michelle of bleeding espresso said...
November 11, 2008 at 11:20 am

Happy anniversary! And thanks so much for sharing these bagels; as I told Zoe yesterday, bagels don’t exist in southern Italy unless I make them, so this is quite exciting. If the Master recipe was supposed to be linked, though, it’s not showing for me?

My best bread-baking memory is just as you mentioned…my Italian grandmother kneading, kneading, kneading, letting rise, kneading, kneading, kneading some more. She showed me just how relaxing, soothing, and full of love the whole process is; I’m so grateful for that, because I grew up feeling time in the kitchen was a gift, not work to be avoided

zoe said...
November 11, 2008 at 11:22 am

Hi Michelle,

I will fix the link right now, thanks for leaving the lovely story and bringing this to my attention!

Zoë

Suzana said...
November 11, 2008 at 11:45 am

Bagels! You can find them in Lisbon but it’s no way close to the real thing. Just bookmarked the recipe for future use!

My story is similar to many others. As I happen to have blogged about it recently, I’ll just bring what I wrote here. “Both my grandmothers were talented bakers, either by choice, by chance or simple need. Bread flour bags, large terracotta bowls, immaculate white sheets and wooden trays are part of my childhood memories, when my grandma use to bake a weekly bread batch in a wooden oven she had at the end of the backyard. I vividly remember those days as being truly emotive and messy. Saturday was the day we’d make small cakes using the dough leftovers, roast vegetables and bake sardines in olive oil “to take advantage of the oven”, and beautiful breads to feed us throughout the week.

Every time I bake some bread I re-live those Saturdays with grandma – it works both as therapy and meditation whilst kneading, punching and shaping the dough. Me with myself, and the dough. It’s the same ritual every Sunday, and, boy, do I love it. There’s nothing better than bread!”

(link is perfect now)

jeff said...
November 11, 2008 at 11:51 am

My two cents from that night is the giddy excitement we both felt when we saw the books displayed in the store. I was told not to take pictures inside the bookstore by the manager!

But that’s not exactly a baking story is it? Well that’s OK, I’m not up for the raffle anyway! Thanks for reminding me of that night, Zoe, it was a blast. As the whole experience has been. Want to write another? Too late, already said yes! Jeff

Kelly said...
November 11, 2008 at 11:53 am

Bagels – yum! This might go on my weekend baking to do list.

I don’t ever remember being taught how to make bread. It was just something I decided to do and learned instinctively. I think there is something in my DNA, left over from the generations of women before me, that just knew how to bake.

Making bread for me is very soothing and almost meditative. Even though my husband and I own a bread machine, I never use it, partly because I much prefer the hands-on approach, but also because I can’t seem to get a good loaf from it. They fall every time. But I have no such problems making it myself. Go figure.

I love the whole process of bread making, but my favorite part is when I give it away. I love the look on someone’s face when you hand them a fresh, homemade loaf of bread as a thank you or just because. At its core, bread is a very simple thing – a few ingredients and some time. But it’s all of the things that bread connotes that make it so special – home, warmth, comfort.

That’s why I love to make bread.

Adrienne said...
November 11, 2008 at 12:06 pm

My favorite thing about baking bread is the smell. I know that’s a bit cliche, but the aroma truly makes me think ‘home.’ I love it!

Carrie said...
November 11, 2008 at 12:11 pm

Well, I have used my bread machine, but that’s about it! I need your book so I can make bread without the kneading! Pick me! Pick me!

clumbsycookie said...
November 11, 2008 at 12:20 pm

I have yet to try the bagels! I have tryed 4 of your breads from the book and they were all great! I think my favourite so far was the broa. Nothing beats thew smell of bread baking! Congratulations for 1 year of a wonderful book!

Doreen said...
November 11, 2008 at 12:29 pm

Congratulations Zoe and Jeff!! I can imagine the excitement you both had seeing your book on the shelves at Barnes and Noble… and now seeing the excitement of soooo many around the world .. and the renewed interest in bread making.

My mom used to bake bread for our family when I was a child. I loved the smell of her fresh baked bread. My favorite was a dilly-bread that she’d make. One of my sisters and I were discussing that recently – and have decided we must get that recipe from her. I’d like to try to adapt it w/ your method.

Maren said...
November 11, 2008 at 12:34 pm

Thanks for the bagel recipe! I’m very excited to try it.
I’ve tried your master recipe so far and my husband and I both love it; thank you so much for sharing!
My husband is a nut for poppy seed bagels but they’re tough to find, so I’m very much looking forward to hopefully becoming his supplier.

No one in my family has been much of a baker, but I really wanted to try it on my own. I’d never known anyone who baked bread in their home oven but I decided to give it a try, not expecting much for results. Once that first loaf came out (despite its funny looks), I was hooked! Nothing beats the taste of a freshly baked loaf of bread to go along with a hearty soup to dip it in! I love experimenting and getting better and better at it. We’re to the point now where most of the time we’re unimpressed by the bread at restaurants because we know we can make it better at home. It’s so much fun!

Melissa said...
November 11, 2008 at 12:38 pm

Congrats on the book. I love baking bread and I love the book and I would love a copy of it!

Thanks!

The Food Hunter said...
November 11, 2008 at 1:00 pm

My husband and I have just recently started experimenting with bread making. The first thing we tried was bagels. We used a recipe similar to yours and they came out delicious. We’ve done breadsticks which also turned out good. Our next venture is going to be something to add to our Thanksgiving dinner.

Congratulations on your 1 year!

Michelle C. said...
November 11, 2008 at 1:04 pm

I can’t remember exactly when I started to bake bread, but I know the days of the old Prodigy boards really got me into it, especially with the rise in popularity of bread machines and Donna German’s little bread machine cookbooks (I still have and use a circa 1991 Zojirushi).

I’m with Jeff’s grandmother – a good piece of Jewish rye is better than cake for dessert! And this week, after many, many batches of the master boule recipe, peasant bread, and a few variations for pizza dough, I finally tried the deli rye recipe.

Why did I wait so long??? (well, probably because the peasant bread is so darned good ) Of course now I want to combine the deli rye recipe with the sourdough method you showed for the whole grain baguette rolls.

And now bagels…. just like the absence of good rye and good pizza (which I’ve also learned to make on my own), we can’t find good, REAL bagels here in Texas.

But I’ll bet with your help I can make them!

dayna said...
November 11, 2008 at 1:16 pm

Happy Anniversary!
Those are some lovely bagels indeed!

It was with my hair pulled back – usually with a purple hairnet once intended for nighttime curlers, I’m sure, my Nana introduced me to the fundamentals of cooking. She let me flip (& drop) my first pancake, taught me the word impetuous and how to bake bread – slowly.
It’s that bread that I’m not intimidated by today but it’s that same smell that I yearn for and those simple dropped ball dinner rolls we would eat warm and smothered with butter.
My grandmother would start the bread at night leaving it on the back of the stove to warm overnight. It would never cease to amaze me how such a small bundle of dough could grow so immensely that it would touch and push up the protective tea towel above it.
It’s because of Nana and her bread that I cook so passionately today.

Rebecca said...
November 11, 2008 at 1:30 pm

Congrats on the anniversary!

My bread story is a teach-yourself type of thing. My mother an grandmother weren’t bakers, but one year my father wanted Stollen at Christmas. (German sweet christmas bread with dried fruits and nuts.)

I turned to the Joy of Cooking, and followed the recipe as closely as I could. I was so nervous the whole time, since I had no one to tell me if I was doing it right or not. In the end, I overkneaded it and it was a bit tough, but it came out well enough that I chose to keep trying.

I’ve gotten better and more comfortable, but I still make Stollen every christmas.

Heather said...
November 11, 2008 at 1:37 pm

Well both sides of my grandparents baked. On my Mom’s side, Granny baked all the bread we ate at her house. I don’t think she EVER bought a loaf of bread. On my Dad’s side, Gramps as a bakery owner. I don’t remember him baking at home, and don’t ever remember ever going to the bakery (I was one of the youngest of the grandkids) My baking mmeory of him is his awesome Scottish Shortbread. Yum.

I bake bread at home quite often. My favorite memory there, is of my children, all lined up, covered in flour with their own little “personal” doughs – worked so much they had turned grey. . . (grin)

Thien-Kim said...
November 11, 2008 at 1:48 pm

Congrats! I tried to bake bread as a teenager, with horrible results as I wasn’t patient enough for the risings. Coming from a Vietnamese family, we didn’t really bake (too hot in Vietnam I guess)

Fast forward to 2 years ago. I got a bread machine from Freecycle. The first few loaves I made just like the directions said. It wasn’t great bread but it wasn’t bad either. Now I’ve gotten more adventurous and mainly use it to mix my dough and for the first rise. I love the smell of bread baking in our home. I would love to win a copy of your book. It’s been on my wish list ever since I heard your interview on the Splendid Table radio show.

Marisa said...
November 11, 2008 at 1:50 pm

Now I’m craving fresh bagels for lunch… too bad I can’t make those at work!

I don’t necessarily have a bread story, but just wanted to say that I NEVER would have thought I could bake bread, but I checked your book out of the library and gave it a shot anyway. I love it – suddenly, *I* am a baker! I have proselytized the book a bit to my friends and family, I admit (mostly by sending them the link to the NY Times recipe and telling them that they need to at least give it a shot!).

tricia said...
November 11, 2008 at 1:51 pm

My sister was nine years old than me, and was very much a mom as well as a sister. She loved to bake when she was in high school and I loved to sample her creations. Her favorite thing to make was bread. I still remember watching her make it with fascination. She died several years ago, and to this day when I am missing her I make a loaf of bread and remember the good times.

Maren said...
November 11, 2008 at 1:55 pm

I forgot to mention that I had a baby girl just a month ago and I also have a 2 year old daughter, and I found out about your master recipe after I gave birth and still tried it…it’s so delightfully simple that even a mother of a newborn and toddler can handle baking bread at home with ease! Thank you!

thehungryengineer said...
November 11, 2008 at 1:57 pm

Yum – I love bagels – and I’m a cream-cheese and lox girl, all the way. (Or, oddly enough, I just munch on them plain.)

Bread and I have a funny history. When I was a kid, I *hated* the loaves my grandmas baked, preferring the mooshy store-bought stuff instead. Then when I was in college, some switch flipped, and I discovered there was no flavor I loved more than that which comes from a big, warm, crusty sourdough baguette. And I decided that I could bake bread too. And then I discovered that I couldn’t. I’d try and try and several hours later, I had a tasteless loaf, or one that had failed to rise, or one that had a lame crust. In the past couple years, again, some switch must have flipped, because now I can turn out a fairly pretty and consistent simple whole wheat loaf. That said, I am dying to learn how to make more artisan-type breads, and consequently, I’m really interested in checking out your book. (Plus anything that turns conventional wisdom on its head is instantly appealing to me!)

Mary said...
November 11, 2008 at 2:12 pm

Congratulations. I would love to have a copy of your book so I can expand my bread making.

Jan said...
November 11, 2008 at 2:24 pm

I bought your book and have shared loaves of bread with friends and family. They can’t believe it came from my kitchen.

Ann Dee said...
November 11, 2008 at 3:07 pm

Every summer my mom would try to teach me how to make bread. It was a long and hot and tiring process. She had very specific kneading requirements that involved pounding, pulling, throwing, and punching. I remember being sore for weeks afterward and being relieved that bread-making was done for the year (although it was delicious). This is just ONE reason why I love your breadmaking method (a friend gave me the master recipe and I’ve make it all the time now). The Artisan Bread in Five is on my Christmas wish list. Thank you.

Sarah said...
November 11, 2008 at 3:11 pm

This is fabulous–I just found out about your site through an article in the Seattle PI and can’t wait to try making bread this way.

I would love to get a copy of your book, if I’m so lucky. My story is that when I was little I remember my Mom spending an afternoon making french bread, and giving my sisters and I a little bit of dough to make into our own loaves–often shaped like turtles or bears or fish, which she would bake and we would have for dinner. And since the recipe she used always made several loaves, one of us would be sent out with a towel-wrapped loaf to one of our neighbors.

Dolly said...
November 11, 2008 at 3:20 pm

Congratulations Zoe & Jeff! Your book is amazing, and I both show it and use it during my “Breadmaking without Tears” class that I teach for adult education. (In fact, there’s a whole section of Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day recipes and info in the handbook I created for my students, who are strongly urged to get your book!) Students are very receptive to the concept of making a master dough batch & storing it for use.
My breadmaking parents almost never bought bread at the store. My father was a better baker than my mother, and always turned out the best whole wheat bread and rolls. My mom made excellent sandwich loaves and rye bread. We especially enjoyed when Granny visited from “down South” too-she brought her sourdough starter with her when she visited & made us the best goodies during her 2 or 3 week stay. Ahhhhh, bread making at home. There sure is a revival of that! Thanks for your great book!

