In recent years, a revived and burgeoning interest in wholesome, locally baked bread has swept the country, with bakeries springing up in small towns and major urban areas alike, producing an astounding variety of interesting, crusty, tasty, handmade breads. The Bread Builders explains the grains and flours, leavens and doughs, the chemistry of bread, and the physics of baking in a big book filled with helpful drawings, photographs, recipes, and tips. In a unique angle for a book on baking bread, it also includes detailed diagrams and instructions for building your own masonry bread oven from scratch.

As Laurel Robertson, author of The New Laurel's Kitchen says, "This book is ice cream for a baker! We visit legendary bakeries, meet wonderful people, learn all sorts of fascinating scientific information with practical usefulness in bowl and oven, and best of all, get the skinny on masonry ovens, the cherished fantasy of us all." The enthusiasm of the authors in their search for the perfect loaf of bread permeates this detailed but lively and accessible book, and will offer much of use to both amateur and professional bread makers. --Mark A. Hetts


Thom Leonard
"Wing and Scott do more than get the details right: they get the right details."


Darrell Greenwood, webmaster
"...sets out to teach you the basics under-lying baking bread with no commercial yeast... and succeeds very well.


Countryside & Small Stock Journal, July/August 2001
"Definitely an important book for any serious baker of good bread."


Book Description
Creating the perfect loaf of bread — a challenge that has captivated centuries of bakers — is now the rage in the United States, from Waitsfield, Vermont to San Francisco, California. The resurgent village baker is at the center of this trend, leading the way to a crusty future while maintaining a firm foothold in the past. "The Bread Builders: Hearth Loaves and Masonry Ovens" by Alan Scott and Daniel Wing profiles the people, technology, and procedures for creating world class bread. Thoughtful, informative, and spirited, this book helps the reader understand how to bake superb and healthful bread, covering everything from the consistency of the dough to the mortar in the masonry oven. "The Bread Builders" explains grains and flours, leavens and doughs, the chemistry of bread, and the physics of baking. Unique among bread books, it includes a step-by-step guide to constructing a masonry oven. The authors also profile more than a dozen small-scale bakers around the U.S. whose businesses embody the holistic principles of community-oriented baking using whole grains and natural leavens.


About the Author
Alan Scott is the foremost builder of masonry ovens in America. He lives in Petaluma, California, where he runs Ovencrafters, a company that designs and builds masonry ovens and sells related accessories. Daniel Wing is a seeker of artisinal and scientific knowledge, and a jack-of-all-trades master craftsman. Learning to bake the perfect loaf of bread was an irresistible challenge. In his spare time Daniel makes his living as a doctor of rehabilitation medicine. He lives, bakes, and hosts bread and pizza parties in Corinth, Vermont.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Alan and Daniel have teamed up to write this thoughtful, entertaining, and authoritative book that shows you how to bake superb healthful bread and build your own masonry oven. The first half of The Bread Builders talks about grains and flours, leavens and doughs, the chemistry of bread, and the physics of baking. The second half provides a step-by-step guide to constructing a masonry oven, in typical Chelsea Green style. The authors also profile more than a dozen small-scale bakers around the U.S. whose practices embody the holistic principles of community-oriented baking based on whole grains and natural leavens.

The Bread Builders will appeal, to a broad range of readers, including: -- Connoisseurs of good bread and good food.-- Home bakers interested in taking their bread and pizza to the next level of excellence.-- Passionate bakers who fantasize about making a living by starting their own small bakery.-- Do-it-yourselfers looking for the next small construction project.-- Small-scale commercial bakers seeking inspiration, the most up-to-date about the entire bread-baking process and a marketing edge.

SYNOPSIS

You may have noticed the renaissance of good bread. Not just good bread, but excellent bread. Not just excellent bread, but nutritious bread that tastes fantastic. Exploring both the science and the artistry of baking bread, The Bread Builders takes you behind the scenes of this revolution, revealing the keys to making your own great bread from start to finish, from grain to oven. The secrets in a nutshell? Whole grain flour, natural leavens (also known as sourdough), and masonry ovens.Daniel Wing, a lover of all things artisinal, had long enjoyed baking his own sourdough bread. His quest for the perfect loaf began with serious study of the history and chemistry of bread baking, and eventually led to an apprenticeship with Alan Scott, the most influential builder of masonry ovens in America. Along the way, Daniel visited numerous commercial bakers steeped in the traditions of natural leavens, masonry baking, and the archetypal village baker.Alan and Daniel have teamed up to write this thoughtful, entertaining, and authoritative book that shows you how to bake superb healthful bread and build your own masonry oven. The first half of The Bread Builders talks about grains and flours, leavens and doughs, the chemistry of bread, and the physics of baking. The second half provides a step-by-step guide to constructing a masonry oven, in typical Chelsea Green style. The authors also profile more than a dozen small-scale bakers around the U.S. whose practices embody the holistic principles of community-oriented baking based on whole grains and natural leavens.The Bread Builders will appeal to a broad range of readers, including:o Connoisseurs of good bread and good food.o Home bakers interested in taking their bread and pizza to the next level of excellence.o Passionate bakers who fantasize about making a living by starting their own small bakery.o Do-it-yourselfers looking for the next small construction project.o Small-scale commercial bakers seeking inspiration, the most up-to-date knowledge about the entire bread-baking process, and a marketing edge.

About The Author
Daniel Wing and Alan Scott are both seasoned bakers and builders (one an amateur, the other a professional). Dan, a biologist and physician by training, has written for publications as various as Fine Homebuilding and The Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. He travels out from his home in Vermont in a gypsy wagon of his own construction, and naturally he built his own bread oven on wheels. Alan Scott is a craftsman and metaphysician who combines a lifetime's experience in metalwork, farming, and masonry oven-building with a constant awareness of the spiritual dimension of our activities on this earth. Originally from Australia, Alan lectures and leads workshops throughout the U.S., under the aegis of his oven building and consultation firm, Ovencrafters, which is based in Petaluma, California.

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING

This book is ice cream for a baker! We visit legendary bakeries, meet wonderful people, learn all sorts of fascinating scientific information with practical usefulness in bowl and oven-and best of all, get the skinny on masonry ovens, that cherished fantasy of us all. (Laurel Robertson, author of Laurel's Kitchen) — Laurel Robertson