Bread Baking for Beginners: The Essential Guide to Baking Kneaded Breads, No-Knead Breads, and Enriched Breads

This book is gently dusted in whatever flour I used last for my latest rustic loaf. I do not bake. Ever. I hate baking cookies, cakes, pastries. I loathe it. I say this because when I chose this book I really had to brace myself for professional baker lingo. The precision, the failure rate. I truly figured this is what I’d just committed myself to. Then...there wasn’t any of that in this book! Bonnie has a way of inviting you into her 1920s bungalow with her warm hearted introduction and makes your feel like you’re in the right spot to learn something new; something good and worthwhile. In her writing she feels like an old friend who stands in your kitchen and walks you thru each little intricate step to making these crowd pleasing loaves while sipping that tea in between rising and proofing! I baked my first loaf about a week before Christmas. It was yummy but I worked on my technique and tried again. I had people ask me non-stop HOW to make this and comment on how good it was. And it was easy. And it was repeatable. And I loved it! No crazy ingredients to buy. Simple steps with lots of tasty yield. Whether it’s rustic artisan loaves or brioche cinnamon rolls this is your book. I cannot wait to try my sourdough starter this next week. So glad I got this on a whim, learned something new and found a new peaceful persuit and hobby!

I have been baking and teaching bread for 5 years now ... no expert for sure but at home with ingredients and proofing and kneading etc. Although this book MAY have lots of great information what is the value if it can't be put to use. Herein lies the GRAM problem. Grams are not for BEGINNERS. For example, 205 grams of egg. Seriously. Try googling that. In the end, the book title is misleading and the recipes impossible to follow. I wish I could send this back to Amazon.

I highly recommend this book to all bread baking beginners! An important element to me is the fact that the author is self-taught and not some privileged individual who attained their credentials at some highly esteemed baking school. That route of learning is simply not a realistic option for many of us, striving to make bread in our homes. While those books can be inspiring, they can also leave us feeling deflated and intimidated by the process. This book speaks to the heart of your every day person aspiring to make bread in their home. Not only is this book beautifully written and poetic, it is also well organized and easy to follow. I appreciate how the book starts out with a basic overview of how bread is formed, key terminology, and the basic process. Before you ever get to the recipes you have a clear map of what it is you’re trying to achieve and the basic, bare-bone process. What I found especially helpful was the “Common Questions and FAQ’s” sections in the book. One of the most frustrating things about baking is when you follow the recipe to the tee and still you come out with an imperfect loaf. This is the sort of experience that makes me not want to use the recipe again. I love how the author helps you troubleshoot those imperfect loaves right there in the book. Identifying the problem straight away, gives you the courage to try again! I highly recommend this book to anyone beginning their bread baking journey!

I bought this book after I became enthralled with watching Jenna Fischer bake bread on Instagram. Baking bread is one of those skills that always seemed really intimidating to learn, but it looked like fun, and with everyone around me going low or no-carb in January, bread deserved some love!! While waiting for the book to arrive, I baked two loaves of bread using random “no knead bread” recipes from the internet. They were fun to make, and I thought they turned out okay.....until the book came, I used THESE directions and the recommended equipment (a kitchen scale and thermometer, who knew?!?), and saw THIS bread. I can’t wait to have buttery, homemade bread in the morning! :)

So this book is a good first try for this bread Baker as far as writing and directing people on a "how to". Some of the recipes such as the pizza with tomato and mozzarella are confusing to follow, she talks about baking the pizza in the pre heat area and then goes on to shaping the dough, had I followed and did line for line what she was saying, I'd have had it in the oven before step 3 which is completely wrong. As a beginner this book was not good for me. Dont believe all the hype just because someone famous happened to be bored and grabbed this book just because it said beginner on it. It seems the author is as much a beginner at writing as I am at baking. Watching her show a how to on her instagram was much better than having this book.

Bread Baking for Beginners is a great book. The introduction pulls the reader in and makes them a member of Bonnie Ohara's baking community. Not only does she give the low-down on how she got started, but she does it in such a warm and easy-going way that you know the information and recipes to come are going to be easy to follow and manageable to make. Ohara does not disappoint. As a long-time bread-baker myself, I know I can pull together some pretty tasty loaves, but Bonnie's opening sections and recipes go above and beyond in their explanations. I learned a ton about useful tools, terms, and ideas that were new to me. My loaves are better because I now think about the temperature of my ingredients and the area in which they proof. I have made several of the recipes in the book (no knead bread, ficelles, and fougasse) and I can't wait to make the cinnamon rolls and the chocolate babka. Ohara's attention to detail has made her recipes shine. I own a lot of bread books, but this is one I know I'll return to again and again, and because it is so beautifully done -- those photos are gorgeous -- I'll also be giving this as gifts to many this holiday season. I wish tomorrow weren't a work day -- I want to bake right now!

I thought the book was great for the first couple minutes until I read the part where the author says that professionals use the metric system to weigh their ingredients, thus the rest of us should. She proceed to says we should buy a kitchen scale instead of using measuring cups. I am not a professional baker, I'm just an old school average Joe that wants to bake for a loaf of bread or two after work. Sorry, I'm not going to throw away my measuring cups and spoons. I'm returning this book and buying one that's made for the people of America, not Europe.

Bread Baking for Beginners is a fabulous addition to my cookbook collection. I have baked our own bread for years, but there is just something MAGICAL about this book. Weighing out the ingredients is new for me. I like that is makes the measuring perfect and precise every time. I was a little intimidated by using the weighing method, but once I got started there is no turning back. The pictures in the book are lovely to look at and helpful to ensure my creations are right on track. The gentle tone in the book is a reflection of the author. I can't wait to dive in and bake every recipe in this gem of a cookbook. It is the perfect book for beginner and experienced bakers alike.

It’s a must have baking companion in your collection! It’s such a world of difference to not have processed/preservative bread from the store shelf; you can make it! Many of these recipes are now a family weekly request and new holiday traditions as well (brioche cinnamon rolls). There recipes are in grams, so you will need a scale. it’s a great book to start your British baking show practice for those TV baking fanatics. Love this book and the images help you along the way.

It is difficult to fully and adequately describe just how much of a disappointment this book is. Bread for beginners??? I think that is either delusional or a lie..It's all very well to decide that for accuracy you are going to put everything in weight only, but how is the beginner supposed to know how to get 204 grams of whole eggs??? And is this explained? nope. This comes across as an ego trip to me. We wanted a simple, step by step, illustrated baking book to start making our own bread in this time of shut in. This doesn't even come close to helping. It is going in the recycle bin!

This book is gently dusted in whatever flour I used last for my latest rustic loaf. I do not bake. Ever. I hate baking cookies, cakes, pastries. I loathe it. I say this because when I chose this book I really had to brace myself for professional baker lingo. The precision, the failure rate. I truly figured this is what I’d just committed myself to. Then...there wasn’t any of that in this book! Bonnie has a way of inviting you into her 1920s bungalow with her warm hearted introduction and makes your feel like you’re in the right spot to learn something new; something good and worthwhile. In her writing she feels like an old friend who stands in your kitchen and walks you thru each little intricate step to making these crowd pleasing loaves while sipping that tea in between rising and proofing! I baked my first loaf about a week before Christmas. It was yummy but I worked on my technique and tried again. I had people ask me non-stop HOW to make this and comment on how good it was. And it was easy. And it was repeatable. And I loved it! No crazy ingredients to buy. Simple steps with lots of tasty yield. Whether it’s rustic artisan loaves or brioche cinnamon rolls this is your book. I cannot wait to try my sourdough starter this next week. So glad I got this on a whim, learned something new and found a new peaceful persuit and hobby!

I have been baking and teaching bread for 5 years now ... no expert for sure but at home with ingredients and proofing and kneading etc. Although this book MAY have lots of great information what is the value if it can't be put to use. Herein lies the GRAM problem. Grams are not for BEGINNERS. For example, 205 grams of egg. Seriously. Try googling that. In the end, the book title is misleading and the recipes impossible to follow. I wish I could send this back to Amazon.

I highly recommend this book to all bread baking beginners! An important element to me is the fact that the author is self-taught and not some privileged individual who attained their credentials at some highly esteemed baking school. That route of learning is simply not a realistic option for many of us, striving to make bread in our homes. While those books can be inspiring, they can also leave us feeling deflated and intimidated by the process. This book speaks to the heart of your every day person aspiring to make bread in their home. Not only is this book beautifully written and poetic, it is also well organized and easy to follow. I appreciate how the book starts out with a basic overview of how bread is formed, key terminology, and the basic process. Before you ever get to the recipes you have a clear map of what it is you’re trying to achieve and the basic, bare-bone process. What I found especially helpful was the “Common Questions and FAQ’s” sections in the book. One of the most frustrating things about baking is when you follow the recipe to the tee and still you come out with an imperfect loaf. This is the sort of experience that makes me not want to use the recipe again. I love how the author helps you troubleshoot those imperfect loaves right there in the book. Identifying the problem straight away, gives you the courage to try again! I highly recommend this book to anyone beginning their bread baking journey!

I bought this book after I became enthralled with watching Jenna Fischer bake bread on Instagram. Baking bread is one of those skills that always seemed really intimidating to learn, but it looked like fun, and with everyone around me going low or no-carb in January, bread deserved some love!! While waiting for the book to arrive, I baked two loaves of bread using random “no knead bread” recipes from the internet. They were fun to make, and I thought they turned out okay.....until the book came, I used THESE directions and the recommended equipment (a kitchen scale and thermometer, who knew?!?), and saw THIS bread. I can’t wait to have buttery, homemade bread in the morning! :)

So this book is a good first try for this bread Baker as far as writing and directing people on a "how to". Some of the recipes such as the pizza with tomato and mozzarella are confusing to follow, she talks about baking the pizza in the pre heat area and then goes on to shaping the dough, had I followed and did line for line what she was saying, I'd have had it in the oven before step 3 which is completely wrong. As a beginner this book was not good for me. Dont believe all the hype just because someone famous happened to be bored and grabbed this book just because it said beginner on it. It seems the author is as much a beginner at writing as I am at baking. Watching her show a how to on her instagram was much better than having this book.

Bread Baking for Beginners is a great book. The introduction pulls the reader in and makes them a member of Bonnie Ohara's baking community. Not only does she give the low-down on how she got started, but she does it in such a warm and easy-going way that you know the information and recipes to come are going to be easy to follow and manageable to make. Ohara does not disappoint. As a long-time bread-baker myself, I know I can pull together some pretty tasty loaves, but Bonnie's opening sections and recipes go above and beyond in their explanations. I learned a ton about useful tools, terms, and ideas that were new to me. My loaves are better because I now think about the temperature of my ingredients and the area in which they proof. I have made several of the recipes in the book (no knead bread, ficelles, and fougasse) and I can't wait to make the cinnamon rolls and the chocolate babka. Ohara's attention to detail has made her recipes shine. I own a lot of bread books, but this is one I know I'll return to again and again, and because it is so beautifully done -- those photos are gorgeous -- I'll also be giving this as gifts to many this holiday season. I wish tomorrow weren't a work day -- I want to bake right now!

I thought the book was great for the first couple minutes until I read the part where the author says that professionals use the metric system to weigh their ingredients, thus the rest of us should. She proceed to says we should buy a kitchen scale instead of using measuring cups. I am not a professional baker, I'm just an old school average Joe that wants to bake for a loaf of bread or two after work. Sorry, I'm not going to throw away my measuring cups and spoons. I'm returning this book and buying one that's made for the people of America, not Europe.

Bread Baking for Beginners is a fabulous addition to my cookbook collection. I have baked our own bread for years, but there is just something MAGICAL about this book. Weighing out the ingredients is new for me. I like that is makes the measuring perfect and precise every time. I was a little intimidated by using the weighing method, but once I got started there is no turning back. The pictures in the book are lovely to look at and helpful to ensure my creations are right on track. The gentle tone in the book is a reflection of the author. I can't wait to dive in and bake every recipe in this gem of a cookbook. It is the perfect book for beginner and experienced bakers alike.

It’s a must have baking companion in your collection! It’s such a world of difference to not have processed/preservative bread from the store shelf; you can make it! Many of these recipes are now a family weekly request and new holiday traditions as well (brioche cinnamon rolls). There recipes are in grams, so you will need a scale. it’s a great book to start your British baking show practice for those TV baking fanatics. Love this book and the images help you along the way.

It is difficult to fully and adequately describe just how much of a disappointment this book is. Bread for beginners??? I think that is either delusional or a lie..It's all very well to decide that for accuracy you are going to put everything in weight only, but how is the beginner supposed to know how to get 204 grams of whole eggs??? And is this explained? nope. This comes across as an ego trip to me. We wanted a simple, step by step, illustrated baking book to start making our own bread in this time of shut in. This doesn't even come close to helping. It is going in the recycle bin!

I am truly a beginner to baking. I found her instructions lacking. I wanted to know what the consistency would be like. (Sticky or dry?) I needed to know the amount of sourdough starter to add to the dough. There was no measurement so I put the whole thing. 🤷🏻♀️ That must have been wrong. Anyway, if you’re a complete beginner- first time EVER baking bread, then maybe go to someone else for better instructions.

