Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Even if you own dozens of bread books, as I do, you will find much to love about Ken Forkish's "Flour, Water, Salt, Yeast." One of my biggest difficulties in making bread at home has always been scoring the top of the loaf before baking it. Even when I use an oiled razor blade, I can't seem to make a clean cut in the top of the bread. The blade tugs at the dough and causes it to deflate. Ken Forkish solves this problem by recommending that you bake your bread with the seam side (as opposed to the smooth side) up and not scoring it at all. The natural fissures in the seam side of the bread will open up in the heat of the oven and create the same kind of effect you'd get from successfully scoring the top of the loaf. This information alone made the book worthwhile to me. The critics who complain that the book contains only a handful of recipes are correct but they are missing the point. This isn't one of those "1000 Ways To Make Bread at Home" books. This book is about the fundamentals of good home breadmaking.It is well-written, well-illustrated, and bursting with good advice. I recommend it heartily.