Di said...
November 11, 2008 at 4:06 pm

I find bread baking to be very centering. There is nothing like working the dough on a cold, rainy day, letting it rise, smelling the bread as it bakes. It just makes the cares melt away.

Julie F. said...
November 11, 2008 at 4:09 pm

After the birth of my second son, I so desperately craved homemade bread. And it’s not like you’re out running around too much with two young kids at home, so what better thing to do than learn to bake bread? Granted, in retrospect, loaves of hot oatmeal maple bread did their share in slowing my after-pregnancy weight loss, but we’ve had a great time. And now, with three kids, we love to bake bread and show them the magic that is risen dough.

mary said...
November 11, 2008 at 4:44 pm

I grew up on wonder bread. Only recently, for the first time ever, have I made a bread product, and, incidentally, it was bagels. It was my sister’s idea, really. I was all, sure, we’re going to make bagels?!?! And then we did. As I sat in my kitchen, eating a bagel covered in homemade chive cream cheese, I was dumbfounded. Yes, people actually bake things. And, they taste good. And, it doesn’t take that much work. Holy baking goodness. It was a major epiphahy for me. I want to learn more!

David C. Yao said...
November 11, 2008 at 4:50 pm

You know how most memories are visual? Well, olfactory memories can last a lifetime, and my strongest memory of the holidays growing up in a family of 10 is the yeasty, buttery smell of homemade dinner rolls filling the kitchen. Just recalling the memory makes my mouth water.

I circled your web address in the Seattle P-I article and left it on a chair in our home office. Later my wife cautioned me, “don’t recycle that section of the paper with the bread story,” as she and our nine year-old daughter want to use it to start baking bread at home!

Trish said...
November 11, 2008 at 5:07 pm

Those bagels look delightful. I think I will be giving this a try!

My story…I don’t have a family baking history. I have no memories of childhood bread baking. As a new wife, I tried my hand at bread and could only come up with bricks. Years later I got a bread machine and churned out some adequate loaves.

Then one day the machine quit working and I didn’t have the budget to replace it, so I was determined to master the art of the kneading and rising and baking from scratch. I did it, but struggled to find the time to get it done. Then I found a reference to your book on someone’s blog and looked it up at my local library. It was nothing short of revolutionary! To be able to create great bread with such a small commitment of time is a marvel. I was instantly hooked and have tried several of the recipes in the book. I even got my sisiter-in-law hooked on this, too. She and I both purchased the book, so if I win, I would pass my copy along and hopefully create another 5 minute bread groupie.

Beth said...
November 11, 2008 at 5:30 pm

I love your book, and I love your blog!! I have long been a fan of baking quick breads and muffins, and playing around with sweet and savory fillings. There’s nothing like the smell of freshly baked banana zucchini bread…and nothing beats that first hot bite!

But my favorite bread-baking memory is actually all thanks to you. I had read another blogger’s rave review of your book and, finding it at the local library, decided to give your light whole wheat recipe a try. I didn’t have high hopes — the extended preparation time to allow for rising, the directions being a step more complex than for my quick breads, and my general tendency to flub baked recipes the first time out didn’t bolster my confidence. So when I managed to turn out an amazingly delicious recipe on my first try, I was thrilled! Elated! Bounding with exuberance! So naturally I tried out a second recipe from the book — and the resulting batard was even better than the first loaf!!! I blogged about it (and you even commented on it, Jeff — thank you): http://muffinlovechick.blogspot.com/2008/08/bread-baker.html

Thank you for opening up my life and kitchen to new and fantastic baking adventures!

Debbie said...
November 11, 2008 at 5:44 pm

My dear Portuguese daughter-in-law used to lament the dearth of good local bread–until I bought the book and started treating her! If my comment is drawn, she’ll get her own cookbook!

Nicole said...
November 11, 2008 at 7:26 pm

My bread-making memory is kneading bread with my grandma and having her feel it, then me feel it until I got a good “feel” for when it was kneaded enough. What an art!

Susanna said...
November 11, 2008 at 7:35 pm

Congratulations. Your bread makes me weep.
Susanna

Stacy F said...
November 11, 2008 at 7:42 pm

I have memories of dense, whole wheat bread that didn’t appeal to my youthful palate. Once older and married, I made delicious egg bread from a recipe in a Penzey’s catalog. From there, I got a bread machine. The next morning we awoke at 4:30am to the smoke detector because the machine was defective (or I was-could have gone either way!)
Now, my bread from your book is on my daughter’s “Favorite Foods” list. THAT is an awesome feeling! Unfortunately, it is the only thing I make that is on her list. Not for long, bagels are next! Mwah-hahaha

joey said...
November 11, 2008 at 8:20 pm

Happy anniversary! I love your book and, although I do love kneading and waiting and going about bread the long way, it is not so practical in these busy times…so your book has really been a magical bread-baking wand for me Thanks for putting wonderful, freshly-baked, homemade bread back within reach more often! (My friends can’t believe it when I say it’ll just take 5 minutes, but then I lead them to my fridge and point at the tupperware of dough and say “see, there it is!” hehe)

katie said...
November 11, 2008 at 8:26 pm

Tossing pizza dough with my husband and friends and making an absolute mess of the kitchen! FUN TIMES!

Molly said...
November 11, 2008 at 8:54 pm

My bread-baking story is recent. Just decided a few weeks ago that I do not want to feed my kids the squishy shelf stable product anymore. Started playing around with recipes and I am absolutely loving the pace and practice of baking our own. I started a flickr group of weekly bakers and we currently have 85 participants (some more consistent than others) who are doing the same. I’m having a great time and for someone who hasn’t even liked bread in years, I’m a convert. There’s little similarity between what comes from the oven and what comes from a store shelf. Your blog is lovely and I would love a copy of your book. Thanks for the chance.

Laura said...
November 11, 2008 at 9:29 pm

I’ve really had a great time trying the different recipes in your book. One ot he greatest things is the website.I find it helps immensely with some problems I may be having. I have made the bagels,but they did not come out as well as I thought they should. Sometimes, I do need to read the directions a little more carefully!

stefan bert said...
November 11, 2008 at 9:37 pm

Congratulations on your anniversary,

You have brought joy to our so restricted life here in Islamabad!

Every day is a new happy day baking one of your recipes, thanks and to many, many more successful years.

S & S

Elizabeth Davis said...
November 11, 2008 at 10:01 pm

I grew up in a bread baking family in L.A. OK, with the exception of rye bread, which we bought, everything else was homemade.
I coveted the squishy white bread my friends brought to school each day in their lunch boxes. I thought they were the lucky ones.
Fast forward 35 years. Now I’m the family bread baker and my kids are the ones who covet squishy white bread and store-bought challah. Go figure.
Still, there’s something about baking bread from scratch…and so, in spite of jam packed schedules with overflowing to do lists, I try to make challah every Friday for Shabbat. Last year at Rosh HaShanah I took on the goal of making a different type of challah each week. I came close.
Baking bread is more therapeutic than anything else. Maybe it’s a little inspirational too.
There’s something about kneading dough that really grounds you. Most times I skip using my KitchenAid. Instead I pull out a chipped bowl and a wooden spoon and make the dough by hand. In this simple act I feel connected to my mother, my grandmother and all of those who’ve measured, kneaded and braided loaves for hundreds of years before me.
Now with the no-knead loaf I’ve added another winner to the recipe box. Thanks for a delicious loaf and those yet to come.

Barb said...
November 11, 2008 at 10:33 pm

Congrats Zoe and Jeff!

The first thing that comes to my mind when you say “Bread” – is a memory of my younger brother (no longer living) When he was a kid, probably 6 years old, he had an old beat up ‘little red wagon’ (you know the kind) We lived in a small community and our Mom would let him walk up to our Grandma’s with the wagon. He always had this funny habit of ’singing and dancing’ as he went along – he was a cheerful little guy. Kind of swayed along and hummed and people would all know him.

When he arrived at Grammas house she would invariably be making bread, something she did almost daily and wonderfully. Before he would leave for home she would wrap up a small ball of raw dough in plastic and send it home with him in his wagon. When he’d get home he’d shape it and Mom would bake it for him.

Your bread recipes and book have opened a whole new world for me. I made bread sticks last night with the peasant bread recipe and they were AMAZING, and taught a young lady who’s 22 (ha, I’m getting older, thats a sure sign) to bake your basic recipe. She’s NEVER made bread before.

I’m doing two demo’s of your recipe in the near future, one for the school where my husband teaches and one for a church thing where several churches get together and share a hobby or craft.

I wish you all the success – you’re generous and genius. I’m going to promote your contest on my blog tomorrow and…

Please, I’m pretty passionate about this bread so if I comment too often as I try things, please don’t hesitate to tell me LOL! (I’d love to let you know how the demo’s turn out!)

conrad said...
November 11, 2008 at 10:41 pm

Dear Jeff and Zoe
Happy Anniversary. Your book has changed our lives with weekly homeade bread. It has not been so good for the waistline but we wouldnt change a thing. Thank you. I am looking forward to the next book
Conrad

Michelle said...
November 11, 2008 at 10:46 pm

Happy anniversary! My childhood memories of bread baking certainly involve the heady aroma and the taste of that first slice, still warm from the oven. I also remember that making bread was a very mysterious process that had to be timed perfectly and could easily turn into a complete disaster. These feelings of apprehension surrounding bread accompanied me into adulthood, but your recipes have made the process almost foolproof. Because of your method, I rarely buy bread anymore. It’s so gratifying to know that I can easily put a fresh-baked loaf of bread on the table every day with very little stress or fear of things going wrong. I’m very eagerly awaiting your next book!

jenn said...
November 11, 2008 at 10:54 pm

My mom never baked, but my sister did. My favorite days we’re coming home from school to the smell of monkey bread…mmm. I tried artisan bread in 5 because I wanted my kids to have those memories too…and because I craved it!

conrad said...
November 11, 2008 at 10:59 pm

Opps I forgot to add my funny story. Since I have been using your book I have created a bit of a monster. My wife and 2 children love the bread and unfortunately I have made a couple of underage bread snobs. My 2 children 3 and 5 years old spent the night at a friends house. At the dinner meal they found the offerred bread to be subpar and voiced their opinion, “This bread is not how my daddy makes it” Luckily the parents are good friends are were not too offended especially after being given a fresh loaf of bread. The kids love to make their own loaves. Thanks again.
Conrad

Fishes And Loaves said...
November 12, 2008 at 12:13 am

I have always wanted to try making bagels… looks like I have no excuses anymore. Actually, as a young wife I went for years baking bread boring breads until about 15 years ago when my mother in law gave me a bread machine for Christmas. I was so disappointed after trying and trying to come out with something that even resembled a nice loaf of bread that I quit all together.

Then about 2 years ago I got an itch I couldn’t scratch and tried making a good old fashioned loaf of white bread. Nice but not amazing. Still I was itching to make something crusty and wonderful. Thank God for the www and great folks like you who have made my baking days come alive.

Bless you for sharing all your experience, talents and recipes with wanna b’s like me. Without you my breads would still be boring. Now they are the talk of the town. You deserve The Prize!

Bianca said...
November 12, 2008 at 2:12 am

Oh! Congratulations on 1 year!

I have been looking everywhere for your book here in Australia and I’m struggling to find one.

My Grandma (Sadie) is an amazing baker. I make a lot of her recipes, but she never really made bread. So my childhood baked goods stories are all about sweet treats.

I’ve been practicing and perfecting baking bread though so my little 1 year old boy can grow up enjoying the delicious smells and tastes of home baked bread. And so far, he’s a carb monster (sour dough is his fav) so we’re on the right track!

smorgasbroad said...
November 12, 2008 at 5:40 am

First off, congrats!

Secondly, that last picture looks like my dream come true…

As for my bread experiences: I’m still learning to bake, but part of my motivation for wanting to be able to bake bread is memories of my Granny and the country bread omnipresent at her house (not to mention homemade jam and perfect fried chicken and garden fresh vegetables…). As a kid I would help her knead as best I could. She had a patented spanking method that I really got a kick out of. Slapping dough as hard as you can? Yes please!

Melynda said...
November 12, 2008 at 6:21 am

Happy Annie! I use to bake all our bread and can our food. Then I returned to the workplace full time and so your “5 minutes” is wonderful!