So I did a lot of research on bread baking books before I settled with this book. I was really optimistic for the recipes and a tried a few with some success, so I wanted to be ambitious and try making brioche cinnamon rolls. Well the thing about brioche that the book did not tell you is that you need to let the gluten develop before adding the butter. Instead, her recipe has you add everything before developing the gluten, which results in a dough that takes ages to knead and may not even develop the gluten you need. You're also not supposed to flour your surface to knead brioche because it can make it dry too. So, I try baking my dough according to the instructions and I end up with cinnamon rolls that are burnt on the bottom, too dark on top, and dry all because the recipe called for a 35 min bake time and too little instructions so I could check sooner if my oven ran hotter. Beware of the credibility of these recipes clearly she doesn't know everything you need to know about these specific breads.

After reading the first 27 pages and making the first no-knead recipe, I was ready to give this book 5 stars. While I’ve been baking bread following recipes for quite some time, none of them turned out as well as that first loaf using the detailed instructions provided in this book. If I learned this much in about 30 pages, I should be a masterful baker by page 150. However, when I got into the subsequent recipes, I found that they were just modifications of a basic recipe. For example, the 8 hour and 12 hour no-knead recipes are virtually the same, with the exception of the amount of yeast and fermentation time, yet it takes 4 additional pages. The author stresses precise measurement and that’s good and prefers weighing everything in grams to volume measures. OK, that’s good, but this is a beginner’s book and few are likely to have a scale that can measure 3 grams of instant yeast. There is a metric to English conversion table in the appendix, but it doesn’t help you to convert weights to volumes. At the same time, the author stresses getting a feel for the dough, acknowledging that ambient temperature and handling of the dough is going to have some impact on the dough’s rise and baking. Once again, that’s good advice. However, the guidelines don’t always make sense. Here’s an example: the no-knead, 8-hour fermentation and 12-hour fermentation bread recipes call for checking the dough rise after 1 ½, 8, and 12 hours respectively. If they have not risen enough, let them go another 30 minutes. Well, 30 minutes is increasing the 1 ½ hour time by 1/3, but only 1/24 for the 12-hour dough. I don’t expect the ratio to be linear, but this looks like just a copy and paste from the previous recipe. Even the wording is the same: “No worries. Let it rise a bit longer and check it again in 30 minutes or so.” The pictures, and there are lots of them, are helpful. Some show the procedures and others the final product so that you have a better sense of whether you got the desired results. This is definitely helpful in a book for beginners. The Common Problems and FAQs after many of the recipes are also helpful in troubleshooting recipes that didn’t produce exactly what you expected. Lastly, I wish there was a lay-flat binding version available. This is a cookbook and you’ll want to keep the page open and flat so that you can read it while you have your hands in the dough. I took my copy to Kinko’s and they gave it a lay-flat binding for about $6. Overall, this is a very helpful book for the beginning baker, but it could have been better if it had been thoroughly user tested before it was published.

Between having to measure out every ingredient, testing the water temperature, flipping back and forth between pages, and actually trying to get some bread on the table, this book never should've been marketed for beginners. You can find much better beginner's recipes on the internet that provide the same results with much less work. This might be great for someone with some experience who wants to improve their skills, but it is not for the novice.

I’ve been baking out of this book for a while now. Bonnie makes the bread baking process SO simple, but also encourages discovery, which I love. Weighing the ingredients with a scale that measures in grams (easily purchased on this very site) makes the recipes practically foolproof! I don’t know why people are saying grams aren’t American— I live in Massachusetts and somehow have managed to not only very easily procure a scale, but also to bake the bread!!! According to the recipes!!!! Exactly how they’re written!!! I know that makes my review sound fake because it’s like finding a unicorn, but I swear I’m telling the truth! Kitchen scales DO work in America!

Very disappointed in this book. Only has measurement in grams instead of ounces. Hello, this is America!

This is a neat book! Don’t be fooled by the paperback cover. It’s not something you’ll tire of. She starts with a No-Knead Bread on page 28. The first thing you’ll notice is that she has you individually weigh the ingredients first. This may seem advanced, but it’s not. You’d be surprised how much variance there is from one person scooping and leveling flour to the next. Weighing it ensures that you are using the same amount as the author so that you’ll get the expected results. So go ahead and order a little kitchen scale if you don’t have one. You’ll be rewarded with great baking. She breaks up all the recipes into numbered chunks and gives great instructions and descriptions of just what you should be looking for. The recipe is followed by a page of common problems and FAQs. She’s really setting the baker up to succeed. I mixed the dough, let it rest for 20 minutes, followed the easy folding instructions, and ran a few errands. When I got back, it was ready for its final folds, proofing, and into the oven. The smell was fantastic and it had nice flavor for the complete lack of effort. Lol! Here’s a picture of that little guy. Some others I have flagged to try: Boule (kneaded) – p 56 * Chocolate Babka – p 96 * Bread with Pre-ferment (Poolish or Biga) – p 112 * Baguettes with Poolish – p 120 * Sourdough Starter – p 131 * Beginner’s Sourdough Loaf – p 135 * Intermediate Folded Sourdough – p 140 * Alchemy Sourdough – p 144 *I received a copy to explore and share my thoughts.

This book is amazingly descriptive and useful and it taught me how to master many delicious loaves in just under a year. I baked my way through the entire book from cover to cover and it was a wonderful experience. If I were to leave a review on this book alone it would definitely warrant 5+ stars. The reason for my low score on this review is the author itself. If you follow her on Instagram and expect her to be friendly or receptive or helpful think again. When anyone leaves her a comment asking for advice on their bread-baking journey she almost always leaves an uncalled-for snarky response instead of simply being helpful. She gives off a vibe that is incredibly unpleasant. I waited a year to leave this review because I wanted to make sure I wasn’t being quick to judge based off of just a few of her remarks...but unfortunately she just appears to have an abrasive and rough attitude with the people who have put their money and time into her book. She acts entitled and as if she is above answering questions on a subject she (literally) wrote the book on. Don’t believe me? Just spend some time in the comments section on her instagram and you will see what I mean.

This is not for beginners, way to may steps and kitchen aids needed. I tried reading the steps over and over and didn't get it. Plus you need gadgets and special pans and you have to check air temps. To do a loaf you better prepare to start it in the morning as there are rise times, proof times, back times, If I would have looked at this in the store I wouldn't have bought it.

I wanted to really love this book. She has beautiful photographs, in-depth recipes, and a calming way of writing directions. But, in the end, I felt like it added more pressure on the bread-baking process. For instance, she insists that temperatures for dough *have* to be at 75 degrees, which had me turning up the heat in my drafty house, taking air, flour, and water temps, and running water between hot and cold for it to reach the perfect temperature. Whereas, in bread books that I've bought since, they say if your dough is between 75-80, you're fine. Or to just use "lukewarm" or "tepid" water. There isn't as much pressure put on you when getting started. Also, a lot of her recipes will take you a full day to complete from start to finish, and while there is a lot of down time in her recipes, I have found other books that give the same result (pizza dough for example) in half the time. Lastly, there are certain things that pictures would help with: testing to make sure your yeast is properly active (she explains in the text, but a picture would be nice), and how much dough to float test in a cup (I had been using too small an amount for months until I watched someone on GBBO do it). This was my first book on bread that I ever purchased, and while I'll still use it in the future, I'm finding that there are more on the market that are just easier and more fun to bake with.

I think I had better get a bread machine! I read through part of this, and it is for a purest bread maker! It is thorough, but not for someone like me, who has never baked bread! I have used bread machines, years ago, and i failed miserably at trying to make my grandmother's refrigerator rolls, she called them. Her use of yeast was different from what you buy (dry) today at the grocery store. I just couldn't convert it, messed it up until I have up. I hoped this book would "gently" ease me in to baking simple breads. I must be a slow learner! I should post my grandmother's recipe, very old, and help someone else with the skills. She would make the dough, flatten it like a round biscuit, then fold it over like lips that didn't quite meet! She froze sheet after sheet of them, between wax paper. Oh, she brushed the dough with butter before folding. They were the lightest rolls I have ever had. Good luck with this book. I'm just not savvy enough to learn, I guess.

and pictures too. I like to make bread. This cookbook tells me more things about breadmaking than I ever really knew - and that part I like very well. HOWEVER - the recipes are entirely metric. Listen. EGGS do not come in GRAMS. EGGS come in SHELLS. What am I supposed to do if a recipe says '250 grams whole egg' and all my eggs weigh between 280 and 340 grams? Why am I weighing EGGS? If I need 250 grams and my egg weighs 260, what do I do? lose a piece of a raw egg? WEIGH my eggs?? One egg. All I ask is reasonable measures. Eggs come in discreet units, and not in 'grams'.' That said - converting is a hassle. I measure dry things like flour by volume, not by 'grams'. There is a conversion table in the back, which converts cups and teaspoons to - -' microliters and milliliters. Why are dry measures being converted to liquid units? The recipes are in grams. Why not list the conversions in GRAMS just like the recipes? So - basically - I am spreading out mats, tools, bowls, mixing stuff, yeast, sugar, eggs (singly, darn it, by the individual shelled egg) flour and whatever, along with the cookbook, along with a kitchen scale AND my computer because no, I do NOT do math conversion in my HEAD and I also do not know what 345 grams of flour even LOOKS like, and I have to look it up to see what it is in CUPS. I do not have enough counter space for this. This book doesn't even have the reasonable excuse of being written and published in Europe. It comes from California. I don't MIND seeing grams and liters, but I don't USE them in the kitchen. All my measuring implements are in teaspoons, tablespoons and cups. I don't see that changing anytime soon, either. Or ever. But for pete's sake. What size egg is a 256 gram egg? medium? jumbo?

I bought this book from a friends recommendation. I have to say the quality and pictures of the book is great, but it is hard to understand the way its written. You literally have to reference to couple of different pages for one recipe. I also sis not like the fact that instead of having measurements using cups and spoons, it is by the grams for which you must weigh everything and have a scale, which I think is very inconvenient. Most processes take over 12 hours. for one loaf of bread.

I bought this book for my parents anniversary, as they are getting older, working less and wanting to get into "hobbies". Truthfully, my mom can be funny about eating too much of something she perceives as unhealthy, so I was hopeful that this gift wouldn't flop and she would see how much more meaningful it can be to make your own bread, with your own hands, and appreciate the lack of junk added that you'll typically find in your neighborhood grocery bread bag. I struck gold! They have averaged 2 loaves of bread a week, and are using words like "brioche" like they knew what it was before this book. My dad has always had a passion for baking, but my mom is finally getting into it and realizing the hard work needed to make quality food. She's had failures, but many more successes to keep her returning for another recipe. I think she secretly loves babying her dough, telling me "I have 16 minutes before my dough needs another knead" or "your dad let it rise too long, that's why it failed". Nothing like sparking a bit of competition between a couple who've been married 35 years. Thank you, Bonnie. Great job. ;-)

I generally liked the book and some recipes worked well. I found out that precise measurements are very important in baking and my bread got better comparing to the time when I followed recipes from internet. However the amount of flour needed for them is huge. I had to divide everything in two and sometimes even in four to make less bread while practicing. The amount of water was another problem. I weighed everything on kitchen scale but still got too much water in the dough. Changing type of flour did not help either. The author recommends King Arthur bread flour that I agree is great but it is simply not available in our local stores so I tried Arrowhead Mill, local brands and some fancy Italian type all we the same results. I was able to make chiabata, babka and no kneed bread but was never able to succeed with any of baguettes 🥖. The illustrations are nice but not informative. I would rather prefer more pictures of how to fold and shape the bread. I was able to get some basic knowledge in baking and move forward but I cannot say this is a great book. It is not bad either. Good for the price. It is a beginners book and you need to start from reading the introduction and working step by step not just being lazy and jump right to the recipe.

I'm a self confessed bread snob, and have other bread books from places like Tartine and Berkeley's Cheeseboard. Those are excellent books, but this book I think is better for the guiding a reader from zero to amazing bread. Bread making can be an intimidating prospect, following the methods in this book produces amazing results! The instructions are very clear and easy to follow without the need for a ton of specialty "gourmet" equipment. There is a nice variety of recipes from sweet to savory. I really think that most home bakers would find this book to be a great addition to their kitchen.

Since this is an American book, it never occurred to me that this would be the case. The problem is you have to have a kitchen scale to use this book, which changes the price of it considerably. I don't have one and a lot of items are hard to get or unreasonably priced right now. There are no recipes that use 100% whole wheat flour, and much that uses white flour, which I don't use that much and cannot get anywhere right now. So for me, this was a disappointment. There is a lot of attention to explaining the chemistry and basic premises of bread baking so the reader could deepen their understanding and not just "follow recipes" and I think that is a great feature. I just won't be able to use the book now, and returning things during the pandemic is not feasible for me.

