplifying (or leaving out crucial information, as so many 'basic' books do) nor over-complicating or confusing the reader (as so many 'artisan' bread books do). This book has some great recipes, but its real value lies in helping the reader understand the process. This is now the book that I turn to, whenever I am confused or uncertain about something, or just need a little reassurance. Definitely a keeper, and highly recommended. If you need any further encouragement, it takes up very little space on the book shelf (or on the worktop) and is a steal at the price.

review in the the press, click here to read it http://www.thepress.co.uk/leisure/features/books/4319863.Br ead_by_Daniel_Stevens__River_Cottage_Handbook_No__3__Bloomsbury____14_99_/

Love the design, the prose, the knowledge that is obviously behind this.

There are only two things I'm a bit dubious about. One is the measurements given in some of the recipes.

While I agree experimentation is a good thing, when you scratch your head over what a 'ladle' might be, well, in baking such vagaries can be dangerous, non? In addition, the author seems to miss the point that not everyone can source the finest flours. Indeed, he says that they're still cheaper than a factory made bread but a 5kg bag of organic white at AUD$27.50 - around 22 quid - is...well, it's not cheap to me.

The second thing is the wood fired oven. No flue and way too small to be of any use. Perhaps we fire up differently in Australia.

We can get 1.5 kg white organic flour for about £2 in the UK.

Also the "ladle" quantity is usually used only for yeast starters. It doesn't really matter how big the ladle is. The yeast will multiply, it will just take longer to rise if you use a smaller ladle. I have tried the same recipe with a big ladle and a small ladle, both breads tasted exactly the same.

A great big thank you to Daniel Stevens for this wonderful book. I purchased it last week and read it in an afternoon - everything is explained fully and in a way that is easy to understand.

As explained in the book you don't need an expensive kit - we used a spare paving stone from our patio as a baking stone (which amazingly worked) and have made the yeast starter - so will see how that goes.

The whole family has a had a great Sunday afternoon in the kitchen and my two children have eaten home made vegetable soup with fresh from the oven rolls for their tea.
We made 2 loaves and 12 rolls and all came out perfectly - I am in bread making heaven.

I've now been baking sourdough using the recipe from the River Cottage baking handbook for over a year now and the only thing I can add is that I always bake my loaf in a large cast iron casserole (on some baking parchment to easily remove it) all I do is whack the over on full, stick the pot in (from nearly cold) and hey presto in about 45-50mins for a 500 gram loaf the results are always perfect and no phaffing about with water!, I usually take the lid off for the last few mins to crisp as desired. Also re feeding the starter all I ever do is refresh once a week if not baking, with a couple of teaspoons o'rye flour & a little water (starter in fridge) and if I am baking (which I am every 2-3 days) it's usually just perked up in the same manner in the morning before I make the overnight (or morning) sponge. I just keep it in a fairly small 1/2 litre pot and never need to throw any away.... The dough can also be retarded in the fridge if you are not ready to bake.

Daniel Steven's book has revolutionised my spelt baking. My daughter cannot have conventional wheat and my attempts at a spelt loaf have hitherto been very mixed. Now it's perfect every time. We both thank you so much. Rest of the family does too as all my bread has improved (not that it was bad, it's just that much better now), and my mum's New York friend says it is the first time he has had bagels in Australia that are just like New York bagels (he has been here since 1969). My friends who have gluten-intolerant children are very interested in trying their own bread-making after going over the deplorable history of modern commercial bread and the actual properties of gluten and its need to develop. Thank you so very much for a fantastic book.

Having bought the RC Preserve book and having found it an object of beauty and a book that I loved, I wanted to get another handbook that sparked my interest. However if I am honest, I wanted it more for its aesthetic value and I was unsure if anything could win me over in quite the way the preserve book had. However Daniel Steven's bread book captivated me in a way I couldn't have imagined. In particular as a not very natural bread-maker I found the ethos and tone of this book deeply encouraging.It educates, empowers encourages,and tell you to try, try, try again. To be told that bread making even with step by step methods just takes a bit of time and practice was really useful. Until this book I never understood why my bread was never that great despite following pictures and rules. I had always found it very discouraging and never to really wanted to make more. Now with each try I feel like I am on my own journey as a bread-maker. The process and joy of making, learning and discovering, which seems to be a key part of what Steven's discusses in his book, is now what drives me to make bread. I also feel that the book is filled with so much information and tips that it enables the ones growth as a baker. So thank you very much for the fun and great adventure.

A really excellent book.

When I first bought it I was living with my parents over the summer and the potential for cooking any of the tempting recipes within was severely limited, however I've since moved back to my student slum of a house and, six months in, I have successfully weaned my SO off store-bought and takeaway pizza, and we make our own breads whenever the opportunity arises - a purchase that was well worth every penny!

A brilliant book. I've toyed with hand made* bread on and off for the past thirty years, using just about every method but until I tried the recipe in the River Cottage Family Cookbook, the results were variable. The success I've had since trying that recipe (and after buying the lovely RC Preserves book) made me invest in The Bread Book. What a find! I read it from cover to cover, and all the recipes I've tried so far have been brilliant. It's even got me trying sourdough - despite my suspicions it's delicious, with real character.


*as opposed to good old Panasonic bread, which I 'assemble' a couple of times every week, and couldn't do without.