Karen said...
November 12, 2008 at 7:01 am

Since the advent of the 5 minute no-knead bread, I have totally immersed myself in bread baking. No longer do I think about getting a loaf of bread from the store. Now I can prepare the dough one day and bake it another. I don’t have to plan in the morning a loaf of bread I want ready by dinner time. Especially when I have to be at work during the day and can’t wait around for a second rise.

Thank you so much for all of your efforts in putting together this book and your website. I have the book on my Christmas wish list, but would love to win a copy….I am 12 on the waitlist at my library. I think it will take about 6 months before I ever see it from them!!!!!!!!!

maggie said...
November 12, 2008 at 8:16 am

Congrats! I reallllly want to try making those bagels!

Sue Pado said...
November 12, 2008 at 8:44 am

My grandmother and my mother both baked bread. My mom would always make homemade applesauce in the fall and make homemade bread to go with the warm, homemade applesauce. To this day when there is a rainy day in the fall I remember those two tastes and smells. There was nothing that smelled better than homemade bread baking. Those are great memories.

Sue

Roberta said...
November 12, 2008 at 9:00 am

I began baking bread many years ago because we lived in a little mining time without much of a grocery store and because we were 60 miles from the nearest real town where we could obtain good bread. I recently borrowed your book from the library and tried several recipes – love it and will need a copy for my very own. Congrats on the anniversary!

Laser said...
November 12, 2008 at 9:03 am

Well I have to say my breadmaking eforts have not been the most successful. Tried loaves of bread both regular and with a breadmaking machine but they didn’t turn out too great.

The best I did over the years were some super cinnamon buns. For some reason they turned out well. Used to have to put them up in my son’s room to rise – warmest room in the house!

Needless to say even though I am 70, I love to cook and would really love this recipe book. All the recipes I have seen so far are amazing. Thanks

Stella said...
November 12, 2008 at 9:05 am

Sadly, I don’t have any bread baking memories because everytime I try to make bread, it turns out catastrophic. Once, I tried making bread-style pizza dough and it just wouldn’t rise. I left it there for hours. Nothing. Straight into the trash it went. I want to learn how to make bread though! The levels of bread consumption in this house are way too high for me not to learn.

Jennifer Welbaum said...
November 12, 2008 at 9:33 am

Wow. A year already? You’ve done such fabulous things in one year’s time. I’ve really been enjoying your book and the simplicity of the recipes. My husband and kids have most enjoyed having fresh bread, rolls or pizza almost every day. It gives me a great sense of pride to be able to create something so wonderful in such a short time. Very satisfying. Thanks for the tips on bagels. These will be next!

BlueKarma said...
November 12, 2008 at 10:30 am

Hooray for your first anniversary!

Hooray, too, for my family who no longer purchases loaf breads and take-out pizza (now if I could just learn to roll flour tortillas thin enough and get them whole into the skillet!). We’ve perfected a great whole grain and nut sandwich bread based on your techniques. Friends love to drop in on pizza night.

Looking forward to your next book!

Jill said...
November 12, 2008 at 10:46 am

Congratulations! I am still trying to duplicate the wonder of “Jeff and Zoe” bread that I was lucky enough to sample at Brett’s Table. The oven finally died yesterday. Sound familiar Zoe? I now have bake and broil but no convection, a situation up with which I will not put, as Winston Churchill would have said.
My favorite bread baking memory is of making braided apple bread when I lived in Zaire. This was in the era of the Tassajara Bread book, before bread machines, bagel machines and Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. After one sifted the weevils out of the flour, the bread was quite a treat.

MC said...
November 12, 2008 at 10:54 am

Well, I cheated with my first attempt at making bread. I used my bread machine and used ingredients that were supposed to make french bread, which usually has a hard, firm crust. But after it was done, I had a brick. No, not a brick. A slab of stone. It was heavy, it was hard, like diamond hard and totally useless. After muscling off a slice with a bread knife, I tried to chew on it and was sure I chipped part of a tooth.

Seriously, NASA should look into it – the could make rockets out of that thing.

Bree said...
November 12, 2008 at 11:08 am

I love the way the bagels look, they look pretty easy too.

Ok my bread story. My fiancee really wants to move to a farm one day and have us be all sustainable and self sufficient. So I figured in order to do this I would need to be able to make bread. So I try the bread, just a basic white bread, thought it was going to be super hard. I loved doing it and as the winter gets cooler I plan on making some each week. I love the taste of home baked bread and I love the smell it gives the house. He loved it so much he ate almost the whole loaf.

steph tichenor said...
November 12, 2008 at 12:08 pm

hello+happy bookiversary!
i grew up making challah every friday to enjoy with our sabbath meal.
in recent years i have picked up this tradition and tried to bake challah every friday, but it does require about 4 hours of your time, and should be ready before sundown-so it didnt always happen. your method has made bread baking so enjoyable and i am able to bake bread as needed! i also have been experimenting with your recipes because of a wheat allergy and find that 100% spelt flour works really well in all the recipes i have tried, including bagels which i missed soooo much! i plan to buy your book for a family member that also cannot eat wheat. (we are both lucky enough to be able to eat other gluten-just not wheat). thank you thank you!

Emily said...
November 12, 2008 at 12:59 pm

I don’t have any childhood bread baking memories.. Until my mother purchased a bread machine there was no bread being baked in our house! My mother just bought your book recently though and is raving about it- so things have certainly changed!

Dee said...
November 12, 2008 at 1:30 pm

Congratulations and may you have many more years creating wonderful books together!

I first made bread in the 70s (in college) using the Tassajara Bread book. Whole wheat bread, at that time, was rather exotic!

TiV said...
November 12, 2008 at 1:49 pm

I would very much like to think that I was among the very first persons in Finland who got your book. By accident I found information of it and Amazon kindly mailed it promptly at the beginning of this year. I have arMy kids have VERY strict opinion of what is good bread and what is not. Always, always the best praises gets your European Peasant bread. Only the name of this bread in our family is Mom´s Yam Yam Delicious Bread. Sorry, but I am quite happy with this new name!

Once I was on my way to meet my friend who lives in the northern parts of our country, quite close to the Artic Circle. I was planning to take a few days old bread dough with me on flight and surprise my friend. I started to feel sorry for the dough – who likes hights! – and decided to make a dough from scratch with my friend. – BECAUSE IT IS SO EASY AND DELICIOUS!

We also have a tradition with kids that Friday is our Pizza Day. That is why I always have European Peasant Bread dough in my fridge, baking pizza has never been easier and faster. Neighborhood ladies are green with envy because they think I am a super mom who after a hard days work is creating a delicious pizza out of nowhere, just like that! Like magic! But you and I know the trick…

Thank you for this trick and thank you for a wonderful year!!! Thank you also for being so active on this blog.

I wish you and your families a very nice autumn time!
TiV from Finlandound 500 cook books (yes, grazy, I know…) and very many of them is of baking which is my dearest hobbies. The more difficult recipe the better. Yeah yeah… And in the end the easiest one, your book, is the most used one!!!

TiV said...
November 12, 2008 at 1:55 pm

Sorry- somehow part of my text from the beginning of the message had jumped to the end.. part should be as follows:

I have around 500 cook books (yes, grazy, I know…) and very many of them is of baking which is my dearest hobbies. The more difficult recipe the better. Yeah yeah… And in the end the easiest one, your book, is the most used one!!!

Laurie said...
November 12, 2008 at 2:22 pm

I usually make bread in my bread maker, but am frequently disappointed in the outcome. I can’t wait to try this recipe!

Kathy said...
November 12, 2008 at 2:25 pm

Those bagels look delicious! I always forget to pull the centers out enough, so seeing how far to stretch them is a great reminder.

Mimi said...
November 12, 2008 at 2:48 pm

I’m a new “convert” to the Artisan Bread method, but I’m loving having dough in the fridge and ready to go – this week alone I’ve made pitas and a calzone for dinner and will finish up this bucket with bread tonight.

Thank you and Happy Anniversary!

claudia said...
November 12, 2008 at 3:17 pm

I have obviously been living under a rock! I just learned of your book through a blog I follow. I call myself a yeast-o-phobe because I’m always afraid of working with it – that it won’t turn out! I can not wait to try this bread – like tomorrow morning!!!
Happy Anniversary! And I thank you – my waist-line probably doesn’t but I do

Sarah said...
November 12, 2008 at 4:57 pm

I just wanted to say thanks for the wonderful cookbook! I use it at least once a week and no longer buy bread from the store. I brought a few loaves into work and have since had to lend out my book to multiple coworkers! Everyone was thrilled with it (so I’ve told them to get their own copy!). Wonderful!

Laura Barnes said...
November 12, 2008 at 5:53 pm

I just bought my 68 year old father this book as he has recently decided to start making bread, never to old to learn

Lu said...
November 12, 2008 at 6:00 pm

Zoë and Jeff: You know how much I love your book! Happy Anniversary. You are great inspirations and so quick to respond to questions here, and give helpful advice.

HAPPY HAPPY!

Lu

Christine said...
November 12, 2008 at 6:13 pm

Bread. I still haven’t gotten the hang of it. Yeast, tell me your secrets! I think my goal for the winter will be to master just one bread thing, like pizza dough. I can’t get it to the point where I feel comfortable with its consistency. Is there too much flour? Too little? It’s too sticky–or it’s been overmixed! I hope more practice will do the trick.

rebecca said...
November 12, 2008 at 6:39 pm

Thank you for posting on Tastespotting! I bake bread several times a week in our home, and I have not heard of your book or method until I saw the post today. I am anxious to give it a try…as I have already made my kitchen into somewhat of a science project in the past trying new recipes. Your starter in the fridge (and particularly these bagels) are very interesting indeed.

Of all baking and cooking I do, bread seems to be the most mysterious and rewarding. My Mother and Grandmother were both bread makers, and being Hispanic, also very proud of having mastered the elusive flour tortillas which always seemed miraculous to me given the whole idea of “by feel”. I preferred my Mother’s, and I can hear my Grandmother’s voice upon tasting: “You needed to use more flour in these”.

Congratulations on your anniversary, and congratulations on your inspiration to countless people (just judging from your comments here) to make such a staple of life in their own homes.

R.

Hannah said...
November 12, 2008 at 8:29 pm

Congratulations! I would love your book!

Can I use Spelt flour instead of all purpose in the Master Recipe? I’m guessing it will make a bit of a tougher dough?

zoe said...
November 12, 2008 at 10:17 pm

Hi Hannah,

As you said, if you substitute 100% spelt flour for the master recipe you will end up with a denser loaf. We will have lots of spelt recipes in our new book, but that won’t be out until next year.

Thank you for writing! Zoë

Lily said...
November 12, 2008 at 10:43 pm

Hello you guys,

I just whipped up the buttermilk dough and let it rise for aprox. 1.5 hours (my dorm room is warm), cut off a grapefruit sized piece, cloaked it quickly, and stretched it out into a rectangle with intent to make the cinnamon raisin loaf. I put a little butter, sugar, and raisins on, rolled it up, dropped it in the greased pan, and heated the oven to 375 while I let the loaf rise. I waited until the loaf was risen to about the level of the top of the 9 by 5 by 3 inch glass bread pan and put it in the oven (no baking stone), and poured a cup of water into a preheated metal pan in the oven. When I came back later, the top was crispy but completely blond and the bread hadn’t sprung at all. I waited ten more minutes for it to brown but it only succeeded in making a thick, slightly darker crust, and still no spring. Do you know what I might have done wrong? Thanks… I would love to have this in working order as your system is ideal for a college student with no interest in typical college student fair.

-Lily

Merav said...
November 12, 2008 at 10:57 pm

My bread-baking started with my mom, who bakes challah every Friday. When I was little I used to help her punch down the dough and make the braids. Needless to say, I’ve been hooked ever since!

Ronee said...
November 12, 2008 at 11:40 pm

Congrats on your anniversary and the success of your book!

I tried many times to bake bread the traditional way, sometimes it worked out and sometimes it didn’t, and it was never as wonderful as your recipes! I love to bake, but never got the hang of bread before. Thanks for making it fun and delicious! Can’t wait for your new book.

jeff said...
November 13, 2008 at 5:27 am

Lily: When I think of college cooking situations, the first question that comes to mind is the oven– I had a toaster oven in college. What kind of oven are you working with, and did you check the temperature with a thermometer? Sounds like a too-cool oven– no color or spring.