GF uses this and her baking bread is awesome, be warned, you will have to buy a bunch of supporting tools/utensils - but all totally worth it. Updating my boyfriend's review, because I feel it was inadequate. :) Yes, there's a lot of equipment needed, however if you visit Bonnie's website she gives you a list (with links) so you can review prior to purchasing. You can find everything you need on Amazon for a reasonable price, I also used the opportunity to replace some of my existing kitchen tools. The book itself is well written and easy to follow. I love the way it is written so that you build upon the skills learned in the previous recipes, it really enables you to develop your skills and build upon those as you go along. I have not finished the book yet, but I'm about halfway through and everything has turned out AMAZING! This book and Bonnie's technique really teach you the importance of precise measurements/temperatures in baking. Prior to starting her book, I always took a lackadaisical approach to baking and just kind of winged it as I went along. Some things worked well, others did not. Now I know that if I just follow directions with precision (LOL) the recipe will work every time. Do yourself a favor, buy the book, enjoy it, enjoy ALL THE BREAD! Also, be sure to follow Bonnie on Instagram for extra tips and technique. Watching her shape bread is mesmerizing!

I have baked bread before, but recently have been trying out sourdough recipes. I was disappointed in this book for a few reasons. First, if the "Look Inside" feature had shown the table of contents page, I would have known that there were only 3 sourdough recipes in this book. I did make the beginners sourdough and was happy with the results, but from start to finish took 24 hours, not the time specified in the book. Also, I thought it would have been helpful to state in the recipe what room temperature you needed when proofing/rising. There was a calculation I had never seen before that included the temperature of your room, the temperature of the flour and a friction factor to determine the temperature of the water. It seemed odd to be so precise about that aspect and then omit the information about room temperature while proofing. I also had hoped there would be recipes for using up discarded starter, but there were none. The photos in this book are indeed beautiful, and mostly I enjoyed reading the personal information at the beginning of the book, but I just wish there were more sourdough recipes.

I knew nothing about bread making. I purchased a highly reviewed book and it was nothing but recipes. No explanations. No theory. Directions included terms and techniques with which I had no familiarity. This book is totally different. Not only does the author paint a lovely tale of her own origin, but she gives you terminology and background so that you are personally empowered to complete the process. For example, when making my first loaf, things didn’t look as I expected. But, having read the introduction and instructions, I knew what to do. With that knowledge, I was able to adjust and my first loaf turned out great. If all I had is the recipe from that first book, I wouldn’t have been able to succeed. This book is set up to encourage and empower you with knowledge to learn a craft, not simply reproduce a recipe.

When things come from the heart they matter the most and they have the greatest chance of making an impact. Bonnie’s story is so many of our stories. We aren’t well traveled chefs and bakers that went to pastry or culinary school; there’s nothing wrong with being a well traveled chef or having gone to culinary or pastry school. We are all walking a different path and we all want to learn how to make bread because we love it. Learning how to bake bread outside of a formal environment is extremely difficult and it takes someone with a hardened resiliency and a firey passion, and those are both attributes I am sure Bonnie has. She used her local library and taught herself. She built community online and in real life. Baking can be lonely and she found a way to bring others into the fold. If you take yourself serious then read this book and bake each loaf in order and I promise, and Bonnie promises, that you will have a great foundation when you’re done and it cost much less than a formal school. Go fill the world with your bread everybody!

This is the best bread baking book for beginners I have ever found and plan to buy a few more as gifts. The instructions are clear and understandable but what is super important here is that you must get the tools that are necessary to be successful in bread baking. Put your measuring cups and spoons away if you want to be successful. The author lists all the important tools needed for success at baking bread and emphasizes the reasons for them. For example: A kitchen scale that has a gram mode is important! Professional bakers use them everywhere as well as in the U.S. and they are available here the last time I bought one. Great book!

I am a beginner baker. After baking several Sandwich Breads with great success (following KAF recipes) I decided to try artisan bread. I bought this book and try the first recipe (p28). The author says “I call for all-purpose flour in most cases the recipes in this book” (p3). I used AP flour (Unbleached and Unbromated). I followed the “Temperature Calculation” (p21). I used my kitchen scale to weight all the ingredients. My kitchen scale has an incorporated thermometer which provides the air temperature (needed to follow the “Temperature Calculation”). In addition I also own an infrared thermometer. The first recipe was a total disaster. On p33 under “Why was my load very slack and difficult to shape?” The author says: “Try again using a bread flour or King Arthur unbleached all-purpose flour, which is higher in protein than other brands”. Why, if this is supposed to be a book for beginners, isn’t the author is more specific about the specific amount of protein needed in the flour? The Nutrition Facts provides this information in the flour bag. Why give this wide range of possibilities, trial and error, which only produces frustration in something that should bring so much joy as it is bread baking? I’ll look for other authors.

Just wasted too many ingredients (which you can't replace now) on the first recipe. I've been baking bread for over 30 years with great results. The first recipe required going to a "master recipe" and integrating it with the one I picked out. Total of about two pages of instructions. Not well explained. Too complicated. The result was awful. I thought the author should have known more than I did as a home baker. Wrong! I don't think she actually tested these recipes for home bakers. Returned the book.

For all the reviews claiming this isn’t for beginners- I disagree. This is for beginners who want to truly LEARN and UNDERSTAND bread making. Bonnie teaches you how to consistently and knowledgeably bake good bread. No this isn’t a recipe book measured in cups and yeast packets, because she’s teaching you what’s essential in bread making. Weighing the ingredients! By doing that she’s setting you up for success. So if you want a phenomenal and well written guide to learning how to make bread- this is it. If you’re wanting to whip together a simple just OK loaf you’d be better off just googling a recipe. This book is for beginners- and I can’t wait to keep baking and learning from it!

I wouldn't call myself a beginner bread baker, but I was intrigued by learning how to make bread by hand, without the aid of a Kitchen Aid. Bonny has a great way of explaining her story and the science behind bread baking that made the whole process interesting. I worked my way from the beginning of of book, redoing recipes that I needed to work on, and I am now baking bread with my starter. I'm a visual learner so Bonny's Instagram Stories were/are a great tool. I recommend this book to anyone wanting to learn how to make delicious, homemade bread by hand. I made sure to look at the tools needed list on the Alchemy Bread website so my book and tools arrived at the same time. I should also mention I live in Colorado at 5800 ft, if I can make amazing bread at high altitude with a few adjustments, anyone can.

The beauty alone in this book is worth buying it. Every image is so rich and beautiful that you can literally smell bread through the pages. I have always found such beauty in a loaf of bread and what it represents, and this book honestly almost brought tears to.my eyes as I flipped through it. Oh yeah, I also made AMAZING bread for the first time ever following the simple instructions in the book. It was beautiful and delicious, and though I know every time I make a loaf of bread it won't turn out that way, but this was a great first experience! Thanks Bonnie! My family loved watching along yesterday as I attempted my first loaf, and we excitedly shared it together for dinner last night and breakfast today. Which is exactly what I envisioned when I decided to try making bread. Family, love, wholesome food, growth, learning, and warmth. Your book helped with ALL of that. THANK YOU!

I'm not a baking novice but one can never have too many bread books in my opinion. I love this book! The author walks you through each recipe step by step and provides moral support as well as troubleshooting at the end of each one. I purchased this book in the middle of the covid quarantine and wanted to perfect my sourdough baking. After reading the chapter about it, I quickly learned what was missing from my method. I started a new starter using her formula as well as the recipe for sourdough bread. My starter was very active right from the beginning and my loaves of sourdough bread rose in spectacular fashion! I've attached pictures of both for reference. The breads and pizza dough made with the recipes from this book have turned out beautifully and are so delicious! This cookbook does not use any measuring cups or spoons, everything is weighed on a kitchen scale, which is more accurate. I may never use measuring cups again! Highly recommend this book for beginners and experienced bakers alike.

If I could get this book no stars, I would!!! 205 grams of eggs..you can’t get that amount. The raisin cinnamon swirl bread has key info missing. Like you need to warm the milk before putting the yeast in. Too hot and you kill the yeast. I have tried this two times and the dough hasn’t risen. She also doesn’t put when to put the raisins in. Not listed. So I am like others, if it wasn’t covered in flour I would return it.

I'd been trying different online recipes for bread making but they just weren't coming out well, or they were very complicated. I hate buying a recipe book just for one or two recipes but when I saw this book I decided to purchase it. So glad I did! I'm hooked on watching baking shows on TV and I see that they weigh all the ingredients, not measure them and this is how each recipe in the book is. Also, Bonnie spends time explaining different baking terms and what they mean as well how to determine the proper temperature for your yeast - who knew?! She starts with a very basic no-knead bread and then moves up to kneaded breads and specialty breads. I feel like she's right there beside me an encouraging me with each step. She actually takes the stress out of bread baking. After I made her first no-knead bread, I decided to try a recipe that I found online that said it was the easiest bread you'll ever make. NOT! Long story short... It was a disaster. With my confidence shattered I decided to go back and make Bonnie's very first bread recipe again. I came out perfect - again! My confidence was restored. This will be a well-used bread baking book in my kitchen for years to come. Thank you for making baking bread a pleasure.

The most I've ever baked before now are the tried and true "no-knead" Dutch oven recipes but I always found the flavors lacking. I was initially so intimidated by the entire Sourdough process from the starter to the proofing and how the heck could I do this without a proofing drawer like they use on Great British Bake Off?? But what I learned was that it doesn't need to be intimidating at all, in fact it was quite like therapy for me. I came home every day from work for 2 weeks to feed "Tony Bennett" which has become my favorite part of the day. I read and re-read everything, practiced my technique with some easier recipes and then finally conquered the first Sourdough recipe and although I was a nervous wreck the first time I took the lid off a Dutch oven to see if my dough had risen to a beautiful dome, I was immediately relieved to see that not only was it domed but it was beautiful and smelled like heaven and the crackling sounds right out of the oven were like little high fives from my loaves. Thanks for making this process not only fun and rewarding but adding a layer of "step away from your computers and phones and try something real that benefits you and your family". And now.. the obsession is real. Thanks so much for getting me started, Bonnie!

I used to be someone who occasionally baked cookies and not much else. I have always had a fear of baking bread after numerous disastrous attempts when I was younger. Not only have I now baked my way through Bonnie’s amazing book, but I’ve branched out to continue my bread journey. This has become the most fun and addictive hobby I’ve ever had. I now bake bread 2-3 times a week for my family and we all love it. Bonnie has created not just a cookbook, but a community of people who have come together to create good food and relationships around a virtual table as we share our journey in a common love of bread. If you want to not only make delicious bread, understand the “whys” behind what you’re doing, and join a growing number of amateur bakers turned carb obsessors then BUY THIS BOOK! And while you’re here, visit the authors website or Instagram and be sure to add basic equipment that you’ll need to start your journey and watch videos of techniques as well as get answers to FAQs. Buying this could very well be the first step in your life changing journey of making your own bread.

I really like the recipes in this book. I am a novice bread baker and so far I have made quite a few different breads from this book and they have all come out deliciously well. The thing that bothers me about this book is the format. You have to go back and forth from the master recipe to the recipe that you are currently making, following steps 1-6 in one recipe and then back to the other recipe for different steps and different amounts of ingredients. I don't know about you but when I am baking and have messy, floury hands and I am making something for the first time, it is confusing and sort of annoying and easy to make a mistake. Why couldn't the book be a few pages longer and have each recipe be complete without having to go back and forth searching through pages for the correct master recipe for the bread you are making? If i had known the book was formatted like this, I would not have bought it. And it is a shame because the recipes are 5 star and the book is a 2 star.

Overall I’ve really enjoyed baking with this book, with a couple of caveats. I read a lot of reviews from people complaining about needing to weigh your ingredients and the use of the metric system throughout, resulting in a book not truly for beginners. But, as any burgeoning baker will attest—this really is the best way to get accurate and consistent results. And I thought this book had a great introductory section explaining the importance of these items and others when approaching this craft. That being said, there were a few things that I found troublesome. Each chapter introduces a “master recipe” with each subsequent recipe in that chapter referring back to it as the initial few steps. It gets quite confusing having to flip back and forth to make sure you’ve used the right ingredients for the right recipe. Also, in these subsequent recipes, there’s often additional ingredients with no indication on where to add them. All in an all, I’ve enjoyed learning from this book and can’t wait to try out more recipes!

Not impressed. I am returning to making bread after many years and I’ve used the starter recipe in this book twice and just never got anywhere. I’ve looked at other recipes online and in other books and I think it’s missing some steps and some information. Looking through the book I think it could be more informative than it is. Since I have been successful in the past, I will carry-on. Not from the recipes from this book however. I would definitely not room recommend it to beginners who don’t have time to study other recipes.

I love to cook and bake but bread always seemed so daunting! I first saw this book mentioned on Jenna Fishers Instagram stories. I was intrigued. I ordered the book and read it cover to cover first. Then started my bread baking adventure. I have Crohn’s disease and eating bread bothers my stomach. I had read that naturally fermented sourdough bread is easily digested. The process is a lesson in patience, which for me was difficult. I am thrilled with my efforts. I love feeding my starter, “sunny”, she prefers my sunny dining room. The weighing, mixing and kneading are therapeutic. Handing a family member a loaf of bread that I made just warms my heart. The bread is delicious. I definitely tossed my first few loads. Like I said patience in this adventure is key!!! Buy the book, bake the bread, follow Bonnie on Instagram! Your well being will thank you!!🥖❤️🍀

This book is good. The thing that would make it better is more pictures during the process. In one recipe she says let the bread proof in the pan until it it well above the edges. A picture would be helpful to know how much “well above” is.

