Evolutions in Bread

Book excerpt: The New York Times bestselling author of Flour Water Salt Yeast teaches you how to elevate your sandwich bread, breakfast toast, and overall bread-baking game using everything he’s learned in the last decade to perfect his loaves. “A descendent of Flour Water Salt Yeast with an even greater eye towards baking breads that are complex in flavor but simple in process.”—J. Kenji Lopez-Alt, author of The Food Lab, Every Night is Pizza Night, and The Wok If you want to craft artisan pan breads and rustic Dutch oven loaves at home with professional, consistent results, this is the book for you. Think crispy, crackly crusts and soft, airy interiors, just like from your favorite artisan bakery—except it came from your own oven. Approachable to the home baker, while still being chock-full of expert knowledge and all-new recipes, Evolutions in Bread covers same-day loaves, overnight cold-proof doughs, and classic levains. Forkish shares the secrets he has learned for making sourdough starter that’s more flour efficient while also exploring classic breads and enriched doughs, such as Japanese Milk Bread and Brioche. Included with each recipe is a handy baking schedule, helping newbies navigate their first starters and loaves. The doughs are also versatile; most can be prepared as a lidded pan loaf, open pan loaf, or as a rustic country loaf. This book will improve anyone’s baking but also serves as a companion to Flour Water Salt Yeast, giving you everything you need to create any loaf imaginable.