Let’s hear about that first and then move to other explanations if that’s not it… Jeff

Judith said...
November 13, 2008 at 5:36 am

I began baking bread when it became obvious that our youngest son (now 35) was alergic to artificial ingredients. At the time I was one of few stay-at-home mothers in the neighborhood, and I offered childcare in our home. I fed all the children breakfast, lunch and snacks each day. I baked several loaves of bread daily, as the consumption rate was high. All the children would “help” with the mixing, kneading and shaping, and were most happy to help with the tasting.

Our older children would usually have herds of friends follow them home from school each day, and all would get fresh hunks of bread (or freshly-baked brownies)still warm, slathered with butter as they gathered on the front porch. They would eat and eat, with the butter dripping all over them.

I still bake daily, and I guess I am now one of the “grandmothers” who pass on their love of cooking to the next generation. One of our favorite acitivities when the grandkids visit is to make individual fresh pizzas so that each child can shape and twirl the dough and add just what he wants to his OWN pizza.

Ana said...
November 13, 2008 at 7:46 am

One of the best days for me (even though I didn’t realize it at the time) was when my bread machine broke.

I hadn’t made bread by hand in years- I was fortunate enough to have a home ec class way back in grade school that introduced me to the wonders of yeast- and although I was initially dreading the time commitment, I find myself making a loaf every other week. It’s almost as soothing as getting a massage- and you have that irresistible scent of freshly baked bread at the end.

I’ve never tried bagels before, but you make them look just too good. Perhaps this weekend, when I really can relax and have the time to savor them.

Chris said...
November 13, 2008 at 7:47 am

I rarely bake bread myself because I’m not that great at it even though i really want to learn how to do so. My story is that there’s a older lady at my home church who regularly bakes fresh white bread and soups for college students and others in the church. Its a great thing to have on a cold winter day, a fresh loaf of bread and homemade chicken soup.

Starre said...
November 13, 2008 at 8:58 am

My first attempts at baking breads were in the early 70’s when the hippie whole grains were the rage. Most of them ended up in the garbage. I love these new 5 minute breads and I’m thrilled to hear you will be coming out with a new book featuring more grains. Makes the old hippie in me happy

carla said...
November 13, 2008 at 12:29 pm

I’ve had your book for a couple of weeks now, and I just love it. I’ve been baking every day, and I don’t know if it’s because I’m pregnant, but all I want to eat is fresh bread. The baby loves it, too. Forget caffeine and sugar, if I want to get her moving, I eat homemade bread and chevre.

I just made these bagels for lunch, and they were amazing. Thanks!

Heidi said...
November 13, 2008 at 12:45 pm

I am getting my little sister to teach me her bread-baking secrets. (yes, my LITTLE sister, it’s almost unforgivable) She was in FHA and won a ribbon for her bread. Times were hard back then and she learned to make a MEAN ciabatta!

Vicki said...
November 13, 2008 at 3:08 pm

I don’t remember my grandmother baking much bread when I was little, but she got a bread machine about the same time I went away to college. Every couple weeks I’d get a loaf of bread in the mail, well wrapped in both plastic wrap and foil. Those loaves were the best I’ve ever had.

suzy said...
November 13, 2008 at 3:25 pm

I’ve really enjoyed your book. I got my civil engineer, Montana farm boy dad to even start making his own bread. Thanks for making my love for making bread easier and faster.

Susan said...
November 13, 2008 at 4:40 pm

Happy Anniversary, Zoe and Jeff! Time for more champagne

If it weren’t for your book and method I would not be baking bread as often as I do now. I love the simplicity of the method and the bread is wonderful. BTW, I am IN LOVE with Aunt Melissa’s granola too! I thank you, my husband thanks you, my family thanks you!

Colloquial Cook said...
November 13, 2008 at 5:48 pm

I have made bread for quite a while now, thinking kneading was the way forward, and then discovered the dutch oven method and stopped kneading. It’s so immoral

Jill said...
November 13, 2008 at 6:07 pm

I don’t have any memories of baking bread, although I do remember my grandmother’s razor sharp serated bread knife. She didn’t bake the bread, but she lived in the country and bought the loaves from the Amish farmers market every week. I remember thinking it was the best bread and the scariest knife. I like to bake bread myself, both for the tactile pleasure, the pure enjoyment of the results and so my children can someday have the kind of memories that so many people have written about here. Thanks for the great book. My fingers are crossed.

Claire said...
November 13, 2008 at 7:14 pm

To the Great Bread Recipers Zoe and Jeff,
Read about the five minute bread in the Seattle PI. We are bread snobs and have been buying these beautiful artisan loaves from fine bakeries here in Seattle.
Were. After the first loaf all bread buying ceased. Ours is better. Thank you for teaching us.
Warmth to you and yours,
Claire

Dr. CaSo said...
November 13, 2008 at 7:23 pm

Congratulations I’ve so wanted to get your book but books are too expensive in Canada and last time I was in the US, I couldn’t carry anything heavy… Anyway, I made bread for the first time in my life in June (http://cestpasmoijeljure.wordpress.com/2008/06/07/le-silence-a-des-ailes/) by following Martha Stewart’s method. It was a scary experience but the result was not bad at all, for a first time. Actually, the end result was more pretty than tasty, but I was quite proud of myself. I so wish I had a good book that explained things step by step… Homemade bread is to die for!

Deb said...
November 13, 2008 at 7:30 pm

Unfortunately bread-baking was not in my past growing up. I only knew canned biscuits like Hungry Jack! But…I’m making sure my daughters know how to make bread. I’ve just found out about your book and website and am so interested in finding out more. Hopefully, my girls will look back and have many bread-baking memories to tell my grandchildren. I’d love to be entered for one of your books.

Nicole said...
November 13, 2008 at 9:19 pm

I recently was introduced to your book through blogging connections. About 15 or more years ago I made a bread a few times to just mediocre results. Recently I have been making bread again. I have made several loaves in the last month with different recipes. They are turning out great! I am going to try yours out this weekend. Thank you and happy anniversary. What an inspiration you are.

didally said...
November 13, 2008 at 9:25 pm

Happy 1st anniversary!

Artisan Bread in 5 mins, the thought of it is already so amazing. I am still a novice, started playing with the dough for the first time, making mini bagels. It’s time consuming due to the proofing of the dough. But if I can do it in 5 mins, why not? Having the book, will make me want to make home-made bread more often!

Pam said...
November 13, 2008 at 10:19 pm

I have never been a successful bread baker. I can bake a halfway decent loaf in a bread machine and very good quick breads but yeast bread has always been a bit overwhelming. My late MIL and my SIL bake the absolute best and lightest yeast rolls most people have ever eaten. Recently I tried the very same recipe and mine were hard as rocks. I have just heard about your method and I plan to try it asap. I have hope that I might just be able to bake good bread. It would be really wonderful to win a copy of your book!

Allena said...
November 14, 2008 at 7:20 am

I love homemade bagels!
I love baking bread too. I’ve been baking for a long time. I remember when I first started i’d get the frozen dough and then bake that. Then i moved up to recipes I found in cookbooks or online. I’ve had many adventures from baking bricks to wonderful bread that is gone the min it’s out of the oven.
Just recently i’ve gotten into artisan bread. and I’m totally obsessed. I have the 5 min a day bread book on my christmas wishlist. b/c While i love baking bread i only do it once a week or every 2 weeks and being able to bake bead daily is awesome!
I’d love to win the book too!

Angie said...
November 14, 2008 at 8:09 am

Haven’t tried the bagels yet but we loved the pretzels!

I also wanted to say thanks again for the bread class through the U, I had a great time and learned a lot!

I have a question though – we made buns out of the deli style rye the other night to go with our sloppy joes. They turned out great except for what seemed to be excessive cracking on the bottom. Not normally an issue with a loaf of bread, but if you’re trying to hold sloppy joes in place, it’s a big deal!!!

Is there something I could have done differently to reduce the amount of cracks in the bottom of the rolls? (They were about hamburger size.)

Bea Beveridge said...
November 14, 2008 at 9:05 am

Love your book…do you ever get tired of hearing that? Here’s my question, and I apologize if it’s been answered and I missed it: Can you use parchment paper instead of cornmeal or flour on the peel and still get the same results? I find it soooo easy to just slide the loaf on the parchment paper from the peel onto the stone. It never sticks and I don’t have the cornmeal or flour to clean off the stone after baking. I’m worried however, that the bottom of my loaf loses something with this method and possibly the quality of the crumb?

Unending thanks for your brilliant contribution to the art of baking,

Bea

Ellie said...
November 14, 2008 at 9:27 am

Happy Anniversary!!
Thanks for your wonderful bread recipes.
I must admit that I grew up in a large family and only my mother could bake bread. None of us dared to try to fill her role of breadmaker in our household. We loved watching her do European sweet breads filled with walnuts. All of us children would wake up on special holidays such as Easter and Christmas to watch her “beat” the dough and mix it for a long time. A process that had to be just right. There was never really an exact measurement of ingredients. It just had to feel right!The kitchen had to be free from drafts….the temp. had to be just right But, the kitchen smelled wondeful. All the aromas of fresh orange peel, butter and vanilla lingered throughout the kitchen. I never dared to try my own bread making until recently. I went to the library and checked out a ton of books and started slowly to trying variuous bread recipes. Some failed others were great. After many repeated attempts, I slowly got a boost of confidence that bread baking is possible even to do at home. I am impressed with your recipes and how you’ve managed to make them so user friendly . Thanks a whole bunch… a special “thank you” from my husband who loves your bread!

Barb said...
November 14, 2008 at 9:30 am

Haha, take me off the book prize list it you have to for this is my second post – but I just have to share -

I MADE THE BAGELS – and they turned out sooooo good I posted them on my blog for Show and Tell Friday. I HUGELY plugged to this site so more people can come enter.

I also went by our local Home Hardware yesterday and shared with the owner – she has a massive kitchen section and does live demos and she’s VERY excited and is checking out your book, site etc! She sells a TON of stuff there thru her demos so she’ll be trying to carry your book.

With the bagels. I used the peasant bread recipe, with flax seeds but – I made the mistake of trying to ‘dip’ them in various toppings (I included flax seeds, oats and pumpkin seeds) There were too many seeds this way, so now I opt to just ’sprinkle’ them on while the bagel is wet, flip and sprinkle some more.

They were FANTASTIC.

jeff said...
November 14, 2008 at 10:18 am

Angie: This is a crazy coincidence, we made Sloppy Joes last night with little rolls from the book, and we have never made Sloppy Joes before.

OK, did you wake up at 1:38 Central time having a wierd dream (I can’t remember the content).

Sorry, now about your question. We didn’t get this cracking. It sounds like you might need a little more shaping to promote cohesiveness before letting them rest. See if that helps and let us know!

jeff said...
November 14, 2008 at 10:21 am

Bea: Yep, parchment is fine, go for it!

Barb: thanks again… if your friend’s store has trouble figuring out how to carry our book, have them e-mail me directly.

Jeff

Lynda said...
November 14, 2008 at 12:41 pm

I have my first batch of dough rising as I write. I learned about you in the Seattle P.I. and I want to win your book!
My favorite bread baking memory are the yeasted rolls my grandmother would make for every family gathering…can I make rolls with this recipe?

The American Homemaker said...
November 14, 2008 at 2:19 pm

I’m a terrible yeast bread maker. It always flops I need to win your book so I can learn to actually bake yummy bread.

Elizabeth said...
November 14, 2008 at 3:18 pm

Neither of my grandmothers was a big cook. But as an adolescent I was paired with a “grandmother” in my church as an intergenerational activity. She taught me to bake bread. I’ve been baking for a good 20 years now, thanks to her. It is an inherently grounding and memory-infused experience, somehow. I am so happy to have found your site.

Ann said...
November 14, 2008 at 3:42 pm

Congratulations on your Anniversary!! Hopefully we will be buying the next book on the 2nd anniversary! I happened on to it by accident while in Minneapolis leading an Artist’s Roadtrip in January. Bread in my house hasn’t been the same since – Thank you!

My first attempt at baking bread was when I was in 8th grade. My parents were in Rapid City on a college visit with my older brother. I decided I would teach myself to bake bread. Everything worked well until it came to the 2nd rise – which never happened. I baked the loaves anyway – they were about the size of a frozen bread dough loaf and dense as could be. My little brother, the older bro’s girlfriend and I devoured the first loaf. We then lay around groaning at how much our stomachs felt – that dense bread fell like rocks in our stomachs.

Too bad I didn’t call Grandma or GreatGrandma at the Farm and had them give me a lesson!

Fast forward to January 2008, it was love at first sight with your book and I’ve since given 3 of them as gifts. One of which was lost to Hurricane Ike with all my aunt’s possessions. If I am lucky enough to win one, it will be in the mail to her right away – for her new kitchen!