I got this book & immediately jumped in & made the brioche cinnamon rolls. They are the very best I've ever made -- & eaten -- in my life. So light & fluffy. I even over-did it on the grams of eggs & they STILL turned out great! Yes, this recipe took time & EFFORT but it was worth every bite! I don't know why anyone is complaining about this book. Like anything worth achieving, it takes patience & EFFORT to achieve good results. First, I read the directions, which are NOT complicated. Second, I wrote them all down in my own words on a sheet of notebook paper. This not only helps one establish the proper sequence of steps & then there is no need for 'flipping back-&-forth' as so many others complained about, but it also helps you understand PROCESS. (Repetition makes perfect!) I, personally, didn't find it a problem. (Writing them down also keeps your book like new.) I suppose in this 'instant everything,' 'microwave-generation' people expect perfect results, or good bread, without any effort. If that is how they feel, they need to just BUY their bread because good bread has no short-cuts. Ultimately, there is no reward for being lazy! In other words, if you are serious about making good bread, get this book. I can't WAIT to make the Challah next!

First thing I find odd is that the author is a American author and all the measurments are in metric, why is that, you tell me how many eggs are 256 grams, yes I know you can do a conversion, but why should I have to. I don't even see anything in this book on what I would call a regular loaf of bread, wheat bread, whole grain bread, very unhappy.

Disappointed enough to bother with a review. If I’ve had to go to YouTube to figure out why my recipes have failed, it’s because the instructions aren’t for beginners. Today alone I’ve wasted about a half bag of flour on the oatmeal bread recipe (yeah, I cooked the 150g of oats and included that), which isn’t super easy to replace these days. I’ve had much better success with beginner recipes on Pinterest, and will go back to those.

My 1st loaf of no knead bread. OMG my family loves it. Read so many insights on how to make bread.. to weigh all ingredients in bowls then take the air temp flour temp and calculate the correct temperature for my water. Nev3r did any of that before. Bonnie O'Hara book helps make a very consistent bread plus using my senses on the look feel of my dough. Nerver had any success in baking bread before this book. My inpluse was to pick a bread where this book starts with no knead 1st then builds to other types of bread. The hardest part was getting the water to the correct temp. I now know in the past my water was too hot. just gave up on making bread.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I’ve been baking bread for 7.5 years so I wouldn’t call myself a beginner but I had to check out this books because of all the buzz on IG. The longer I have it, the more I appreciate how smart Bonnie was about breaking down the process for beginners. I’ve read and reread 50+ bread books over the years and this book is by far the most comprehensive while maintaining simplicity. I would say this is the definitive beginners book ⭐️

I liked the idea of the book, but if I had known you needed a kitchen scale for measuring I would not have ordered.

I bought this book hoping it would get me in the mood to start baking, but no luck. The ingredients are all in grams, which is mostly OK except for small amounts (like 2 T) which do not register on my scale so I had to stop and look it up online. I tried the cinnamon rolls, but they didn't turn out very well. However, I do not blame the recipe for that. It was my fault. The major problem is the arrangement of the book's recipes. For example, they give directions for cinnamon rolls (and other similar bread) in one part of the book and the actual recipe in another part, so you have to keep flipping back and forth. Not very efficient.

Do not get excited about this book - you will likely not make any edible bread using this book. It looks like it is fro beginners with the layout - but the content is disorganized and misleading and you will likely not end up with bread to eat. I am still on the first recipe and it is a diaster every time. So.......

This book is bread making magic! I absolutely love every recipe I’ve made so far. The instructions are clear and informative. I’m addicted to this book, ADDICTED. I literally wake up and can not wait to bake yet another loaf of something. This book takes you away from the use of your kitchen aid and teaches you how to use your hands to make a scrumptious loaf of bread. My kitchen aid is useless to me for bread and dough now! I will say that her directions are in metric so get yourself a digital scale that can zero out and switches from ounces to grams. Also temperature plays an important role in your process so get a good digital thermometer as well. While you at it, go ahead and follow Alchamy Breads on Instagram. She posts lovely videos of her folding and shaping techniques. She also has a bakery in CA, if I lived there I’d totally go and buy her bread! BUY THIS BOOK!!!

This book was TREMENDOUSLY helpful. I recently decided to try to bake my own bread. I browsed the Internet, found recipes, watched YouTube videos and tried to follow the instructions. And time after time, I failed to produce something reasonably edible. And I had no idea what I’d done wrong. This book does several important things. It tells you what you need. It tells you WHY you need it. It gives you a little background into how bread making works at a chemical level. It tells you about the importance of temperature, and gives you practical ways to check if you’ve done it right: eg remove a small portion of your dough and put it in water and see if it floats. It explains why it’s important to either use a Dutch oven or a water or egg bake before roasting. It has A LOT of bread recipes. It has them for ordinary bread, honey wheat, and cinnamon rolls, and dozens of others, more than I’ll ever need. It made solid, definite suggestions for the kind of equipment i needed. Every single recipe I’ve made from this book has (eventually) turned out, and I get better with time. To the author: THANK YOU!

I've been baking for a long time now, received regularly compliments on my breads, and really felt confident in what I knew. This book really took my bread game up a notch. For the vast majority of techniques, I was doing things well, but just learning how to calculate temperatures has been incredibly beneficial in my everyday bread making. I'm still working through the book and learning tiny tid bits here and there as I go that help me better understand the chemical reactions and a lot of the "whys". I've read a lot of the 5-star "you need this" bread books and they've largely left me completely disappointed. This book did not. If there was a single book on baking that every baker should read, this is it (despite the title having "beginner" in its name)

I bought this book after I had purchased “Flour, Salt, Water, Yeast”. I tried to make a loaf from this and it failed....Spectacularly. So I decided to purchase this book based on reviews. I couldn’t be happier with the results. The problem I have had for so long with most bread baking books is that the instructions are not clear. Bonnie’s instructions are down to earth and easy to follow. I love how she explained measuring air and water temps. Most recipes say the water needs to be 110 degrees. With this book, she talks about the temp of the dough. She also gives instructions I have yet to find in other books. Rest time is important. I have been working my way through the book ( I got it Tuesday 2/19 and it’s now Sunday 2/24) and each has been a success. Looking forward to baking more!! Totally recommend this to anyone.

I've been baking out this book for a couple of months now and I am in love with making bread! I had attempted bread and homemade pizza dough in the past but this book honestly took that to the next level. Not only does Boonie clearly explain techniques and even why you should be weighing your ingredients in grams, taking air temps and so on, but she is available on Instagram with constant tutorials and videos to help the process along. The final product is absolutely delicious and it's such a rewarding thing to make your own bread. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to start learning how to bake bread or who like me, has dabbled in it but never quite grasped the bread making process. We now have weekly pizza nights with her amazing dough recipe. I am continuing to work through the book (admittedly I skipped around a bit) and can't wait to try them all!

I purchased this book for my daughter who is just learning to bake. Unfortunately she will never be able to use it. In order to make a single recipe from this book she would need to purchase some sort of scale that would only be used with this cookbook. This is not mentioned anywhere in the description of this product! There are no conversion rates listed to switch the recipe to standard measurements, nor is there any explanation of how to measure things like 256 grams of eggs. It mentions buying an "inexpensive" $20 kitchen scale, but that costs more than the book! We already own an inexpensive manual kitchen scale, and while it does have some sort of metric measurement on it, it appears to require a 25x conversion of some sort. This is not a beginner level cookbook. With zero explanation of how to measure the ingredients, this book is useless.

This is a good book for beginners. I'm just above a beginner. The one major deal-breaker for me; all the recipes are in grams. She makes a good point, it probably is best to start weighing instead of measuring. But then I have to go buy something that measures in grams. Along with all the other gadgets she recommends. Why not give both cups etc and grams for us beginners? There aren't that many recipes in the book. So I'm going to return the book.

I avoided making bread for years. Every now and then I’d try and jump back in and quickly remember why I never go there. Yeast was not my friend, and I would make everything else. Well, enter Bonnie. I started following her Instagram first, and was like okay maybe I can do this. So I tried with the help of my best friend Google. Did it work? Technically yes. But I knew I didn’t have a solid foundation like I did with my other cooking and baking. So one bite into that fail loaf, I ordered Bread Baking for Beginners. I read the book cover to cover three times before I even touched a bag of flour. I learned so much about flour types, and the benefits of using quality products. I ended up all over Instagram and her website. Fast forward 6+ months and baking bread is my therapy and sharing it with my husband has been such an enjoyable addition to our marriage. Read the reviews, look at her website, and Instagram to decide if this is what you’re looking for before you buy (hint: you need a scale to measure ingredients).

I fell in love with Bonnie's Instagram page, from her delicious looks breads to her beautiful family (even her pretty bowls and her rustic and cozy kitchen oozing with memories). When she published this book, I couldn't wait to buy it. I've been baking multiple loaves a week now and I can't stop. I usually like to dive in head first and tackle the tough stuff, but I knew from watching Jenna Fischer's stories and seeing Bonnie's posts, that I should start from the beginning and work my way through. I am so glad I did. I learned more about bread in the first few pages than I have in years of baking. I'll never buy grocery store bread again. Bonnie not only explains the process in a way that is easy to understand, but is extremely readable and enjoyable. She clearly knows her stuff and writes in a way that make me feel confident while I'm plugging away at her recipes. From start to finish, these recipes are to die for. Even when I make a sad looking loaf, it's still delicious. Boyfriend, sister, mom, and dad approved. If you love baking bread or have never baked bread before, buy this book. Bake it. Eat it. Share it. Repeat.

I’ve been so excited to start baking bread, and this book is a wealth of knowledge. All of the recipes are clear and I feel confident that I’m learning everything correctly, because the writing is very clear. The book itself is GORGEOUS! Can’t wait to bake every single recipe! I’ve already made the first recommended recipe, and the focaccia and they are delicious!

eta: why is every recipe for 2 loaves? this books is for beginners that means we kinda suck at making bread why makes do two loaves? ugh the chocolate babka was to die for. also its 2019 if you dont own a food scale what are you even doing in the kitchen? I dont even use a proofing basket, I work with what I've got. little by little I will collect all the gadgets. excites to try more recipes

This review is for those who don’t know anything about nothing. MAKING. BAKING. BREAD. IS. TIME. CONSUMING. Usually we take about 30mins to a hour making cookies. This is the not case for bread. If you are looking to get into a craft that will take your time, effort and attention—this book is for you or a good gift for someone who you know would love to get into bread baking. This book was written beautifully for all levels of knowledge and education. Simple math and simple wording. I am neither a math nor English major and it was very easy to follow and get the best outcome. While Bonnie provides you will inexpensive tools to purchase on amazon, I was able to buy: bowls (all sizes), timer, a stainless steel scraper/chopper, cooling rack and parchment paper at the dollar store. This is not an expensive thing to get into and Bonnie provides you with different tips and tricks to use if you don’t have a certain tool on hand. However, you will need to invest in a couple essential tools like a scale, thermometer(food), yeast and flour. Very simple yet tangible home goods. This experience has given me an in-depth appreciation for time management and bread! Yet, it’s been a pleasure to share my goods with friends and family. Featured are the goods I’ve made. Boule, babka, pizza dough, and cinnamon rolls. All things you can find in the book.

I bought this book when it was a $2 kindle ebook, before the print version was released, and baked the first few no-knead breads and decided I HAD to buy the paper book because I knew I would be going back to it again and again. I LOVE THIS BOOK. It's such a welcoming, friendly, comprehensive introduction to bread baking, and more importantly, it's organized in the most common-sense fashion where it teaches you every individual skill one at a time, so that with each new chapter you're knowledge base is growing. The Kindergarten Honey Wheat loaf is my family's go-to sandwich bread, which I'm baking every other week, and the intermediate sourdough is my favorite place to launch into flavor and grain experimentation. I've recommended this book to countless friends, given it as a gift, and pulled it down just to flip through fondly and go, "that lemon and rosemary fougasse was amazing, why haven't I made that again?" My favorite thing about baking bread is how easy it is to share- it's cheap and plentiful and everyone loves it. It's nutritious and delicious and goes with everything. If you buy this book, you will always know what to bring to a pot luck, party, book club, or dinner date, and you will have the gift of Bonnie in your kitchen, making you a better person.

It is not written for USA measurements!

This book was recommended to me by a friend when I asked for help with my newfound desire to bake bread. What I really love about this book is that it gives lots of detail, lots of photos, and at the end of the recipes it gives you ideas of what may have gone wrong if you end up with a less than perfect loaf. Along the way in the instructions they will tell you what to do if at that stage things do not look as they ought to. The book starts with a simple artisan yeast loaf and you progressively move onto more complicated recipes. It is great to have success rather than attempt too difficult of a recipe (as a newbie) and end up with a doorstop. If you are a beginner bread baker you would do well to start with this book!

This is a great book for the beginner and the novice. The instructions are detailed and if you have a question, someone before you has probably asked it. Just head over to her website or instagram for more pictures of exactly what you should be doing. As I made my way through her book it gave me the interest in the other books she recommends. She doesn’t think this should be the end of the line of your learning about bread. She encourages you to keep learning, keep trying new things, try new ingredients and keep having fun making bread, cookies, cinnamon rolls, or whatever you like to bake. Teach others what you have learned, share it with your children and grandchildren. Bonnie talks a lot about community and that is something I really liked. They get together and share what each makes. Get this book and share this book.

