Most Helpful Customer Reviews
88 of 92 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The only bread Recipe Book you'll need, 4 Feb 2006
This review is from: 100 Great Breads (Paperback)
This book has so many great recipes in it the only problem you may have is "where do I start?". If you are a complete novice though this question is answered for you as Paul recommends you try the wheatsheaf bread first. I have a breadmaker and although I love the simplicity of it, my loaves were always dense and heavy. Now that I have tried a few of the recipes from this book I am embarrased that I ever served these poor efforts to my family! Since buying this book none of my bread creations have failed, everything comes out light looking 'shop bought'. My biggest compliment was when my husband refused to believe that the bread we were eating was made and not shop bought, and my daughter ask me to make loaves everyday for lunch. Everything in this book is easy to undertand with step by step instuctions to guarantee success, there are a lot of tasy sounding variations for your money too. Sweet and savoury breads from different cultures too including croissants, nan, pitta breads, danish pastries, scones, beer bread! If you buy this book, my biggest tip would be - try the baguette recipe first, a great recipe for bread that practically makes itself and the best bit is NO KNEADING. Get rid of your breadmaker, all these can be made with less than 20 minutes effort - you won't regret it! (p.S go and get some fresh yeast from the bakery dept in Tesco's)
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
35 of 37 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
I feel cheated, 8 Dec 2011
Having watched Paul Hollywood on the Great Britsh Bake Off I couldn't wait to get my hands on this book as I've baked bread, for many years, and wanted to learn something from the man himself. I was really looking forward to some advice and tips from the Master Baker, along with some really adventurous bread recipes. I feel cheated. Firstly the title is not strictly true....100 Great Breads....I don't think so. As well as a recipe for "bread letters", which are varnished and used as decorative pieces, the book includes recipes for scones (3 types), 5 types of focaccia, various danish pastries, cheese biscuits and cheese straws, Oh - I almost forgot, the chapter of "Sweet Treats" which has 10 recipes for a variety of sweet delights ranging from apple pies to pancakes. Most of the recipes for bread, i.e loaves of bread, use white flour; one or two have that dash of adventure with wholemeal or rye, but where's the spelt, the granary? Okay, so we have a short chapter on The History of Bread, but I can find no mention of different types of grain, or the milling of flour for bread baking. The chapter on Tools, Techniques and Tips is so brief as to wonder why he bothered; once again he doesn't even mention the types of flour available, which is astonishing given that this is a Bread Recipe book No, I'm sorry, but when I want 100 great bread recipes, that is what I hope to get.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Don't buy this book, 17 Dec 2011
Sorry, but this book is dreadful. As a novice baker but inspired to try after watching the Great British Bake Off, where better, so I thought, to start than by buying a book "written" by the man himself. Forget the fact that there is no real technical instruction in the book, I'll put that down to it not being written for beginners, but when one of his basic recipies includes 1 tablespoon of salt, making the resultant bread virtually unedible, it doesn't give you a lot of confidence trying anything more advanced. Reading through the various receipes, you will see that when making the basic dough, they vitually all give a different, sometimes subtle, description of what to do. It is as if all the receipies have been culled from different books with the result that there is no consistency. I can't say I tried it, I had already lost all confidence in the book, but when looking at the croissant receipe I became totally confused. For the basic croissant, I could understand how you cut the rolled out dough into 8" squares and then on the diagonal etc., but on the next page, for the ham and cheese croissant, how can it work when you are instructed to cut the same rolled out dough into 4" strips ?!! I looks to me like this book was hastily put together so that he and the publishers could cash in on it on the back of his TV fame. It is a great shame they did not check the receipes first or give more thought to the overall content. I am pleased to say that my interest in baking bread has be restored by Dough, a magnificent book by Richard Bertinet which I would recommend to all novice bakers.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
|