Thanks a million for such an easy way to make GREAT bread!

Ann

Beth said...
November 14, 2008 at 5:27 pm

Years ago, when I was a stay-at-home mom, I made bread almost every day for about ten years. Then I moved, started a career, my kids got older, and the pace of my life just changed so much that I got away from it… and when the buzz about your book started moving around the net this time last year, I realized – with a really gutwrenching devastation – how much I missed it. I bought the book just after the first of the year and have brought daily bread back into my family’s life, and it’s just such a joy.

I wrote this piece last Easter; it’s a little too long to include in comments, but I wanted to share it with you.

Like Ann, I have a list of people who get this book as gifts. The next one in my queue is my public library; that’s where the raffle book would go. Congratulations on on your anniversary – I’m so looking forward to the next book!

GreenMaeve said...
November 14, 2008 at 9:26 pm

I love to bake artisan breads. Why send $4 a loaf when you can make it for pennies.

My bread story is when I moved into my house the owners before had left their bread machine. I had never used one before so I thought why not? It was not as tasty as as my non machine breads. So, I sent it on to a thrift store. I have not missed it.

Congrats and I look forward to your next book.

Lola said...
November 14, 2008 at 10:14 pm

I started baking bread as a young bride(37 years ago) and was self-taught. I am no way a professional bread baker but my love of baking bread gave way to many times sharing my freshly baked bread with neighbors and friends/family. The look on their face made it all worth while and my nieces still talk about it, they are grown now, and that is what baking/cooking is all about….love of baking, love of sharing.

Marvyl Grinney said...
November 14, 2008 at 11:03 pm

My Mom made a huge batch of bread every weekend without measuring any ingredients. Memories of those mornings of bread baking and the smell of fresh bread and coffee in the kitchen are very precious to me. I wish I had the Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a day when my children were small. It would have made it much easier to bake homemade bread so they would have that same sweet memory. I love giving this book as a gift to friend and family to get them in the kitchen making their own homemade bread.

Paula said...
November 15, 2008 at 12:31 am

Hi Zoe and Jeff,

I’ve just come across your website after looking at breadmaker recommendations. My fiance and I are choosing goods for our future home now, and until five minutes ago, I thought I would continue my mother’s habit of baking our wheat-free loaves in a machine.

Like many posters before me, I have memories of my grandmothers baking bread. My maternal grandmother was a master at domestic crafts and rarely seemed to bake to a recipe. My paternal grandmother died before I was born, but I have a rare photo of her next to the outdoor clay oven that my dad built for her on the family farm. No electricity in those days!

My best memory of bread, though, is from just after my parents’ separation, when my mother and I were dirt-poor and hungry. A friend arranged for us to pick up a local bakery’s artisan leftovers at the end of each day. I felt like we had said to God, “We have no bread,” and He replied, “Well, let them eat cake!”

Beth said...
November 15, 2008 at 12:35 am

mm I can taste it now.. my Great-Grandmothers bread.. I tried a few times to make her recipe but never the same.. so I look forward to trying your recipes : ) My sister has just taken a loaf of your bread out of her oven and said it not only smells divine but tastes it too.

Renee said...
November 15, 2008 at 5:44 am

I LOVE to make bread. I do use my machine quite a bit and we have made our own butter for a pioneer themed party. (a marble and cream in a jar)
I really would love the book!

jacqui jones said...
November 15, 2008 at 3:13 pm

wow i think im making bagels today!

we make bread every day
and while i enjoy the process and dont mind that it takes a while
i cant wait to get my hands on this book!!!!
its on my chirstmas list at the top

Joan Cuppoletti said...
November 15, 2008 at 4:50 pm

Congratulations on your books anniversary! I have two teenage boys that went vegan almost three years ago. I’m one of those cooks that used to cook every thing from scratch. I had to learn how to cook all over again when my boys went vegan. At that time, I lost my passion for cooking almost every thing, but I never lost my passion for baking bread. That is one food I feel as a family we can all enjoy. Please pick my family to win a copy of your extraordinary book.
Thank you J.C.

nicole patrizio said...
November 15, 2008 at 5:56 pm

ACK! I can’t leave a comment about my break-making experience because I haven’t had much experience! BUT, I CAN say that with all the blog-reading I do, this book is all the rave and it’s on my Christmas list!! YUM!!!!!!

Nancy E said...
November 15, 2008 at 7:06 pm

Looking back, my love affair with making bread actually began with learning how to make butter. I was probably in 4th grade at Creslea Park Elementary in Linwood, NJ, when we learned how to churn our own butter, and then miraculously we each made and baked a very basic mini loaf of bread. This was all accomplished in the lunch room and kitchen of our beloved school. The smells and tastes from that 49 year old memory are as clear and comforting today as they were that day.
Your book has helped me to relive moments I hadn’t thought about for years, and I thank you for that!
Congratulations on your well deserved success, and my current and 4th grade self are seriously looking forward to your next book. Peace.

Sheri O said...
November 15, 2008 at 10:18 pm

Congratulations on your 1 year anniversary! I absolutely cannot WAIT for your next book to be published! I am a whole wheat bread person to the core, and I’m looking forward to seeing how I can make some whole-wheat, seeded breads in the same fashion as the french breads!

I have no memory of fresh, home-made breads from my childhood. Neither my mother, aunt, nor my grandmothers were much into baking bread. I DO remember my maternal grandmother purchasing fresh Vienna Bread from the local bakery. There was nothing better than that crisp crust and the chewy crumb of that bread!

Fast forward to college. I got a wonderful recipe for whole-wheat bread made int the food processor from a home-economics alumnus of my small, liberal-arts college. After I was married, I frequently made that loaf, which my husband adored.

Later, my husband’s former supervisor gave me his late wife’s Bosch mixer, and I got a recipe for making 5(!) loaves of wonderful, 14-grain whole wheat bread in about 10 minutes (plus rising and baking) time. They are delicious and get rave reviews, but they don’t have the crispy crust that I crave when I make Italian dishes.

After hearing about your book last year (and NOT receiving it for Christmas), I purchased a book of my own. After reading the book, I couldn’t wait to try the recipes! I mixed up a batch of dough, and couldn’t wait to try it. One night, after the kids were in bed I could wait no longer, and I pulled out the first of the batch and baked it. It was beautiful. My husband took one bite of it and SHOOK MY HAND! He has always raved about my cooking, but the bread brought tears to our eyes.

Since that night, I have made countless batches of dough. There is almost always a bowl of dough in the fridge waiting to be formed and baked. All of our children are THRILLED when they know that I am baking bread (or using the dough for pizzas on the grill) for the evening meal.

I fantasize about having a small refrigerator where I can keep bowls of the boule, brioche and peasant loaves at my disposal for any time (there just isn’t room in the main fridge for that many bowls of dough).

I have introduced bread-baking to my mother. I think she might have been intimidated by traditional bread baking. I made some dough with her for the first time at my parents’ cabin in northern Arizona (ca. 7,500 ft.). We were concerned about the yeast in the high altitude, but the bread turned out very well. Since then, she has made several more batches on her own, and used the dough for pizza, too.

Thanks again for the book, and for helping to create wonderful memories for MY children! I look forward to teaching them to make the bread, so when they go to college, they can amaze their friends with delicious, fresh home-made bread!

Sonya Wood said...
November 15, 2008 at 11:59 pm

First, congratulations on your first book.
I don’t remember when I first started baking bread. I do remember that my first breads were rather hit and miss as to weather they would be edible. When my husband and I started having kids we didn’t have much money since we decided I should stay home with the kids. We didn’t have the money to buy the good bread at the stores. So I started making my own bread instead of buying Aldis bread. Now although we have more money the cost of food is so high we still cannot afford to buy the good bread at the rate my children would like to eat it. So unless I have the time inbetween working and caring for the kids and the house and cooking we simply don’t get bread. Now though with your wonderful book we can once again have it regularly. Thank you.
I only have one question. I made the basic dough but didn’t measure. I made it according to how you said the dough would look. It turned out great. I then made the deli rye dough. It is currently rising. I measured it carefully. I have never made rye bread before so I thought careful measuring would be best on the first time. It is much stiffer. More so than the first dough. Is it normal for it to be stiffer than the basic dough? It is also taking longer than the basic dough to rise.

Judi Robinson said...
November 16, 2008 at 12:10 pm

Congratulations on your 1st anniversary! Just got my copy friday, bought the items I needed yesterday, and am making bread today!! Super excited. I have 5 daughters, and they LOVE to work in the kitchen with me. All are excited to start baking the recipes in this book

proegge said...
November 16, 2008 at 8:14 pm

Thanks for the recipe for bagels! I have to admit-I never considered making my own, and here in the middle of small-town Kansas, there is nowhere to buy fresh ones. So this recipe will be a real treat to try.

My memory is of watching my mom making bread. I was always the scrawny, skinny ‘baby’ sister, so I never did any kneading. But I loved the smell of it baking, and the taste of butter spread on fresh-baked bread, still warm from the oven is one of the best tastes in the world. If I don’t win your book, I shall have to go buy it!

brady said...
November 17, 2008 at 7:50 am

Love your post, always come away hungry.
As for a bread story, my aunt had a bakery/catering business that she ran out of her house. Of all the breads she made her yeast dough sweet rolls were the most memorable. Besides being as big as my small head at the time and delicious, she made the dough in mass in a clean 30 gallon plastic trash can. The dough would rise throughout the day like some sci fi creature and just hypnotize me. That dough and my aunt letting me help her is why I work in the business today.

Fuji Mama said...
November 17, 2008 at 1:36 pm

Congrats on such a good year! My favorite memory of bread is coming home from school and being greeted by the smell of fresh baked bread as I walked through the door and my mom with a plate in hand topped with a thick slice of hot bread slathered in butter. Mmmm…nothing gets better than that!

lace said...
November 17, 2008 at 2:23 pm

Congratulations on your anniversary.

I don’t have memories of making bread. No one I know makes their bread. It’s all store bought.

In the past, I’ve made a few items using yeast, mostly only cinnamon rolls. I purchased a bread machine for my mother one year for Christmas and liked the bread but didn’t like the bread at the same time. It broke and we never got it fixed.

I began to read about your book on several blogs and became interested. I checked at a book store but they didn’t have your book in at the time so I checked my local library. No book. Then I remembered that they do inter library loan and found your book and ordered it. I wanted to try out the recipes first because I was didn’t believe that making bread could be that easy. I’ve made several batches of bread and then had to return the book. I’ve made several more batches and find that it really is that easy to make delicious bread.

I think I’ll be making a stop at the book store again to see if they have your book in. I’d love to make bread for the Holidays.

Genevieve said...
November 17, 2008 at 2:25 pm

My mother-in-law always made homemade bread for her family. Since I get married, I always wanted to learn how to make my own bread, because I know how my husband loves it, but it seemed so complicated…Then I discovered this blog and your wonderful method!! Thank you for sharing your “secrets”!

Liz said...
November 17, 2008 at 2:30 pm

I’m just a beginner at bread baking. I bought my kitchenaid mixer a few years ago and have only made bread from the recipe in the kitchenaid book…oh and I have attempted to make large pretzels…does that count. I’d love to branch out. Bagels are one of my favorites and I have never thought about making them from scratch…why not??

Liz said...
November 17, 2008 at 2:31 pm

my email was wrong on my last post…so sorry.

Melynda said...
November 17, 2008 at 2:38 pm

My kind of book! Please count me in.

ikkinlala said...
November 17, 2008 at 6:12 pm

May Canadians enter?

When my brother and I were young my mom occasionally baked bread with us. One thing I remember is making teddy-bear-shaped bread and decorating it with raisins (the raisins ended up burnt, though, so we always picked them out when we were eating it).

Jaja said...
November 17, 2008 at 6:32 pm

you guys rock! I tried the master recipe over the weekend and it was a success considering that it was my first attempt ever to bake bread=) Thanks for being generous in sharing your recipe online. =)

Anne said...
November 17, 2008 at 9:29 pm

Congrats on your anniversary!!! Just found your blog through Amazon. I have heard a lot of good about your book. Also enjoyed watching all the bagel baking photos. Poppy seeds are the best topping ever… on any bread! I hope I win a book… or that Santa brings me one. Good luck with your next book. I bet it will be great.

Lovella said...
November 17, 2008 at 9:43 pm

I very recently found your recipe and can’t wait to get your book. . .this dough of yours is absolutely amazing. I have been baking bread for 30 years. . since I got married and this is hands down the best recipe for bread I have ever had.