I love this book, if you want to LEARN TO MAKE BREAD. This is the book. “Beginner” doesn’t mean this book is going to jump off the counter and make the bread for you, it means if you’re willing to LEARN and really make your own bread from the basic principles, you will have bread! You will learn all the things you’d need to know as you advance, and all the while you’ll have delicious bread to eat. All your friends will be jealous because YOU make your OWN BREAD. That’s the kind of person you are. So, if you’ve read a review that it’s not “beginner,” those people are lazy liars who need a dictionary to learn about what the definition of bread is while also learning the definition of the word beginner, you don’t want to share your bread with them. In summation, open your mind, soak the information, read this book like books are meant to be read, from front to back, and bake as you go! You can also find lots of helpful info on her website or follow her on Instagram. I’m counting down the days to the next book!!!!!!! (this is me asking for more)

My first try at the first recipe came out perfect, and I have been trying to learn bread baking for several years before this. Some reviewers have complained about these recipes that call for precision of ingredient and temperature calculations, but if you are willing to invest in an instant read thermometer and a good kitchen scale that can weigh in grams, you will be rewarded. Recommended.

If I'd had this book when I first started baking sourdough, I would have built a much stronger foundation of knowledge. Having discovered it a few years into my sourdough journey, I learned the whys of many of the hows I already carried out. Knowledge is power and pleasure. Bonnie is a graceful, welcoming writer. The progression of her instruction, from simple to complex loaves, is clear and wide-eyed. Her life-wisdom interspersed throughout is unexpected and powerful. It is a truly marvelous book. (Warning: you will learn. (Having to learn is the central complaint of the one star reviews here.) You will learn how to make remarkable bread. You will learn why techniques are needed and what they do. You will learn to use a scale. You will learn metric measurements. If learning is too much for you, then this book--any book--is not for you.)

I have no intention of becoming a master bread maker, but I did want a book with recipes I could try to help me learn more about making homemade bread. She states professional bakers measure ingredients in grams. Great! I'm not a professional baker. I'm a beginner & found all the recipes in grams annoying. I realize I'm in the minority on this book, but I'm sending it back.

I have been striking out making Sourdough Bread. My other breads have gone well, but Sourdough has been kicking my tail. Last night, I went through the whole book, marveling at how complete and clear the steps are. And I marked the pages to go back to with Post-it flags. The beginning of the book has glossary and definitions of things that had not been clear to me before. It tells me like I am a four year old and I love the pictures! Beautiful and a total bargain. Edited: Now that I am using the book, I have to say, it's even better! I love the results I am getting and am working my way through the book recipe by recipe!

I. LOVE. THIS. BOOK. Highly recommend! The author/baker walks you through getting started and what you need to make great bread. Each section has a master recipe with incredibly detailed instructions for making, as well as a troubleshooting page if anything goes wrong. Then the following recipes build on the skills in the master recipe. Each recipe is slightly more technical than the last so you’re building skill as you work through the book. The very first bread I made with this book came out fine but was very sticky so I checked the troubleshooting questions, figured it out, and having had any issues since. I even made pizza! My friends and family have been so impressed with the breads I’m putting out and it’s all thanks to this cookbook. If you love bread and want to get into making bread at home, definitely get this cookbook!

Bonnie’s book is truly a gem. She deconstructs the bread making process in manageable, adaptable steps, and she demystifies the process and tools of the trade. This books is a great addition to the beginning baker’s library. I wish I’d known about it sooner! Bonnie’s intermediate sourdough loaf (recipe included in her book) is just as delicious as the Tartine country loaf, and she leads you to it in a very gentle manner. Love this book!

I’ve attempted bread making on and off for years with varying, inconsistent degrees of success but I don’t think I truly understood the process (and science) of breadmaking until this book. It was super easy to understand and lays a foundation in the first important chapters. A down to earth, self- taught baker, Bonnie sets you up for success by explaining everything well and building your confidence and skills as you progress throughout the book from easier to harder recipes. But even the ‘easy breads’ are impressive and delicious. My first attempt was a no-knead fougasse. Oh my gosh! I couldn’t believe this scrumptious, perfectly crunchy, work of art came from my own hands! It was truly one of the most delicious breads I’d ever eaten. It made me excited to go to the next section (kneaded breads) with confidence. Kneading has always intimidated me so I’ve always relied on my mixer, but Bonnie’s instruction took the mystery out of it and once again I was met with success and more delicious hand kneaded bread. I love homemade bread and have always wanted to learn the skills to be able to make my own and this book has finally made that possible. I’d venture to say even veteran bakers could improve their skills and learn some new info from Bonnie’s book.

I received this book a few days ago, and the first recipe I tried was the 12 Hour Fermentation No-Knead recipe (pg. 36). I am not a good cook or a bread baker of any sort. In fact, the bread dough that I proofed in my brand new banneton basket stuck to the liner and had to be pried off. Nonetheless, I put the slightly tattered mess of a dough ball in the Dutch oven anyway and continued as instructed in the book. Holy schmokes! By my standards my bread was a success despite all my goofs. It had a nice crispy and chewy crust, lots of holes inside, and it tasted great plain and with a bit of jam.

I really love this book! I have made some bread in the past but was never overly thrilled with the results. However, with this book I’ve made several loaves of bread so far and all have turned out delicious. I like how the author gives you handy tips for improving your bread based on your personal environment. I never really knew how to change the recipe to suit my environment. I live in a higher altitude location so I knew some baking tricks but never thought to check the temperature of my flour then adjust other factors accordingly. That one tip has changed my baking forever. After all baking is a chemistry. The author also walks you through the whole process to make the bread in detail. The book setup is great. It starts you off with easier breads and then works up to more difficult breads with starters. I highly recommend this book. It will help you make great bread and improve your overall baking skills. Stop reading reviews and hit add to cart you won’t regret it!

This book had great photos. But if you want to make anything, you have to WEIGH each ingredient with a scale that weighs grams. No tsp or T, not cups or oz. Instead, you get grams and ml. I thought maybe this was authored in Canada or Europe. Nope. California. And in conclusion, the book was about $40. I waited too long to return it, now I own it. Perhaps I'll mail to a friend in Canada.

First I am giving this book 5 stars because I am taking full responsibility for being so very put off by it. NO....not the grams, just the overall presentation/instructions. Maybe it's my age (72) but I am intimidated by it. It must be my age because I did earn that degree many moons ago with honors. So, when I am done with this review going to google a basic bread recipe. Have to end by saying that in reading reviews it seems unkind to call someone ethnocentric because they want directions with the measurements used in the USA. Again, I'm okay with it, but if someone else is not......they are "too American". There really is no such thing.

Before picking up this book, I thought homemade bread was out of reach. My past projects had turned out dense, thick and sad. After reading Bonnie's simple, straight-forward instruction, my bread making skills have made a complete turn around. Beautiful, crackly loaves are now a kitchen staple and I find my friends and family ardently asking when the next batch is going to be done. So excited to have such a wonderful, friendly, gem of a human to guide me on this bread making journey. Lovely both inside and out, her passion and stories of baking are an inspiration! We are so lucky that Bonnie has allowed us into her kitchen and home by writing this wonderful book. Side note , YES the instructions are in metric but don't be intimidated. Never had I had such repeatable success since switching to weight vs volume in baking. It's the way of the future --- and the key to consistent beautiful bread. Treat yo'self to the a kitchen scale and get going. :)

I don’t know how many times I have said, “I cook, but I don’t bake...I’m not a baker...I can’t bake.” Well, this book has made a baker out of me. I love how easy to understand this book is. You can really come to this book without ever having successfully baked anything and you will still be able to understand it. I have been making bread about every other day since I got this book and have found that it fits in so nicely to daily life. I have a very active toddler at home and it’s still easy enough to fit bread baking into my life. And my kids love it and it doesn’t have all the extra junk in it that store-bought bread has. I can officially say. “I am a baker!”

I've been trying to make bread for decades. It is always hit or miss. I have used two bread makers, still hit or miss. I check my yeast, I check my flour, I'm very careful with how I put the ingredients in. Hit or miss. A few weeks ago I gave up, and drop kicked my bread machine out the back door on to the concrete patio. I started trying to make bread from scratch. Did okay, some really nice loaves, some okay. Bought a book by a professional, hit or miss results. Then I found this book. I've read through it beyond where I started baking and it really is just amazing in helping lay people figure out what means what and how to do all the important bits. THANK YOU SO MUCH! This is my very first bread out of the book, the first one taught. I thought some of the steps were, okay, I admit, stupid or wrong or whatever. But I FOLLOWED THEM anyway. Perfect temp water vs flour and air temp, exact measurements, precise movements for folding, shaping. LOOK AT WHAT I GOT! Wow! WOW! Will be working through every single recipe, and am looking forward to everything Bonnie has to teach. WOW! I made that!

A lovely book. I enjoy reading my cookbooks and the author took the time to write a book to introduce bread making in a way that is incredibly user friendly...felt like we sat down on the porch with a hot cup of coffee and talked bread😊. Thank-u Bonnie for writing a cookbook that is a new favorite...recipes are clear and easy to follow. The photos of the finished breads is a plus...something i appreciate when following a new recipe. The one challenge is learning to transition from cups to grams...as all recipes are in grams. All in all very pleased with my new cookbook.

I am so pleased with this purchase! I am new to trying to make my own bread. I am so glad I bought this book. Bonnie goes into detail on the science behind making a good bread. She has pictures that show you how to roll each bread and a list of any tools you need to bake that bread. Her measurements are in weights (grams) so one of the tools you will need is a good kitchen scale. I love this book. It has already helped me improve the weekly loaf I make. I am working on my sourdough starter & cannot wait to try her sourdough recipes soon.

I've made two no knead breads and they came out perfect each time. I believe it's because how well Bonnie has a page dedicated to bread math/science. Yes, there is a page on it and I flip back to it often. I followed the 'formula' and voila bread was made with no fuss, no hassle, just read through the steps of the formula and you will be fine. I love this book. I never thought I could make bread, an everyday food to most people, and be successful and get a drive to bake more bread until I bought this book. I'm happy I did...because her cinnamon rolls, cinnamon swirl bread (with raisins if that's your thing lol) and especially the chocolate babka was well worth it. I am dying to test that recipe out too! The book was beautifully photographed, which is important for people who need a visual when learning new things, especially on the techniques used. The directions are easy to understand, not complicated nor big words a new baker wouldn't understand. All around it gets a 5☆ because you get so much out of this book, whether it be recipes, a story, or knowledge in the bread baking world. Thank you Bonnie from a neighboring county girl you have inspired in the best way possible. =^]

As a home baker and a fan of The Office, when I saw Jenna Fischer baking from this book on her instagram, I knew I had to have it. I bought it for myself as a late Chanukah present, and made the New Years Resolution to learn to bake better bread this year. Well this book has lived up to it’s expectations so far. I did have to buy a few tools I didn’t already own, bread basket, lame, a few extra kitchen towels, but you could get away with using materials most of us already have in the kitchen. I love how this book starts with simple recipes and each new recipe and chapter builds on what you have already learned. Bonnie really takes the time to explain the what and why of bread baking and even though the instructions can be long, and require re-reading several times, the end result is worth it. After 4 loaves of bread from the first chapter I am getting the hang of it, and my breads are improving. I am eager to move on to the next chapters in the book. Highly recommended for anyone who wants learn to bake (good!) bread!

I had never made bread before, as I was too intimidated. However, thanks to miss Jenna Fischer, I discovered this book. It's not full of snooty professional baking language. It's easy to read, easy to understand, and makes the entire bread baking process MUCH less intimidating. What I absolutely love is that it doesn't just give you bread baking basics then throws you to the wolves. She basically holds your hand and starts you off super simple. Then with each recipe you build on your skills. Plus it's just so satisfying and fun!

After finding a couple duds in the bread baking for beginner's department this book is exactly what I needed! There are detailed instructions, background on the "why" for the different steps in the process, and photos depicting some of the skills that you need to use during the process. I've baked multiple loaves from this book and am able to easily follow the instructions, resulting in beautiful, delicious loaves!

I had several books about how to bake bread, none I really cared much, but this book is different. It explains everything about bread on the beginning and it starts out with an easy to bake bread. I tried it out and was surprised how good it came out. So I tried out another bread and as you can see it came out wonderful, my entire family liked it. I had a bread machine but I really didn’t care about it, making bread from scratch, working the dough with your hands is fun , from now on I don’t buy bread, I want to try out so many more recipes from this book.

I don’t know what some of these negative reviews are talking about because I absolutely love Bonnie’s book. It takes you from easy no knead recipes to just about any bread you want to learn to make. I started baking earlier this year so I know how to use grams but it’s simply just a matter of buying a cheap kitchen scale and your recipes, bread or otherwise, will always come out better. Now Bonnie is baking from California so it’s possible that you will need more water or more flour, if you live in a different climate but that’s the matter with anything you bake so that’s a silly reason to rate this book negatively. I will continue to use her book and to maybe take some of her online classes.

