2024 the best of bread review

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(as of Nov 07, 2024 13:26:11 UTC - Details)

When Charlie van Over makes his bread, he breaks all the rules of classic bread baking.  He doesn't proof the yeast.  He uses cold water instead of warm.  He mixes the dough in a food processor for forty-five seconds instead of kneading it by hand.  He lets the dough rise in a cool place.  The results?  Perfect crusty-on-the-outside baguettes with texture, taste, and aroma.  Light brioche with buttery crisp crusts and fluffy, saffron interiors.  Chewy bagels with hardy, smooth crusts.  A rich walnut loaf studded with nuts and scented with the full flavor of whole wheat.  A homey cherry babka with a crunchy cinnamon sugar topping.  How is this possible?

Like many inventors, Charlie came across his technique by accident.  At a party for Carl Sontheimer, founder of Cuisinart, the company that first introduced the food processor to American home cooks, it was suggested to Charlie that he mix his dough in a food processor.  Thus began several years of experimentation and, finally, a foolproof method for making perfect bread every time.

Now you can re-create Charlie van Over's great bread for yourself.  And what's even more amazing is that Charlie's is a hands-off, rather than a hands-on, method.  Once the dough is mixed in the food processor, there's no kneading.  Just place it in a bowl at room temperature to allow the flavors to develop.  Have to run out suddenly for a few hours?  No problem.  Just put the dough in the refrigerator until you're ready.  You won't have to keep baker's hours or become a professional to make wonderful bread at home.

Once you've mastered the basic technique, the possibilities are endless.  Fougasse, Ciabatta, Semolina Bread, pizza, Danish Twists, and even sourdough Olive Rosemary Bread and Idaho Potato Rolls.  Have a favorite bread?  Charlie even explains how to convert any recipe to The Best Bread Ever method.
The Best Bread Ever provides easy-to-follow instructions for more than sixty breads, step-by-step photographs, helpful advice for troubleshooting your food processor, rich color photographs of Charlie's bread, and recipes for using bread in bread puddings, soups, and other dishes.  As Jacques Pépin says in his foreword, "Get your ingredients and equipment together and follow Charlie's remarkable method.  You will never be without good bread again."  

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Broadway Books; First Edition (November 3, 1997)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 272 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0767900324
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0767900324
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.54 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.5 x 1.25 x 9.75 inches
Reviewer: Karen L
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Truly best and easiest way to fresh homemade bread!!
Review: This book was sent to my Daughter. I have had my own copy for many years now. I make sourdough bread and this is by far the fastest and easiest way I have ever made bread. Follow the instructions and perfect bread follows. I started baking bread hand kneading, then graduated to my KitchenAid stand mixer and now food processor. I bought this book without really understanding the method he uses. I have a lot of bread books but this is the one that’s dog eared and full of flour.

Reviewer: Diane M. Church
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Worth every penny
Review: I don't usually write a review, but I have to say this is one of my favorite new cookbooks. I like to make bread and thought making it with a food processor would be fun for a change. Charles Van Over has put a lot of good information in the book about the process of making bread. I was impressed with recipes in the back of the book using bread. The recipes range from using leftover bread, and a chapter of Bread Makes the meal. The Pan Bagnat, and Harvest Bread Pudding sound amazing.

Reviewer: rcs
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Good book, couple of flaws
Review: A good explanation of how and why the food processor works in making bread, but there is a mistake (which I unfortunately discovered) in the recipe for pain de mie, or white sandwich bread. It calls for 2 1/2 tablespoons of salt, which effectively kills the yeast - it should be 2 1\2 teaspoons. The book could also be more clear on the capacity of the processors needed to handle the quantity of dough. Still, a worthwhile book.

Reviewer: LSU
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Traditionalists--Get over it!
Review: Anyone who is still mixing and kneading bread the traditional way is obviously doing it for some other reason than the quality of the bread. This book makes breadmaking so easy that a novice can turn out perfect baguettes and European breads by following the steps in each recipe. Even after 20+ years of baking, this is truly the best bread I've ever made. The explanations are precise, easy to follow, and have been adapted to different kinds of food processors. I bought the book for the recipes, but the first fifty pages of text were fascinating and essential to learning this new and exciting method of the ancient craft of breadmaking. You definitely want this book in your cooking library.

Reviewer: Daddy-O !
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Quick delivery, good cook book.
Review: Quick delivery, good cook book. A little food on the pizza dough making page, but hey, you should see my cook books!

Reviewer: L. Lief
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Buy this book for making food processor French Baguettes and you will agree with me - it's the best bread you ever tasted!
Review: I know this will sound like a great exaggeration but this is one of the best purchases I ever made in my long life! Why? That's because I have been able to make perfect very crunchy baguettes with tasty chewy interiors EVERY single time I have followed Mr. Van Over's recipes. Following his recipes means using a kitchen scale for measuring the amount of flour instead of volume measuring cups. You should also a digital thermometer for measuring the temperature of the flour and water before kneading the dough and for measuring the temperature of the kneaded dough. No one I know has tasted better French baguettes than I have made following Charles' recipe!

Reviewer: Patrice A
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Wowed by the book's information.
Review: I got the book yesterday. I was expecting a much smaller book without all the technique information and background. I enjoyed spending the evening (a couple of hours) reading the book. I have been reading about and making bread for years and learned much from this author. Four stars because I have not tried a recipe yet. I will return with an update. (The price on this book was super reasonable.)

Reviewer: Elizabeth Kaup
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Delightful book... every baker should have it!
Review: I love 'shortcuts'...er, I guess they're 'hacks' today 🙂 And this book makes it so easy to bake the BEST bread ever.... with a food processor, of course 🙂 It's fun to take the 'gourmet' route when cooking, but priceless to have a quick & foolproof process as Plan B.

Reviewer: Kindle Customer
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Bought this book after reading a review in an American article. Making bread with this book is so easy and my food processor which has been sitting, almost redundant, for a few years has a new lease of life.I bought a special baguette pan which held 3 baguettes and then put the pan on top of my baking stone in a pre-heated oven. The smell and the cooked bread took me back to lazy day holidays in France and going to the bakery every morning for fresh baguettes (I never came out with only one). Like the original French baguettes this bread does not keep and I ended up cutting it in slices, crisping in the oven and then freezing the slices to have with soup. (I live by myself so making 3 was a bit over the amount I could eat in one day).I really recommend this book and I am sure, like me, you won’t regret it. I answered my door to My neighbour during the baking period and he asked if I was making bread as the smell was wonderful.

Reviewer: V. Briggs
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: I haven't tried the recipes yet but I here this is THE book to make bread with your food processor. The product came as expected. Thanks!

Reviewer: coneill1979
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Excellent, recommend by a professional baker.

Reviewer: Slewie
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Great book. Makes bread making interesting, fun and easy. For a used book it is in excellent shape. Great service too.

Reviewer: Daniel Somers
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: great resource