Thanks so much. . .I can’t wait till I open my book under the Christmas tree.

carolyn said...
November 18, 2008 at 4:44 am

I love your book, my famiily loves homemade bread, but I don’t have the time now I do. thanks a bunch & congratulations on the anniversary. wonderful

April said...
November 18, 2008 at 8:19 am

Happy Anniversary and congratulations on your book. I am excited to try the bagel recipe.

My bread story didn’t start with my mother. She was allergic to gluetin so she taught us to bake cookies and other things. However, my mother-in-law taught me to make bread when I first got married. She has a 12 loaf recipe that she used to make bread when she would feed 27 men who helped on their farm during summers and harvest. We have adapted it to a 4 loaf one. I enjoy trying new recipes and baking. It smells so good!!! and now is so much more cost effective as well. My husband love it when I bake bread so I am excited to try some of your recipes. Sound like a great book.

Laura said...
November 18, 2008 at 9:08 am

Now that the weather has gotten cold, I have started amking the bread with full force once again. Over the weekend I made the basic recipe, brioche and yesterday I made a batch of the deli-rye.I gave a loaf to me 89 year old mother in law, and once again her and my brother in law are raving about it! Since I have not been giving the bread away for the past few months, my family acts like they have never had it before. I can’t believe I have been making these recipes for almost a year. Time sure flies.

Kathryn Finotti said...
November 18, 2008 at 9:26 am

This is a fantastic website!! I can’t wait to get a copy of your book…so, here’s my bread story.

When I was 16 I started baking bread…you know, the plain ‘ol whole wheat yeast kind. But, our family loved it! I would make four loaves for our family of five, but one loaf always got eaten as soon as it came out of the oven. Fresh hot bread, sliced and buttered…no one could stay away from the kitchen while it was baking. Not only was it economical that we baked it ourselves, but of course it tasted better and was so much healthier than the mass produced bread. My sister and I were the bakers in the house…mom liked to cook good healthy meals, but when it came to baking she just didn’t have the time. So, my sister was the sweets baker and I was the bread baker. I’m trying to make bread baking in my house a priority now…but of course, the two hour yeast kind of bread requires too much time. I have two jobs, two boys still at home and a husband who is disabled…not much time for baking. It looks like your baking methods will allow me the pleasure of returning to making bread for my family!! I’m so excited to see bread making made simple. Thank you for your wonderful efforts to get others baking again!

Jane said...
November 18, 2008 at 1:54 pm

I know it’s in the book but can’t find it again…can you substitute regular salt for Kosher?

My grandma baked bread and cinnamon rolls for us after school but always using frozen dough so I never learned how to make it from scratch. I kept trying different recipes, but never seemed to have the right touch…it was always too dry or too sticky or didn’t make a nice crust.

Made my first loaf from your book last night and it wonderful. It was a cold day so it probably could have risen longer but even so the children still inhaled it and I am now sad that I hedged my bets and halved the recipe as I will clearly need to stir up some more dough in a day or two. My son & husband are clamoring for me use the last of the dough for another loaf but my daughter is begging me to wait for it to develop into a sourdough. I can’t wait to try cinnamon rolls, with my children helping on a stool at my elbow just like me & grandma. Thanks so much for this book!

jeff said...
November 18, 2008 at 2:06 pm

Hi Jane, welcome to the site, thanks for visiting. About salt, check out http://www.artisanbreadinfive.com/?p=139.

Yes, you may appreciate the larger holes you get with a longer rise– let’s say 90 minutes instead of 40. See what you think. Jeff

Candice said...
November 18, 2008 at 2:29 pm

To be quite honest I have no good baking memories yet. But from all of the recipes I’ve seen posted from this book I certainly hope to have some soon!

Barb said...
November 18, 2008 at 4:07 pm

Hi Jeff and Zoe – I don’t know how to just email you LOL – so I’m just leaving this message here for you. I came across a site today which you may be interested in for promoting your book, looks pretty cool!

I saw it on DIGG – your book OUGHT to be there!

http://cookstr.com/

Sarah said...
November 18, 2008 at 6:20 pm

My first memory of baking bread is when I was about 4 or 5. I was standing on a chair in my grandmother’s old farmhouse kitchen learning to make her famous clover leaf rolls. I remember how sticky the dough felt on my fingers. And how hard it was to roll perfect little balls. Mine were definitely more artistic than grandma’s. Even today, my rolls never look as perfect as hers. I wish she were still here to tell me her secret more time – maybe this time I’d remember.

Beth Wellington said...
November 18, 2008 at 10:03 pm

My memory of baking bread is a bit different from other folks–my grandmother never baked bread (living in NYC, home to many good bakeries) and my mother baked only one loaf for a home ec. class in college.

When I went away to college, the Presbyterians had added a new kitchen to their church across the road from William and Mary, and instead of tearing out the old kitchen, they let any students use it, regardless of their religious preference or lack thereof. Albert “Raf” Rafanelli would bake bread there and share it with those of us who were studying. And at my request, he showed me how to make his recipe. To this day, I make bread by feel, rather than by an exact recipe. And I’m happy to report that a group of students and recent graduates at another state university, Virginia Tech, have started a bread co-op to bake and share loaves. Although I’m not their contemporary, they invited me to join them and for the past month, I’ve been baking for the first time in years. I’m happy to report that baking bread is something like riding a bicycle–it’s as if I never stopped. I discovered your site when one of the members of the co-op sent me a link to the blog where he got his rye bread recipe and that blog credited your book as the source.

See:
http://www.peterandrewryan.com/baking/2008/11/deli-style-rye-bread/

And here’s my recipe:
http://bethwellington.blogspot.com/2008/10/oat-cherry-bread.html

GA PATSY said...
November 18, 2008 at 10:40 pm

Congrats!!!!!
Just came to this page from another blog….how great is this. Can’t wait to get your book and try all the great breads. Never had fresh baked bread in our home growing up. But I took a job after the kids got in school at the school cafeteria. What an experence that was!!!

Hot rolls from scratch..yum yum. Pizza dough made by my hands…how great that felt. That was the best pizza ever. I still remember the kids coming up to us and wanting more rolls, more pizza, more pigs-in-a-blanket, more crust for the chicken pot pie. What memories!!!
I’m now retired and am ready to try your wonderful recipe.
Thanks for opening me up to the idea of baking again.

GA PATSY

Erin said...
November 19, 2008 at 6:48 am

I’ve heard such amazing things about your cookbook! Unfortunately bread and I are practically mortal enemies. the first step toward embracing my inner bread baker?

Mike Yetter said...
November 19, 2008 at 6:54 am

I, as most have memories of Mom baking bread. Hers was a sweet dough, done completely by hand.

My baking experience really was an offshoot of brewing beer. I have always liked to cook, but felt the baking was more drudgery. I think a slogan I saw at a festival, that beer was “liquid bread”, made me laugh and think at the same time. From there my bread making started. With recipes from “Joy of Cooking”, to “Beard on Bread”. The loaves were nothing special, but working with live ingredients, and having varied results was the reward, because when it came out great, it was the incentive to keep baking. It is almost like golf. You don’t always hit the perfect shot, but when you do, wow, it brings you back.

So I graduated to reading Reinhart, and making sourdough starters, and a couple of weeks ago, made my first batch of bagels.

There is peace in baking. Time for work, and time to reflect. It is a gentle hobby.

Shaheen said...
November 19, 2008 at 7:04 am

I’ve baked bread on and off. I particularly enjoy the smell of rosemary focaccia filling up my house. Warm bread, some olive tapenade – aah I think I need to make some.

Congrats on the anniversary.

Paula said...
November 19, 2008 at 7:05 am

I’ve never worked up the nerve to try bagels. My mom tried them a couple of times but we always ended up with hockey pucks!
There’s nothing better than freshly baked bread. IMO. I usually can’t wait until it’s cool to cut the end off and slather it with butter!

Judy said...
November 19, 2008 at 7:09 am

Love baking bread! My children 8 and 6 will not even touch store bought bread anymore! I use my bread machine and kitchen aid mixer. I would love to try your recipes! Pick me, pick me!!!

Marla said...
November 19, 2008 at 7:20 am

I have loved the smell, the feel of the dough and the memories surrounding this ritual of giving, since I can remember the house being filled with it’s tantalizing aroma. My mother went through different phases of baking bread at home, but it was usually mainly dinner rolls or biscuits until she got into whole grain bread before I left home. Her bread was always the highlight of the meal for me. After leaving home I discovered my own love of cooking and in particular baking and haven’t looked back since. I have had different periods of time when bread making was only professionally done and now I have come to make it as the center of our home, as my husband really doesn’t care for store bought bread any more. I made a starter from fermenting grapes, flour and water from the grapevines covering the patio of the art school in Tuscany where I met my husband 7 years ago when I worked as their cook. So it is with great care that I nurture this starter and find that I make all of our breads for our consumption and our guests at our B&B and it is always a double blessing. First in the satisfaction of the making and the satisfaction of the breaking of my bread together with others. It nourishes my body, heart and soul.

Daphne said...
November 19, 2008 at 8:17 am

I’ve got a couple loaves of wheat waiting to go in the oven as I type. Something about bread baking makes everything in the house a little softer. It’s very hard to be mad with that aroma wafting through.

Serena said...
November 19, 2008 at 10:56 am

Hi guys, your recipes are awesome! My mother got into bread-baking recently and she’s doing fairly well. However, I’d like her to get her your book. I searched high and low for it translated in Italian. Does that even exist?

I have no problem in getting her the original, but that’d require me to translate (and convert) all of the recipes, which I’d do gladly for her, but you know, it’d be awesome if there was already a translation approved by you. If there isn’t one, are you ever going to have one done? Just wondering. One way or the other, I’ll buy your book

Dave said...
November 19, 2008 at 11:58 am

Just tried a recipe from the book and like it. Sure beats the bread machine.

cookie slade said...
November 19, 2008 at 12:08 pm

I’m like a pioneer with a gourmet kitchen. I love the bread making…I did the whole wheat and added sunflower seed..really good.

Danielle said...
November 19, 2008 at 12:22 pm

After my sister’s prickly effort with the glass bread (http://www.greenerbiener.com/2008/11/crusty-artisan-bread-with-shards-of-glass/), I am eager to begin with our own, less spiky loaf. Even with the shards, the smell of fresh bread in the home makes it so warm and welcoming! A fresh bread in the tummy beats a fire in the fireplace any day

Alicia said...
November 19, 2008 at 12:51 pm

I just found your website and your book definitely has my interest piqued!! I have been making rolls in my bread machine (which still takes some planning ahead). My family loves homemade bread, rolls, bagels, etc. (so do I!) The smell of freshly baked bread makes my children’s mouths water!! Thanks for the chance to win!

Kapa said...
November 19, 2008 at 1:19 pm

Hi. Just let you know how popular your book is in an international sense, I am leaving this comments. I have heard about your book from a blog made by a Korean lady who lives in US (apparently, in Austin,TX). She has made wonderful breads so couldn’t help but letting other Korean know such simple but wonderful recipes. I have followed her ways and ended up with your blog, which is genuine. I admire you guys. You helped those who were hungry for “artisan” bread, not the ones dying on shelves in supermarkets.

By the way, I live in London. See, how global your reputation is now? Well, I may need to let the British know..

Cheers!

Pam said...
November 19, 2008 at 1:28 pm

We just bought our first home-so exciting but most of all I am excited to have a working kitchen-it has been over 3 years. So needless to say your bread is at the top of my to-do list I am dying to try it I just need the proper tools and your super book would sure help!

Louise said...
November 19, 2008 at 1:42 pm

Jef and Zoe, congrats on a great year!! I for one have been thankful for your wonderful book, looking forward to the next one, too.
Baking bread started soon after I was married (1967) and just became a part of my life! During the holidays my Gramma Byron’s (my husband’s mother)cloverleaf rolls were a must. She always said they came out better when I made them. They were lightly baked and served hot with tons of butter, everyone wanted one or two, and I had to make enough for them to take them home with them, too. Over the years, I found many bread recipes that became my “ritual” for each holiday. Today, the breads in your bread book are the ones I make because they are so easy and delicious and I experiment with them, making dinner rolls, too. I have now held two bread baking classes and the ladies leave here so excited to be able to make bread. Each participant makes a different bread recipe and immediately divides
them up into one pound loaves, then they share their dough with each other, go home with lots of different breads to try. There have been 11 and 12 participants in the classes…that’s lots of different breads. I am so grateful for the book and the ease of making bread. Oh, yes, sharing the bread with family and friends is a great source of joy, too.
Many thanks again,
Louise

Lu said...
November 20, 2008 at 4:04 pm

Hi again, Lu here. I made the bagels today. Guess what lunch was? My question is regarding the change from the book, which I noted in your post above. I did use the 450 degree/top rack method as you describe here, but wonder why you like it better (or do you?) than the book’s instructions for 400 degrees on middle rack?