I received the book yesterday and successfully made my first loaf of bread yesterday as well! This book is easy to read & understand. Let me start by saying I do not bake, I normally do not follow recipes correctly, something always goes wrong, & I am not one to read books at all really, But this recipe book has changed that for me. Bonnie has taken so much time and put so much love into this book and it shows and makes you pay attention, & also sparked something inside me I didn’t know was there, a closet baker perhaps? The way the book is designed is to train your brain in my opinion, she keeps it repetitive which for me is the best way I learn! I adore this recipe book and will forever look at recipe books differently! She also has an Instagram page called Alchemy Bread where you can watch very helpful videos. My goal is to try and make every single recipe in this book & I am so excited! Highly recommend!!

I bake and when I decided to buy this book to make more skills and to explore more bread recipes . Its not bad book but there is something that you can’t understand it, like you must to see the temperature of the flour and the water temperature when i do it the water too cold for the yeast there something missing in explanation and there is a huge amount of Ingredients

I am reading the first part of this book at the moment having just received it. So far, it is beautifully concise, but extremely informative. The author writes simply giving all the information you to understand the equipment needed and the steps needed to make bread. It is very easy to read and understand and allows you to get to hands-on baking very quickly, but also be knowledgeable of the process. I am very impressed by the style of writing, having bought many books on baking, as long as the recipes are as good as the beginning of the book, this will be the one most covered with flour. I will update if I change my opinion. Good baking!

What a disappointment, I don't need a kitchen scale to clutter up my life. Someone is simply trying to sell books for all the people who are trying to make their own bread while self isolated. Its not rocket science, i have been making my own bread for years without all this fuss. Buy a betty crocker cookbook! Will return asap!

The bread recipes in this book are pretty good but are in European measurements so kind of a pain to translate. I also do not like the way the author tries to turn bread making into rocket science with all the tips and complicated scientific information on baking it. I read the book, went out on my own and soon figured out how to adjust things simply to get the desired result. All of this info is out on the internet so was kind of sorry I paid for the book. This could have been much simpler, appealing to a wider audience.

I was sorely disappointed with this cookbook. There are basically 3 recipes in this book. Everything else is just a variation. In some cases the variant differs only in the method of shaping it. If you are a complete novice, you might like this book. I know it says right in the title that it's for beginners, and I don't consider myself a particularly experienced bread baker, but I find it unimpressive. I may try a few of the unusual shapes, just so I don't feel it's a total waste. Also - the author makes no mention of using a mixer with a dough hook, insisting only hand kneading is worthy. If you have arthritis or other impediments to full use of your hands, you are on your own.

All of the recipes are in weighed grams. I ordered this for my 12 year old granddaughter and it’s not for beginners.

This book is the perfect book for beginner bread baker's. I have been baking bread for about 3 months now and I owe all my successes to this book. It is definitely best to go in order (you can skip around in the chapters though). The recipes are very detailed and easy to follow, and if you are serious about baking bread, buy all the tools you need before you start. And yes, that does include a scale. However if you live in America, like I do and like Bonnie does, I promise you it will work just fine! You will probably even love it so much more than measuring by cups and will go to bake cookies a couple months later and think the American measurements look (dare I say) foreign. Anyway, this book is amazing, the author is amazing, and if you have gotten an urge to bake bread for the first time, buy this book!!!

I’ve had this book for about six weeks and I feel like a bread making pro. I did start at the beginning and got comfortable with different techniques before moving on to more complicated bread. Now I’m making breads for friends and neighbors, and feel like I have a good handle on what it should smell and feel like at different stages. The recipes are super simple, but the directions are so clear and precise that if you’ve ever felt like a failure with previous attempts, you’ll begin to understand the why and how to improve.

I have to admit that i was a little intimidated at first, because I didn't have all of the items that Bonnie mentions. I went out and got an inexpensive dutch oven and some instant yeast, and that has really carried me all the way through to the later chapters. Eventually, I will get some oval bannetons so I can do the batards, but I'm really surprised at how easily adaptable the recipes are to what you have on hand. I honestly use sieves for bannetons most of the time. They are the right shape and offer the airflow. I just line them with a thin kitchen towel. I'm excited to move on to the poolishes and sourdoughs next!

I purchased this book along with 'Starter Sourdough' by Carroll Pellegrinelli to help me with learning how to bake bread, and this book has become my go-to resource. Ohara writes in a very approachable manner, provides insights from years of trial and error, and her recipes all refer back to a 'Master Recipe' provided in the beginning of a chapter. I am still learning from this book (and others), but I continue to look back to this book when preparing my notes for what I am going to bake.

I picked up this book after seeing Jenna Fischer’s Instastories. I have worked my way through most of the recipes and am currently practicing the basic sourdough recipe. This book is AMAZING, but it won’t actually make and bake the bread for you as some reviewers seem to think it should. What it will do is give you instructions, equipment suggestions and permission to fail as you become a great bread baker. And with this book you will produce wonderful bread. A big shout out to Bonnie for motivating my husband to surprise me with a new digital scale (mine timed out during measuring) and an amazing bread knife. It’s the first time in 23 years he has surprised me with a gift that wasn’t tagged for a birthday or holiday. The bread works miracles!

I was looking for a book that would help me up my bread baking game and found this one. At first I didn’t want to follow through with the weighing and taking the ambient temperature because it seemed unnecessary. However, I stuck with it, and the results have been amazing. I’m sure a lot of this has to do with the recipes, but I also think the techniques make a big difference. My family noticed a big difference, and I finally feel like I know what I’m doing. I highly recommend this book!

Good recipes in this book, but all the ingredients are listed in weight, so it's not a cup and a half of flour, it's 400 grams of flour, or something similar. Every recipe needs to be "translated" into something you can actually work with before you begin. I wouldn't buy it again.

I had been trying recipes off pinterest because I want something that was just fast. Needless to say, it was fast but not good. This book has been such a great way to learn to bake bread the right way. You do absolutely need a scale and thermometer, but I've found that most other utensils can be substituted. I really enjoy the ritual involved with making bread. Put it in your cart!

Not for 'true' beginners. Discouraging if product doesn't turn out. If you go to her social media, expect a rude, abrasive response that she feels everyone should research first.... well we bought your book. That is verified paid research. I ended up going to pinterest and finding a great recipe where the author was encouraging and nice when questions were asked.

I have made bread in the past and want to again. I find this is very complicated, almost scientific. I want quick and easy, I have better luck. This book wants too much equipment in relation to my past success at bread baking. If I was going into business, this might be a good book.

This is a great book for a beginner. I didn't know anything about baking bread, accept for the occasional banana bread, when I bought this book. I dreamed of being able to make the complex flavored, caramel colored crackly crusted breads I have enjoyed while traveling in Europe. As I made each recipe in Bonnie's book, my skills and knowledge developed and I was making beautiful artisan loaves very quickly. There is enough variety in the recipes to keep a baker interested and producing many different kinds of breads. Bonnie's instructions are thorough and easy to follow. I also bought several other top rated bread books on Amazon, but this book is my go to book because I get consistent results and my loaves turn out perfectly. Do yourself a favor and get this book of you want to learn how to produce beautiful artisan loaves!

Beautifully put together book. Couldn’t keep it because my American raised ass didn’t want to translate all the metric measurements.

It is RIDICULOUS how good this bread is. I am not a beginner baker. However my bread game wasn't quite where I wanted it. My breads turned out fine, but never how it tasted in my head. Until this book. I have read and owned plenty of "baking Bibles" prior to this book; In fact I own many she listed as reference. However, Bonnie does an amazing job grabbing all of the little bits from those books and combined with her own knowledge created the PERFECT bread baking book. My first sit down with this book I read it end to end. Generally that is not a very enjoyable experience for a cookbook, but I loved Bonnie's writing. She does a wonderful job explaining things well while also remaining relatively brief on each subject. As interesting as all the science of bread baking is I'm really here for instruction, and she did just that. Perfectly. This book is my go to for the perfect loaf of bread. Every. Time.

I was very disappointed with the book due to all the recipes measurements were European with no alternative US measurements. I'm 80 years old I just want to bake new bread recipes and not ready to adapt to the alternate measurements. It should have been stated that ingredient measurements were not US measurements. This book is worthless to me.

This book is such a great tool for anyone looking to get into baking bread. It is very informative and has a lot of information about the end results leaving you with less questions during any of your trial and error bakes. I would highly recommend this to anyone interested in the art of bread baking. The recipes are versatile and have varying degrees of difficulty to keep things interesting. But overall, every recipe is made very approachable with the information accompanying it. Great find. Love it and looking forward to working my way through each and every recipe.

I don't write reviews very often, but felt I had to give a glowing review for this most excellent book. I bought it for my wife who wanted to start baking artisan bread, having used a bread machine for a number of years. I must say, the results have been astounding, and far better than anything we have bought in a store over the years. I bought my wife some of the recommended tools of the trade, such as good quality proofing baskets, and polycarbonate containers, and off she went. Following the recipes to the letter, and making sure to get all the measurements, times, and temperatures accurate, she has produced several wonderful, and very flavorful loaves. From the basic no knead round loaf baked in a Dutch Oven, to a rich chocolate Babka. She is slowly going through the recipes, including making a poolish starter, and we are both enjoying the treat of fresh baked, artisan bread regularly. Many thanks to the author. If you want to break into Artisan Bread Making that will produce awesome results, this is the book for you.

Bread Baking was always very intimidating to me, but this book has made it simple, fun, and pretty addicting. I've baked my way through the book, and now bake regularly for my own family and friends. I make sandwich bread for my daughter's lunches, boules for dinner, croutons out of leftovers, enriched loaves for party time, and even cinnamon raisin bread for the greatest french toast you've ever had! Bonnie's book teaches you not just how, but why. Having that baseline knowledge helps you to successfully experiment with recipes and really feel like a dang pro! With just flour, salt, yeast, water, and Bonnie, you too can have a heavenly smelling house and friends banging down your door for just one more slice. Do it! Buy it! You know you want to!

I like how so many recipes refer back to the same basic dough prep procedure - you can create different things while getting more practice on the prep work. The book then progresses into the recipes requiring kneading and shaping techniques. Makes a lot of sense and is a lot of fun to flip through the pages! I do with there were more pictures on glossy pages but I just like food books with lots of pictures! Very nice book for beginners to intermediate home bakers looking for new things to do.

Well written instructions and great photos explaining some of the process but two huge problems. Quantities in some recipes are outrageous (2 tablespoons Of flaky sea salt for a focaccia!!! It was almost inedible and had to brush off most of the salt after baking) and the temperature is way too high for the recipes I’ve made, I’ve either over baked the bread or adjust the degrees by guessing which kinda miss the purpose of a book for a complete beginner.

I saw this book like many others, through Jenna Fischer’s Instagram bread making journey. I thought, “I don’t know if I could ever make bread that looks this great, but if Jenna who also has no experience baking bread can do it, so can I!” I bought this book and the supplies I needed (Bonnie’s website has a great supply list on it if you want to get supplies with the book!) and when it arrived, I started to bake. The book held my hand and walked with me along the steps of bread baking, taught me the basics and why they were important, and eventually I was able to make a pretty complex sourdough loaf that turned out fantastic! Bonnie makes herself available on Instagram to help us newbie bakers out and she is literally a saint trying to reply to everyone. She has helped me learn this new passion and now bread baking makes me feel calm, empowered, accomplished, and like I am engaging in this task that makes me more connected to the earth. If you are wondering if you too can do this, the answer is yes!! Get this book and start the therapeutic practice of bread making!

If your'e like me, you have dipped your toes into the luke warm water of bread making in the past-with failure. Your bread turned out too flat, tasted of plastic, or expanded too much and was baked into the lights of the oven leaving a huge mess for your husband to clean out- Whoops! Fear not, as the owner of Alchmey bread has come out with a book for everyone. When she says beginner-she truly means beginner. The book is set up in a way that by the time you make it through all the recipes (chapters) you are a champion bread maker and can impress any dinner party with your skills. This book is so amazing. I can not say enough about how easy it is to read and how perfect all of my loaves have come out. I have found a love in bread making that I never would have predicted. As a bonus, fallow her on instagram for videos on how to do some of the more complicated breads. Huge fan, buy her book, you won't regret it!

Disappointing that there are no imperial unit equivalencies in the book. Every measurement is in metric. It would be infinitely more convenient to have both listed next to the other in the recipes. I mean, who in America measures water in grams for a recipe? Fine if you’re anywhere else in the world, I guess, but I happen to be located in America. It may be a fine book otherwise, but I would not have purchased this book had I known every recipe measurement was calculated in metric.

This book is almost intermediate but not if that makes sense. It weighs ingredients and has technical aspects that are not begginer level. BUT the way the book is written and how it guides you from the basic fundamentals up to more advanced recipes make it obtainable from all levels. I’m professional trained in kitchens and have a degree. But I have done any bread baking since school 10+ years ago. I’ve greatly enjoyed this book. And even more than that the bread community online. And the best part is watching my family eat even more natural foods than before because we’ve pretty much stopped buying commercial bread.

I've been using this book for several months now and EVERY SINGLE LOAF has come out amazing. I had made bread (quite a bit) in the past and it was hit or miss. I think the reason this works so well, is that the ingredients are weighed out instead of using cups/teaspoon etc. This helps take into account humidity and other external factors that Bonnie details in her book. Weighing your ingredients may seem a little intimidating or feel like an extra step, but I really think it's the key to making consistantly good bread. I got my scale for less than $10 on Amazon and it came with a grams setting- I only had to push the button once to set it, so it now defaults automatically. Also (PSA) if you're doing half or double batches, it's easier to math out the different amouts in grams. I highly recommend this book, and I doubt I'll ever buy store bought bread again!

This is a beautiful book, well written with beautiful pictures. BUT the measurements are all in grams. Even with a conversion chart which I will have to study carefully before I can dream of beginning to bake bread, how on earth do I figure out what "256 grams of whole eggs" is ??? It all looks pretty complex, and I guess I will have to invest in a food scale. This is pretty disappointing. I really hate to send it back.

As a complete beginner at bread making, I thought this book did a great job overall at teaching and building skills as you go through the book (you should definitely go in order!) However, I also found the book to be too wordy and also not very clear in its written description of some of the steps in some of the breads. I had to seek advice/answers to questions elsewhere in order to understand some parts. In particular, I had the most trouble with the enriched doughs chapter. The book doesn't explicitly say whether you should warm up the milk like you do for the water (in fact, it says the opposite), and I had better results in the rising and proofing steps when I warmed the milk up. I also ended up making myself a spreadsheet for each recipe to make it easier to follow the day of baking. I think if Bonnie O'Hara releases an edited updated version of this book clarifying some of the written descriptions, it would be perfect. It is definitely workable otherwise though (and well worth it for the great tips for beginners!)

NOT FOR U.S. BAKERS! All ingredients are in grams and the “conversion chart” is pathetic. Not for people who are used to measuring in cups, teaspoons etc. Also every recipe calls for “instant yeast” which is not usually available in grocery stores here in the US. It does not work the same way as “active dry yeast” in a recipe. I wish there was a U.S. version though, the explanations are very thorough and I love the “Common Problems” section that explains why things go wrong and how to fix them! Overall disappointed because I really can’t use it :(

Let me preface this with: I don't know Bonnie personally. I know her, like I know a lot of the people I look up to, through instagram. I have spent my life wanting to learn how to bake bread. My parents didn't bake, they hardly cooked - If I wanted to learn something, I had to figure it out myself. *cue Bonnie's book to fall into my instagram algorithm through Jenna Fisher* just before Christmas 2018. I watched her videos, learned about her family, and her passions. She makes something out of nothing, and as a scrappy individual myself, I felt a kinship that was more than just bread-deep. (follow along with her @AlchemyBread - trust me, it's worth it!) Bonnie has poured her heart into this book, and you can tell her spirit in the sweet instructions and tips she includes among the recipes. She is the REAL DEAL, and I am so grateful she, and this book, fell into my life when it did. 2019 was the year I taught myself to make bread, baking from cover to cover. I have loved watching her journey, I cannot wait to see where the future takes her -- buy this book, bake some bread, connect with those you love through flour, water, salt, & yeast. You won't be sorry!

Disclaimer: I bought this book because I am a huge Jenna Fischer fan and she was posting non-stop about how obsessed she was with this book and bread making on IG. That set aside, this book turned out to be amazing! Easy to read, easy to understand and it’s organized in a way that starts you off with very simple bread recipes then gradually increases the difficulty and technique level - all in a way that helps build your confidence to keep wanting to make more bread! I’ve made almost every recipe in this book and its truly made me feel confident about making my own bread! Definitely recommend for anyone that wants to try making bread but doesn’t wan to go all in at once.

I have never baked bread using yeast. This book has step by step instructions with pictures to make sure each concept is understood. The terms used are defined in the beginning of the book. The results were amazing! The finished loaf looked exactly like the picture. The texture & crust were as though the bread came from a great bakery. This was only the first lesson! I love this book and look forward to chapter 2 and beyond!!

I was a bit not sure about this book when I read some reviews but decided to get it and see for myself. It is a wonderful book. It makes you feel you can do it. The fact that it is not written by a big shot who earned fame makes it like a private tutor who is telling you you can do it. Great details and great photos. Well organized from the beginning into different kinds of bread. Highly recommend it if you aspire to make bread

This book is the BEST! I love the style of writing and it made it so easy to make my own bread. I have been working my way through it and I love my new hobby. It brings a calmness in my home and is so relaxing to follow the recipe and tend to the dough. My friends love my new hobby too :) I highly recommend buying for anyone that is looking to try something new. It has easy step by step instructions and makes you feel like a real baker. I bought one for my best friend as well and a bunch of items as a “bread baking kit”. She loves it as well!!!

This woman knows what she is talking about and makes it so easy to understand. I have been making homemade sourdough bread for a year and a half. I learned from one of the best bakers on you tube. That said, this book has so many varieties of breads to create and I want to try them all. I just need the temperature to cool off some to use high temperatures in my oven. Thanks for a superior tutor in the bread making world.

This book is heartfelt, straightforward, and wants you to succeed! Bonnie does a beautiful job of giving you all of her advice in order for you to successfully make any of her breads. If you are serious about baking bread, you will learn that all of her suggested materials are for a reason. One of the most crucial ones would be buying a scale! Every baker knows that weighing your ingredients is the most reliable method for measuring. Taking notes of the temperature of your house or just being aware of seasons will help you realize if things will proof slower in the winter time or faster in the summer. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in learning about bread. Just remember it is basically science. Every ingredient and material has a purpose so if you skip a step or go in the wrong order, you might not have the most ideal piece of bread, but it will still be edible and somewhat tasty. This is my go to bread book.

I absolutely love this book. I am having so much fun baking through every recipe and figuring out all of the elements that make amazing bread. It's a fun, affordable hobby that I have fallen in love with and I can't thank the author, Bonnie, enough. You definitely have to spend a little more initially if you dont have a Dutch oven, scale, etc but that's it...the cost of everything after is very cheap and so worth it. The only downfall is that I cant stop eating all of the bread and summer is coming. Haha. But I think that's a me problem.

LOVE! The way Bonnie has written this book makes you feel confident that you can bake anything in it and equips you with the information needed to get any baking job done. She made baking seem so much more approachable than I previously imagined and I’m so thankful. If you are a true beginner of baking and want to REALLY learn about it, buy this book. This has become a book I want to give to all of my friends! Even the ones who have never said a word about baking bread before to me in their lives! Lmao anyways just buy it - you won’t regret it.

There are lots of bread books out there however they pretty much all assume that you have some baking background. This one welcomes the true beginner and the self taught veteran like me and holds their hand through some very important steps in the bread making process. Bonnie assumes nothing. Equipment is simple and easy to access as are the ingredients. You don’t have to mail order flour unless you really want to. This book meets you where you are. No standing mixer required. Simple no knead breads, breads to make with whole grains, breads you can get your kids involved with, enriched breads and sourdough. The whole book is easy and approachable. Veterans of bread baking. Don’t let the title fool you, it’s for us as well. Her recipes are solid and work in a variety of conditions and I dare say that’s the best tasting focaccia I have ever made.

I REALLY wanted to like this book. I follow the Instagram account of the author, follow the celebrity that made this book very popular (and how I found it in the first place). I’ve watched the posted Instagram story by the celebrity about her baking sourdough. It all seemed good. I’m not put off by needing a kitchen scale: I already had one and I use it for portion control, etc. - they are inexpensive, every Target and Walmart carries them, and it’s easy to switch between measurements. I got this book to make sourdough. I dutifully started the sourdough starter following her instructions, but it says to only feed it once a day. By day 4, if I didn’t feed my starter twice a day, it turned on me and smelled like alcohol. Thankfully I found helpful results on Google. The next issue is when I started trying to mix ingredients. My dough was way too wet. By the third loaf, I had enough wasting ingredients and decided to cut back the water amount and changed from all purpose to bread flour. And I finally had some success. I’m on the hunt for a new book now.

I love bread and have always wanted to learn to bake bread but felt like it was a task beyond my skill level. I love to bake and it’s very therapeutic for me. I suffer from severe anxiety and baking has always been a stress reliever for me because it is regimented and scientific. Cooking is not something I can do well if my anxiety is high. Well I found this book (through Jenna Fischer’s Instagram) and thought I would give it a try. Holy cow! I can bake bread! Bonnie breaks it down to steps that are wash to learn and master. The photos are also drool worthy. The best part - Bonnie doesn’t treat people like they known nothing or everything. It’s broken down so anyone can pick this up and have an understanding. This was just what I needed because even baking to soothe anxiety can only go so far when it’s all cupcakes and cookies. Bread is something that is a great thing to share, have in your house and do more than once a week if you want. I have recommended this book to tons of people and I just got it in December. Thank you, Bonnie for this amazing book and sharing your knowledge.

A nice book but everything is in metric. I don't want to have to convert every recipe in order to make a loaf of bread. I think the description should state all measurements are in metric. If I had known this before buying I would not have bought it. Description is misleading. I will be donating it to our local library for their book sale.

I tried to read through the initial part of this book several times, but it became so incomprehensible (See, e.g. "Temperature Calculation" on page 21) that I finally gave up. I spoke with a friend of mine who has been a bread baker for many, many years, and she explained to me that the book was designed for people trying to become professional bakers, and not beginners/amateurs like myself. I will return this book and try something else.

was very upset with this book. Instead of it calling for ounces, it said grams. Every recipe is like that. A cup of flour etc. I have to ask Alexa to convert for me. It should have said that at the beginning , I would not have purchased it. It is a waste to me. Kathryn

Less than beginner bread maker here. Heard about this from Jenna Fisher, who swears by this book. This book is very thorough. So far I’ve only made Brioche cinnamon rolls and the pizza dough. The brioche used for the cinnamon roll was so good fresh out of the oven that I’m going to make a loaf of brioche next. Read through the recipes first, some take longer than expected and read the beginning for all the tips!

I have never made bread before and only have a toaster oven which does not has enough space to fit a dutch oven inside, but I still managed to make a reasonable good bread with recipe in this book. Thank you for written a such a good book for us.

Initially pleased with the selections offered in the book, but then realized all recipes have ingredients listed in grams or metric system units - not at all the teaspoon/ tablespoon/ cups and fractions of cups I'm familiar with and used to. Really inconvenient to look at each ingredient, stop and do the arithmetic to convert grams to English imperial measure, then go to next ingredient and repeat process.

I picked up this book on Kindle Unlimited, thinking that it might help my bread baking be more consistent. I've had varying degrees of success with no-knead, loaf bread, etc. I picked up so many tips, it was hard to keep track of them in the electronic version. I purchased the paperback and made the first recipe in the book, a no-knead bread. It was AMAZING! My taste testers thought it was the best bread I'd made to date. The next one to make is the panned loaf. If you read as many cookbooks as I have (a whole bookcase full) you may be wondering what made this one so different. In this book, the author takes you on a journey, her journey to learn how to make bread to feed her family and friends. Because of that, it reads differently than any other book I've encountered. I especially like the Common Problems and FAQs section. While I didn't need it for my first amazing bake, it did help to explain the problems I had with the past tries. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking to bake delicious bread.

How could anyone not love Bonnie! She treats you like an adult and knows her art so well she literally walks you through from rookie to skilled artist step by step. Best of all she is down to earth and is as skilled in how to move you through baking as she is actually baking. The book becomes a reference to use again and again, instead of being too much or too little information it tells you where the science become art so you know where to play with fine tuning.

This book is so well written and accessible. I love the way the chapters are broken up into different fermentations, I love that the recipes are clear and concise, all the tools are explained, and the recipes are kept simple. It’s important to understand that bread is a result of fermentation, it all takes time. That’s what makes it beautiful and airy and delicious. I think Bonnie’s book really encourages mindfulness while baking, getting back to traditional methods and understanding the chemistry that makes bread so wonderful.

I wanted to learn to make artisan bread and it was all the rage during the pandemic. This book is about REAL bread making and all the techniques required. I already had a food scale but I did buy the other recommended materials. I borrowed my neighbor's dutch oven for the first few tries. I was impressed with the outcome. It is a substantial time commitment but the results are worth it. I haven't tried the other breads yet, but I can't wait to.

The book is very complete with good descriptions of material and methods. But the amount of detail is overwhelming and intimidating. I have several other major bread baking books but none of them has you measure the temperature of the flour, as an example. Some of the recipes call for using a 16" X 24" sheet pan. That size won't even fit in my wall oven, although I can roast a good size turkey. I sent the book back. The book by Carol Field on Italian bread is the best one I have.

I bought this book after multiple recommendations from friends and followers; I have been been wanting to bake bread from scratch for many years, and but wasn't quite sure where to start. This book is where you start! My favorite thing about it is that is intentionally designed to out simple and as build up your skills it gets progressively harder as you work through the book. Its so clever! This is important because it helps to build up your bakers intuition which is integral to baking! I recently made my first bread with pre-ferment and it came out so tasty! I don't think we'll be buying bread anymore. I have recommended this book to many people since I started on my journey, as a lot of people have been curious about where all this bread is coming from! Also Bonnie is THE BEST! <3

This book has descriptive and easy to follow directions. I've always wanted to bake rustic bread from scratch and with this book I was able to do just that without any troubles! The author made every step crystal clear and my family thanks her for such yummy bread. I only had to buy a scale to weigh all of the ingredients and a Dutch oven to bake the bread in. The pictures were very helpful as well. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in baking beautiful, delicious bread.