Just curious about the science of it all…

Thanks again,
Lu

zoe said...
November 21, 2008 at 7:13 am

Hi Lu,

I noticed in a lower oven, with the rack in the middle that the bagels were taking much too long to bake. By the time the crust was the desired color the bagel was baking for far longer than I wanted.

By putting the temperature up higher and the rack up more the crust browned without drying out the bagel.

This may also be an issue with my oven, but I’d heard the same thing from other people so I started to play.

What do you think?

Thanks, Zoë

Lu said...
November 21, 2008 at 7:56 am

Good morning,Zoë! I think they turned out great on upper rack at 450. I could try the book method next time, but I really like the crust on the ones I made yesterday. I think you were right to switch it up. I am thinking the next batch might be cinnamon raisin bagels.

I think I created a monster, though. This morning, the Mr. said: “You’ll always have these in the house for breakfast, right?”

We love them.

zoe said...
November 21, 2008 at 10:44 am

Hi Lu,

Glad they worked out for you! You have a very wise husband!!!

Thanks, Zoë

Dolly said...
November 21, 2008 at 10:56 am

Dear Zoe & Jeff-
Last night I made pizzas with 9 day old European Peasant bread dough from your book.
The moderately sourdough tang created by this dough, combined with my toppings, was a HUGE hit at my house. I just found my new pizza dough recipe! Your recipes are great! Can’t wait for the new book coming in 2009!
Thanks for all your hard work bringing us the most amazing way to create a whole host of really delicious baked goods!

jeff said...
November 21, 2008 at 11:04 am

Thanks so much for the kind words Dolly. That’s what I make my pizza from too! European Peasant is my workhorse dough, because it can masquerade as just about anything. Roll in caraway seeds? Rye bread. Flatten it? Pizza or focaccia. Bake in a loaf pan? Sandwhich bread.

You get the picture!

Jessie said...
November 23, 2008 at 2:14 pm

Living in Brooklyn in the 1940
we had a bagel factory in the basement of the bakery, there was a window the opened up to the street. I remember standing there and watching the bakers rolling bagels of off a long snake of dough, placing them on a wooden plank
sliding them into a large pot of boiling water, then turning
them with a long dowell, then picking them up with this dowell placing them back onto this plank and then sliding them into the oven. The aroma
of this is inbeded in my memory. All this for 2cents a bagel. Now I live in Florida and it boggles my mind
when I pay 85cents a bagel.Soo
I started to bake my own using the recipe from your book. I am waiting for your next book to come out.

Jess said...
November 24, 2008 at 3:46 pm

Congrats on your anniversary! Your bagel post has me thinking about whether I could make obwarzanki. (Picture something halfway between a bagel and a soft pretzel.) I ate them pretty often the summer I was in Poland, and I miss them! I’m told the process is very similar to that of a bagel, although I haven’t been able to find a specific recipe…

Jess said...
November 24, 2008 at 3:47 pm

I forgot to mention: I also used the basic dough to make steamed buns: savory ones with pork & scallion and sweet ones with red bean paste inside. That was a ton of work, but definitely worth it, and it would have been MUCH harder without a handy bowl of dough in the fridge!

jeff said...
November 24, 2008 at 6:13 pm

Jess: How about our pretzel recipe, but do it with enriched dough?

Friends have done the steamed dough and it works great. Maybe a post on this in the future.

Thanks, Jeff

Louise said...
December 1, 2008 at 7:25 pm

how do I find out who won your book? I looked at 11/19 postings, but it only showed me 11/19 postings. No mention of winners. I clicked on Winners have been chosen see 11/19 post, but it only brought up the same page.!!!
thanks,
Louise

Louise said...
December 1, 2008 at 7:34 pm

I finally found the posting on the winners, sorry I couldn’t figure it out more easily.
Louise

Lindabelle said...
December 4, 2008 at 10:34 am

Memories…Although my mom was not a bread baker, I became interested in the amazing miracle of bread- rising and the unmatched smell of it baking even if it was just plain ole white bread. Later, at 18 when visiting my older sister near the Canadian border of upstate NY, we decided we would make bagels! Well we had to go to the county extension home economist to get a recipe! They actually tasted pretty good. But i am so excited about artisan breads. As you know the home baker has never made a decent crusty loaf, and so i gave up trying. Now we can proudly make wonderful bread…now if i just had your book… Thank you for revealing the secret to the home bakers.

jeff said...
December 4, 2008 at 3:18 pm

Thanks for the kind words Lindabelle. Stop by anytime with questions about the bread. Jeff

Nikki said...
December 24, 2008 at 8:58 am

Hello,
I just finished the last of our bagels that I made the other day. They are FANTASTIC and almost fool proof! I made them “everything” by using a combination of: dried onion, caraway seeds, poppy, sesame and some minced garlic. They are getting rave reviews. They did, however, not stay puffed up and actually flattened after a couple of days when I put them in the fridge (so they would last longer). Is there any way to stop this from happening? The bagels we buy in the store must have some sort of additive (yuck) that makes them not flatten.

Also, do you have you tried making them with whole wheat? Or other additives (i.e. Cranberries, raisin and cinnamon, etc.)?

Anyway, thanks and Happy Hanukah and Merry Christmas to you and your families.

Nikki in CT

jeff said...
December 24, 2008 at 10:15 am

Probably have preservatives. My guess would have been that any uneaten bagels will be perforated hockey pucks the next day! They never last in my house but I’d guess that freezing would be a better bet than the fridge.

Whole wheat works, it’s in our second book (12/09)! Very different character, but lovely. The ingredients you mention are also good.

Happy Holidays and thank you so much for sharing your experience… Jeff

Nina said...
January 19, 2009 at 2:18 am

During the cold months, my kitchen is often cold. Will the dough rise in the time given in your recipe? I have an electric oven, so there is no pilot light to warm the oven to help with the rising. Thanks for so many great ideas – I can hardly wait to make my first batch of dough.

jeff said...
January 19, 2009 at 7:11 am

Nina: I have electric too… take your broiler pan and fill it with hot water, and set it near the bottom of the oven. Put your loaf in there to rest. I turn on the oven for one minute, then shut it off (don’t walk away from it!!). The heat stays in there for a good while, and this really speeds the rest.

Nina said...
January 19, 2009 at 11:38 am

Thanks so much Jeff I never would have thought of that. Since you are a doctor and I am a diabetic (2), how about coming up with a low carb bread

Nina said...
January 19, 2009 at 12:02 pm

Jeff, we have a vacation home about 3 hours from our home. We live in San Francisco and are good to really great bread. There are no good artisian breads in that area – even from the two expensive bakeries in the area.

I don’t have time up there to wait 2 weeks for the dough, as we are often up there for a few days or a week or two.

For weekend stays, I can bake it at home, but for longers stays, a week or so, can I transport the dough from home and how do I keep it for the drive up. In the summer, it is a hot drive, and of course in the winter it is much cooler???

jeff said...
January 19, 2009 at 3:36 pm

Nina: Sad but true, that bread is a carbohydrate-based food. That said, the American Diabetic Association is really big on whole grains right now, which may be a little safer than white bread. The carb content is a little lower and all the other elements in whole grains seem to help in diabetes. But eat any bread in moderation, even whole grain. The more whole grain, the lower the carb, especially if you start adding in low carb vegetables (like in our next book).

I frequently bring dough up to a friends’ cabin in the trunk or the passenger compartment. Mix before you get in the car in a roomy container.

In the summer, try to keep the dough in the car. Maybe mix with cool water if you can’t. In winter, try to have the dough already fermented before you put it in the trunk.

And as always, you don’t have to wait two weeks… what we’re saying is that the flavor becomes more complex over the course of two weeks. I love it anytime after a day or so. But I’ll eat it when it’s two hours old. Jeff

Nina said...
January 19, 2009 at 4:35 pm

Thanks Jeff. I didn’t quite understand what you said.

I was planning to bring already fermented dough up with me even if it has only fermented for a few days as we are often only there for a weekend and I would love to freshly baked bread.

I want to remove dough from my fridge, that was made a week or so earlier, and was not mixed just before we leave home. A two day wait would put it about the time we are returning home.

Can it go from fridge, to car, to fridge again until I use it? If the temp is low enough, can I just put the container in a car cooler with blue ice to keep it? Sometimes it would sit in the car/cooker for 3-4-5 hours.

jeff said...
January 19, 2009 at 8:40 pm

It all depends on the temp when you get in the car. The dough can stand a little room temp (3-5 hours) so long as it’s not 90 degrees. There’ll be some over-fermentation if it’s too warm, and they dough would lose some rising power. The “younger” the dough, the less this is a problem.

Nina said...
January 19, 2009 at 10:13 pm

On warm days it would probably be 80-90 degrees once we leave San Francisco. During the other months, it would be somewhat cooler. If the car is cool, can we leave the dough in the trunk or in the car itself.

In the warmer months, would keeping in in a cooler help? and possibly in he cooler months too. Would the cooler with blue ice imitate the temp in the refrigerator or be too cold?

Thanks for taking the time to answer all of my questions.

jeff said...
January 20, 2009 at 6:39 am

Nina: In warm months, cooler sounds like a good idea, I don’t think it will be too cold. It sounds like it will approximate the refrigerator, then you’ll need the usual rest/rise after shaping when you get to the destination.

Nina said...
January 20, 2009 at 12:32 pm

Thanks Jeff for taking all of this time to answering my questions. I’ll be trying it in a few weeks. I can smell the baking bread now!

Laurel said...
February 28, 2009 at 10:36 am

Hi there

We’ve had such fun with the book and have converted all the recipes we like best to using starter rather than dried yeast.

I’ve just embarked on bagels (with starter) and they’re wonderful. However, I hate having to use so much water every time I want to make them and I don’t want to make too many at a time because they’re so delightful fresh from the oven.

Have you tried/do you think it would work to make the bagels through the boiling stage and then freeze them? This would allow you to do all of the boiling in one pot, saving water, but still allow delicious hot bagels one at a time.

Thanks!
Laurel

jeff said...
February 28, 2009 at 3:57 pm

Laurel: I’m sure that would work, though I haven’t tried it. Wrap them well– they’ll be prone to pick up freezer smells with all that surface area.

Dawn said...
March 4, 2009 at 2:53 pm

I used to live in Montreal and was thrilled to find the recipe for Monteal Bagels in the book – there’s nothing like them!
I can’t find Malt Powder locally but can order it online from King Arthur. Do I want Diastatic or Non-Diastatic? Their site says both are used for bagels.
Many thanks.

zoe said...
March 4, 2009 at 4:27 pm

Hi Dawn,

I love those bagels!!! You want to use non-Diastic for this purpose.

Enjoy! Zoë

Jan said...
June 15, 2009 at 6:43 am

My bagel tops are bumpy — how do I get the smooth, shiny tops for plain bagels? They seem to wrinkle when I simmer them…….

jeff said...
June 15, 2009 at 8:38 am

Hey Jan… I can’t get perfectly smooth tops either! I think it’s because our method uses “wet” dough; I’d guess that a drier dough wouldn’t behave this way. But then, you couldn’t store the dough. That’s the trade-off. Jeff

Judy L, TN said...
June 19, 2009 at 6:37 am

Hi Jeff and Zoe,
I am putting together a King Arthur order. I am getting the caramel color to make pumpernickel bread. I was thinking of getting some deli rye flavor and some non-diastic malt powder for regular bagels. I made some rye breads, but they just didn’t have the oooph I wanted. They were ok, but a “9″ on a “10 point scale” (ten being fabulous). And I would love to have a good bagel anytime.
Your recipes don’t call for deli rye flavoring or non-diastic malt powder, but would they help? If so, how much would I use per cup of flour?

Oh, I had fun at the Farmer’s Market. The organizer of the event just went crazy over the master dough boule! She used to live in Little Italy before coming to TN. She’s excited about getting fresh bread of her favorite, is telling everyone about my breads!!

Thanks so much,
Judy, TN

jeff said...
June 19, 2009 at 8:53 am

We don’t routinely use rye flavoring or malt powder, but they’re worth a try. We were trying to keep this process as simple as we could.

Sara said...
June 25, 2009 at 11:04 am

I have managed to get relatively smooth bagels. When they come out of the water, one side is usually smoother than the other. I put that side up when they go into the oven. There is some oven rise and that tends to smooth them out a little, by stretching the surface. They aren’t bagel-shop-smooth, but they look OK. Of course, the bottom side is a lumpy mess. But, they have never lasted long enough for anyone to complain.

However, I made some raisin bagels (which my husband says are great–I like raisins and bagels, but not together). The raisin ones never got very smooth. They were lumpy and pock-marked. Again, they didn’t stick around very long, so I don’t worry about it.

jeff said...
June 25, 2009 at 11:23 am

We have whole-grain cinnamon raisin bagels in the next book (click link above to see Amazon’s Pre-Order if interested) and I’d agree– the raisins make it impossible to get them smooth. As you say, no one lets them sit long enough to notice. Jeff

Jess said...
October 12, 2009 at 10:03 am

I tried the bagel recipe for the first time this week, and it was GREAT!!! I missed the errata for that recipe, so I baked them at 400 instead of 450, and it took closer to 40 minutes, but they still turned out beautifully. I’m looking forward to trying it with the correct instructions tomorrow.

I buy bagels for breakfast almost every weekday morning, so this is going to save me a lot of money (taking everything into account, about $500/year!). Plus, my bagel shop’s everything bagels haven’t been the same since they took the salt out of the topping.

p.s. thanks for the tips on obwarzanki. I found a document from the Polish ministry of agriculture & development that designates them as a traditional food, and it specified what ingredients are allowed if you’re going to call them “krakowiaki obwarzanki”. The document does mention including fat & sugar, so your tip on using an enriched dough is right on. I’ll let you know how those turn out.

jeff said...
October 12, 2009 at 12:43 pm

Jess: The temperature difference may be more style— the higher-temp ones will be crisper, and actually may seem less familiar. See what you think.

Loved hearing that this is saving you $500/year… Jeff

kit said...
February 2, 2010 at 6:21 am

has anyone tried bagels with the 100% whole wheat dough from the Healthy Bread in 5 book? that’s what i have in my fridge right now, but being new at this i didn’t want to have a messy failure, only to have someone comment, “oh, that dough doesn’t work as well b/c…”

zoe said...
February 2, 2010 at 6:52 am

hi Kit,

Have you made the bagels with other doughs? The trick is not to over boil them or they will fall apart. It really only takes about 2-3 minutes for the boiling.

Enjoy, Zoë

Bill said...
February 13, 2010 at 9:52 am

My wife and I love cinnamon sugar bagels and we thought that we could coat them in cinnamon and sugar like the seeds in this recipe and toss them on the stone in the oven – not advisable. We had big pools of melted sugar (hard as a rock when cooled) on our pizza stone. Just a warning to anyone who has the same “bright idea”.

zoe said...
February 13, 2010 at 3:38 pm

Hi Bill,

If you have a metal dough scraper you can just scrape that sugar away. Next time try to bake the bagels on a sheet of parchment on the stone.

Thanks for the warning! Zoë

Glenda said...
February 20, 2010 at 6:39 pm

Hi Zoe and Jeff,
I bought your book about a year ago, tried one loaf that didn’t turn out that great and put it away until recently. Since I have taken it out again we have had great success with the master recipe and also the olive oil dough for focaccia and pizza crust (maybe unbleached flour really does make it that much better?). Next up are the bagels-I have poppy seed for my hubby, but our two year old is in love with the chocolate chips bagels we pick up from our bagel shop. Any ideas on how to incorporate chocolate chips into your dough? Can they just be mixed in before the dough rises before boiling, or would the boiling ruin them? I am wondering about baking them on parchment also, like the cinnamon and sugar you mentioned above. I am pretty new to this bread thing, so it makes me a little nervious. Thanks!

jeff said...
February 20, 2010 at 10:05 pm

Glenda: Correct, our recipes don’t work with bleached flour (dough is too wet).

Parchment always makes things easier to deal with– but I’m guessing that that chips will be a mess. The ones near the outside will melt and float into the water. You COULD deal with this by trying to poke the outside ones deeper into the bagel. Might work, but risky. Could be fun…

Jeff

Amanda said...
February 23, 2010 at 8:59 am

I just made bagels this morning with the date and oatmeal dough found in HB. They turned out really yummy. The only problem is that some of them fell apart as I was taking them out of the boiling pot. I have made the bagels with other doughs and this did not happen. Is it just the dough and is there something I can do to tweek it a bit, or did I do something wrong? Any suggestions would be helpful. Anyway, thanks for all the yumminess. My family and friends also thank you!

zoe said...
February 23, 2010 at 10:31 am

Hi Amanda,

The only thing I can recommend is that you try boiling them for a bit less time. The dates and oatmeal make that dough a little less sturdy than some of the other doughs in the book.

Thanks! Zoë

Glenda said...
February 25, 2010 at 8:39 pm

Jeff and Zoe,
Just want to say thanks for the great book and for all the help you give on these pages. My husband was super impressed when I told him Jeff had already answered me before we started making our bagels-on a 1 1/2 year old blog post none the less! Anyhow, we haven’t tried doing chocolate chips yet, but the plain and poppy seed bagels were great! Thanks again guys!

jeff said...
February 25, 2010 at 10:21 pm

Glenda: Glad the bagels are working for you… Jeff

Jenny B. said...
March 20, 2010 at 4:36 pm

Love the bagels!!!! I used a`steamer basket and steamed mine for 2-3 minutes and they came out totally smooth. And TASTY.

jeff said...
March 20, 2010 at 8:18 pm

Jenny: Very interesting, haven’t read about that technique anywhere else, thanks… Jeff

MarcPhoto said...
April 27, 2010 at 7:17 pm

I just made a batch of pretzels yesterday and a batch of bagels today…. mmm, mmm good!

I was thinking about making a cinnamon & raisin bagel. I’m guessing that 1.5 TBS of cinnamon would be needed but wondered if you had a recommendation for the amount of raisins and if I would need more water than called for in the recipe?

Thanks for you time and your advise. I’m amazed that I can bake thanks to your hard work. Thanks again!

Marc

zoe said...
April 27, 2010 at 7:26 pm

Hi MarcPhoto,

You are in luck, we have a cinnamon raisin bagel recipe in HBin5 on page 74. It uses about 3/4 cup for 10 bagels.

Enjoy, Zoë

MarcPhoto said...
April 27, 2010 at 8:51 pm

Sweet!

Thanks, Zoë

Judy M, TN said...
May 27, 2010 at 3:05 pm

Hi Jeff and Zoe,

I have 2 pounds of HB5 master dough. I want to try making bagels again, but I am procrastinating. I made bagels before, and it seemed so much simpler using a baking sheet without steam. Couldn’t I do it that way with your dough?

It’s because my baking equipment, except for the stock pot, are parve. So I can’t boil the bagels in a dairy stock pot and then bake them on a dairy stone. I do have an unglazed tile I could use for a stone, but the heat is uneven–causing hot spots. Besides, i have 2 wonderful stones. I do have 2 dairy baking sheets, and could switch to that.

I do have a really small parve saucepan, but that would mean boiling one bagel at a time.

Suggestions on how to make this work? Thanks,

Judy M, TN

Judy M, TN said...
May 27, 2010 at 3:07 pm

oops, my stones are parve. I didn’t proofread. Sorry if this is confusing.

Judy M

zoe said...
May 27, 2010 at 8:19 pm

Hi Judy,

It sounds like everything is resolved and you are on your way to making bagels, yes? Let us know if you have any other questions about it!

Thanks, Zoë

Judy L said...
May 30, 2010 at 10:09 am

Hi Zoe,

No, the whole bagel thing was a complete mess! I have either a 10qt or a small saucepan I can use. The 10qt (half filled) wasn’t heating up very well on my new cooktop, so I tried to boil one bagel at a time in the smaller saucepan. I didn’t want to invest in another saucepan till I found that I could do this; I just bought a silicone skimmer spoon.

They fell apart almost immediately! I didn’t boil any of them any longer than one minute on each side. After 4 breaking up, I just baked the unboiled bagels in the oven. So they are really just rolls with holes.

1) What went wrong in the boiling? The dough really wasn’t as firm as bagel dough I had made in my bread machine.

2) We haven’t even gotten to the baking step, but why can’t I use baking sheets instead of my stone? That would be MUCH easier for me.

Hope you can answer these questions for me. So frustrating! I tossed a bunch of slimy dough that fell apart while sitting on the towel after boiling.

I’ll ask my grilling question separately.

Thanks, Judy M, TN

jeff said...
May 30, 2010 at 4:39 pm

Judy: For the white bagel recipe from ABin5, make sure you’re using bread flour. For the bagel recipe from HBin5, be sure you’re not using whole wheat pastry flour or other soft flour. Other than that, I can’t figure out why your bagel-boil leads to disintegration. You need to have a not-too-wet dough– maybe just increase the flour? And don’t boil on too high a heat– you don’t need any agitation.

But I’ve never had this problem, so I’m a bit stumped.

Baking sheets will work, yes. Not quite so nice a crust, but should be decent. Jeff

zoe said...
May 30, 2010 at 4:42 pm

Hi Judy,

Did you use the bagel dough in ABin5 or another dough? The bagel dough is a bit stiffer to hold up to the boiling, although I’ve had good luck making it with the master recipe as well. Did your batch of dough seem a bit wetter than normal when you were mixing it? If the dough is too soft it will break up in the water. It is also best to start with dough that is well chilled.

Hope that helps! Zoë

Judy M said...
May 31, 2010 at 12:39 pm

Hi Zoe, I used the dough from HB5, for the cinnamon raisin bagels. It was a bit on the dry side, actually. And I only boiled it just under a minute before it began to break apart. Really chilled dough, I had the dough for almost 10 days.

I hope we can figure this out.

Oh, we had a craving for salami sandwiches tonight so I just made the AB5 deli rye and the pumpernickel breads. I just love being able to have such fresh breads!

Hope you are enjoying a 3 day weekend and helping to honor our service men and women.

Thanks,

Judy M.

?

zoe said...
May 31, 2010 at 7:13 pm

Hi Judy,

The only thing I can recommend is that you try the bagels with a dough that is not quite so old next time and see if that makes a difference. The dough definitely loses some of its structure over the course of its life and it may not hold up as well after 10 days.

Thanks, hope you too had a wonderful weekend! Zoë

Judy M. said...
June 1, 2010 at 4:33 pm

Ok, Zoe, I’ll give it another try someday. But I think I’ll only boil them 30 seconds. I am skittish.

Is it really crucial to bake them on the baking stone? Why wouldn’t a baking sheet work?

Thanks,

Judy M

zoe said...
June 1, 2010 at 5:36 pm

Hi Judy,

I think 30 seconds on each side should be enough, give it a shot with one and see how that works.

You can bake it on a cookie sheet, but like all the breads it will have an effect on the crust. You may need to flip them over after half the baking time?

Thanks, Zoë

Judy M. said...
June 2, 2010 at 6:40 am

Thanks, Zoe!

I want to give the bagels a shot on the baking sheet, without steam. I will probably get a softer crust, which may be fine with me. I’ll let you know.

Oh, I do want to get back to you and Jeff about the pumpernickel bread from AB5. I had used the KA caramel coloring, but it still wasn’t coming out dark enough. We couldn’t figure out why. Now I know it’s because I measured wrong. I was using my scale to measure the cocoa and expresso coffee. This time, I measured by measuring spoons (and then weighed the ingredients) and saw that I didn’t add enough.

I’ll get back to you on the bagel experiment in the future. Thanks so much for your help.

Judy

jeff said...
June 2, 2010 at 12:36 pm

Judy: Yes, the home-use scales are mostly too inaccurate for small quantities, so I’m not surprised at what you found. Jeff

Jami said...
July 22, 2010 at 8:17 am

Made these today and they’re still in the oven. I think mine were a little bit on the larger side (I made 1/2 a recipe and got 8 bagels). Also, let the dough sit 5 days. Anyway, they were still a little raw in the middle after boiling for 2 minutes on each side. My past experience with non-ABin5 bagel recipes is that the dough is really dense and not at all raw after boiling. (Yes, I used bread flour). Is this typical? Should I make them smaller? Boil longer? They look good…though they’re sticking wildly to the stone despite cornmeal (a heavy dusting). Next time, would likely use parchment.

Thanks!

jeff said...
July 22, 2010 at 12:41 pm

Jami: Stored dough behaves more predictably when you make the bagels smaller, not larger as you tried.

Don’t increase the boil time, just decrease the size. Or increase the baking time if you really want large ones.

Parchment would be a good idea if you’re having sticking trouble. Jeff