Bonnie has taken the daunting process of baking bread and brought it into my little kitchen with hope! After reading the how tos, definitions, and explanations, (all written in an easy to understand manner!) I have my first loaf rising right now! (I was also so excited that ten minutes after I started another loaf!) One of my favorite parts of the book was reading about how Bonnie bakes bread in her own kitchen and locals in her community come to her home and buy it! That is such a dream. That something so simple can be filled with so much love that it brings people in a community together. I can’t wait to bake my way through this book and connect with my own community. Thank you for writing this, Bonnie! (And special thanks to Jenna Fischer for posting her bread baking journey on Instagram and literally making me dream of bread! Haha)

I discovered Bonnie on the @alchemybread IG page and the stories she posted absolutely captivated me. Breathtaking images and videos and I fell in love with the process of breadmaking before I even had this book in my hands. Bonnie inspired something really beautiful within me. A love and a passion for this art. To create bread - it’s incredibly meaningful to me. Her book gave me confidence I didn’t have and inspiration I can’t get enough of. I’m obsessed. I can’t wait to do every single recipe in this book, and better master the three I’ve done thus far. I can’t wait to buy Bonnie’s next book (I’m so hopeful there will be a next one, perhaps featuring holiday breads, dinner rolls, crescents, and more)... bread has quickly become a passion of mine and I am so grateful to Bonnie for this precious gift. Feel free to follow my bread baking for beginners endeavors at @jenmart01 on IG. I can’t wait to discover more of the world of bread making. Thank you, Bonnie. Very truly. Hugs and love to you.

This book is awesome! It provides just enough technical information to make you a successful bread Baker, but does not overwhelm you with terms, materials or fancy techniques. Each recipe builds off the previous recipes so you get a firm foundation in dough development. Within the first few pages, I was ready to start successfully baking bread--and I did! All recipes are made by hand, so a expensive stand mixer is not needed or even encouraged. My friends, family and neighbor are asking for my bread-- me, the mama who never cooks!!

I've read other bread books and as a beginning bread maker really like the simplicity of this author's style. She explains the why as much as the how without getting all Zen on the reader. Baking is clearly a labor of love yet the explanations are practical, clear and easy to replicate. I've watched videos by other bakers but until I read O'hara's book, I did not clearly understand all of the steps required to make a perfect loaf. If you are new to bread baking - get this book!

I don’t write many reviews but this book is amazing. Why? It is so well written so someone like me who has never baked bread can learn and enjoy the experience. In fact the purpose of this book is to allow you to enjoy the experience. I used to watch my mother bake bread. Now I can teach my grandchildren. Very clearly written and each step in the process is explained. It’s a clear choice for a beginner.

This book is confusing in the way it’s written. This book also has many out of place recipes for meals that have nothing to do with baking bread!!! It is also hard to follow because of the indirect way it’s been written... I wish I had returned this book. It’s terrible!

Great book for actually learning to make bread. I just baked a loaf of sourdough bread that is as good as any that I have bought from renown bakeries. Buy following the recipe/instructions from the beginning of the book starting with the easier recipes through to complicated recipes such as sourdough bread you will learn the required techniques and gain experience that will soon have you mastering the bread baking craft. I highly recommend this book for those who want to make some seriously delicious 🍞

I love to cook and bake but was always hesitant to try making bread... “there’s no way I’d be good at it.. I don’t have an expensive mixer... I’m not skilled enough..” That was until I found this book. Bonnie, in my opinion, is the perfect person to write a bread baking book for beginners because she is a self taught bread baker who only started about 10 years ago! She is so thoughtful in the way she eases you into the process of making bread by starting you off with easier loaves and gradually working you up until you feel comfortable. She also give you tips and tricks on ways to bake with items you most likely already have in your kitchen so you’re not having to spend a ton of money on supplies right away. My favorite part is that all the recipes are made by hand (no expensive mixer needed) which I have found I LOVE so much better. Not to mention her style of writing which made me feel as though a friend was writing to me and encouraging me “.. let the dough rest for 20 minutes and go enjoy a cup of tea..” 😊 If you want to learn to bake bread, buy this book! My friends and family are so glad I did as we haven’t had to buy store bought bread since I started! Bread baking does take time, patience and practice. However, shouldn’t we have to work at some things to be good at it?? Not to mention... even my “not so good loaves” are still delicious, there are some recipes that allow for 8 and 12 hour rises to fit better in busy days, and Bonnie provides even more tips, tricks and advice on her instagram page. Oh and to the people upset about the measurements being in grams... yes, you’re right, we do live in America.. but there are also these things called scales (they sell them in America!) you just push a button and it switches over so you can weigh in grams 😲

I am a HUGE fan of this book (and the author, Bonnie Ohara). I first found out about Bread Baking for Beginners when my friend told me that Jenna Fischer was learning to make bread and posting on instagram. I watched Jenna for a while and then started following Bonnie (@Alchemybread) and I was so mesmerized! I ordered the book and I LOVE it so much! Aside from this being an extremely helpful and practical book, I think the thing that I love most about it is that Bonnie is self-taught. She started baking bread for her family to save money and taught herself by checking books out from the library. You really don't need many tools to get started (you mix everything by hand!), but the tools she does recommend are reasonably priced. Bonnie takes you through learning to bake bread by teaching the information and techniques she wished she'd known when she was learning. The idea is to start at the beginning of the book and bake all the way through, developing your skills as you go. If you are a brand new baker, do not skip through the book! I've been recommending this book to everyone! Thanks for writing a fantastic bread baking book, Bonnie!

I have found this book to be extremely helpful in learning to make sourdough bread. I have made many of Bonnie’s recipes including pizza dough, brioche cinnamon rolls, as well as the beginner and intermediate sourdough recipes. I make the intermediate sourdough a few times a week and have found Bonnie’s instructions and advice to be a great help in understanding the process and the goal here, which is delicious bread! These recipes do ask you to weigh ingredients and take temperatures, which takes a small amount of learning. For those who are concerned about it, my 7 year old has learned these steps. It is a lovely book and I am delighted to find how enjoyable it is to make bread for my family.

I ADORE this book I got the Kindle version because I was afraid i wouldn't like/use it all the time. That was my BIGGEST mistake! I SO WISH I GOT THE HARD BACK (still might) I use this book EVERYDAY. I will never go back to buying store bought bread the no knead loaf has become my perfect lunch bread. Even when I felt scared or confused I reached out to Bonnie on Instagram and she was always so kind and willing to help. She's kind and doesn't treat you like you're dumb when you don't understand. She does her best to help everyone. This book brought me so much joy I love working through it and giving my family and friends loafs of fresh bread. All her recommendations on her website are so helpful and great too! If you're considering this book take the plunge it's full of delicious smells and so much knowledge presented in such an easy format where everything builds on each other. Start at the beginning and work your way through the whole thing it's fully worth the time.

The recipes sound wonderful. The problem is that the recipes are given in milliliters and grams. Milliliters are not a problem, but grams is. And the measurements are different depending on whether your ingredients are wet or dry, liquid oil or butter, etc.. I will probably try to convert some of the recipes back to cups and spoons. Until I can get that done, if ever, I won't use it.

I love this book. Bonnie Ohara does such a great job of explaining how to go about starting to bake bread in easy steps. The book works you through no-knead breads, kneaded breads, and enriched breads. She answers common questions and gives solutions to issues you might come across. I also like to watch her Instagram videos for demos on certain steps. There is no expectation of understanding anything about the process before you start. You don't need a lot of fancy equipment (most expensive investment was a Dutch oven at $40- totally worth it for bread and for other cooking). It is warm, inviting, and totally on my level- just a mom who wants to bake delicious bread on the weekends (and now several times a week, too).

This is a great book to get started on baking bread. I am not new to baking, but I have not had consistent results with baking bread. I decided to finally give it some real effort to learn and I chose this book because of the great reviews and also the easy to follow instructions. The author’s writing style is very down the earth like she teaching a friend or neighbor. I love using a scale. So accurate. I don’t even want to touch my measuring cups any more. I’ve made a dozen loaves now and my extended family loves being able to sample my newest creations. On to sourdough! This might not be last bread book you’ll buy, but it’s a great first book for the new bread baker!

Absolutely love this book. Having everything in grams and ml and temperatures - literally takes the guesswork put of bread making. I’m still a VERY VERY early novice but I’ve seen what others have graduated to do with this book and am so excited. Also, it was cool to see Jenna Fischer (Pam on The Office) also uses this book and shows her growth and evolution with bread making. Eventually I will go to kneaded breads but the no knead ones are just wonderful.

I really enjoy this book and have been working my way through each recipe. Not exactly “Julie and Julia” (only makes sense if you saw the movie)... But truly a great book. Steps are broken down and easy to follow. And the recipes so far have been a delight to my friends and family. I feel inspired to continue and use the skills to bake breads for as many neighbors as I can.

Love following Bonnie on Instagram, I could watch her stories all day. I used to bake bread, years ago, but the recipes I was using were always so time consuming and confusing, and full of failures. Until NOW!! Bonnie's writing style is easy to understand and straightforward. I haven't had a single failure. My bread looks great, it smells great, and my kids have joined in the baking fun! Definitely recommend it!

I thought “I’ll just get my recipes from the internet, how much better can a bread baking book be?” Oh, how naive I was. The recipes from Bonnie’s book are 100% better than anything I found online. My bread immediately turned out more delicious than anything I’ve baked before just by following her recipes and instructions. I can’t wait to see how incredible my bread turns out when I actually use some quality ingredients. The step by step instructions are well written and easy to follow, the picture are beautiful, and there are so many exciting recipes to try! It says “Bread Baking for Beginners” but I’d imagine even a seasoned baker would love getting their hands on this book (brioche cinnamon rolls, who wouldn’t want to try that?!). Buy this book, bake some amazing, incredible, delicious bread, thank me later. Bonnie, thank you for your time and expertise! You’re great.

I don't know how to express in words how much I loved this book. It lead me into a new hobby I didn't know I needed. I'm now obsessed with making bread. It's so fun to work your way through all the recipes and learn new techniques. This book is worth it for the cinnamon buns and pizza dough recipe alone. Thank you to Bonnie for bringing me to my new hobby. Much love. PS. For those 1 stars saying it's not American bc of the weight measurements, that's completely wrong. Buy a scale. That's the correct way to bake bread. Measuring is completely innacurate with a measuring cup.

I honestly could go on for hours about this book and everything that I have and am still learning from it! Last year, I decided that I wanted to learn how to bake bread and stumbled across Bonnie’s Instagram account as I sat, enthralled, watching Jenna Fischer from the Office, baking her way through Bread Baking for Beginners. Once I bought the book and all of the materials that Bonnie suggests, I started my own bread baking journey (and am still only part way through)! I know that we all love the weekends, but I don’t think I’ve ever looked forward to Saturday morning as much as I do now that I know I get to wake up and practice baking my bread! Bonnie’s book is written in such a warm way that you feel like a family friend is leading you through the process. I never feel intimidated by a new recipe because she makes things so easy to follow. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who has ever had an inkling that they might want to try baking bread. Once you start, you’ll never want to stop! Thank you, Bonnie, for helping me learn and begin a new hobby that will surely continue for the rest of my life!

I love this bread cookbook! We make the homemade pizza dough frequently! At first, the entire bread baking process was very intimidating and the directions seemed long but it is a very EASY process once you do the recipe once. The detailed steps are very helpful. I definitely recommend looking at the author's Instagram for videos. Make sure you purchase a food thermometer, kitchen scale, big bowls and the other items she recommends in her book.

Was very unhappy with the lack of information. You will be looking at one recipe then it will tell you to follow another recipe on another page but to use these ingredients, so you are back and forth during most of the cooking process, very unorganized. Several recipes weren't explained very well or would just leave you to wonder how to shape or finish the loaves?

Listen, this book is AMAZING. Bonnie Ohara goes into the science of bread baking in a totally accessible way, and helps you understand not only how to make great bread, but why something may not have turned out well for you. I wanted to understand bread, and get better at it, and this book is PERFECT for my bread journey. I'd tried some recipes off of the internet, and they were fine, but I can't say I understood what exactly was happening. Every loaf I've made from Bonnie's book has turned out great. Even bakes where I wasn't as happy with a loaf as I would have liked have still turned out better than any of my Internet-recipe attempts. I'm only a few bakes in, and already I can't recommend this book enough. Now excuse me while I go eat the focaccia I made today because it is duh-licious.

I LOVE THIS BOOK! I am still improving my bread baking skills, but I'm getting there with Bonnie's help! I made some bomb loaves, brioche, and cinnamon rolls. But then I got cocky and tried to make Tartine's sourdough (because it looked so pretty!!) before I finished this book and immediately regretted it! I am now going back through this book and really taking the time to learn the technique behind folding and kneading. Baby steps.. and this book is the perfect place to start!