AUTHOR: Samuel Fromartz
STARTED: July 24, 2015
FINISHED: August 17, 2015
PAGES: 306
GENRE: Memoir / Food
FIRST SENTENCE: It was December 2008, two months after Lehman Brothers imploded and the week before Christmas, when I got the call.
SUMMARY: [From BN] In 2009, journalist Samuel Fromartz was offered the assignment of a lifetime: to travel to France to work in a boulangerie. So began his quest to hone not just his homemade baguette—which later beat out professional bakeries to win the “Best Baguette of D.C.”—but his knowledge of bread, from seed to table. For the next four years, Fromartz traveled across the United States and Europe, perfecting his sourdough in California, his whole grain rye in Berlin, and his country wheat in the South of France. Along the way, he met historians, millers, farmers, wheat geneticists, sourdough biochemists, and everyone in between, learning about the history of breadmaking, the science of fermentation, and more. The result is an informative yet personal account of bread and breadbaking, complete with detailed recipes, tips, and beautiful photographs. Entertaining and inspiring, this book will be a touchstone for a new generation of bakers and a must-read for anyone who wants to take a deeper look at this deceptively ordinary, exceptionally delicious staple: handmade bread.
THOUGHTS: This book did two things for me: make me want to eat ALL the bread and teach me many new things. I was not expecting to come away from this book having learned a lot of new stuff about making bread, the history of bread, and the cultural importance of bread... but I did, and I even regaled The Husband with my new found knowledge over dinner bread baskets.
It's been almost a month since I finished the book, and I still find myself pondering some of Fromartz's explorations. It probably helps that I live in DC and can visit the farmer's markets and bakeries he mentions. I enjoyed that this was much more than a simple memoir. Fromartz takes the time to do in-depth research about how bread came to be and what it means today. He shares all that information without it seeming like an info dump.
Fromartz writing is very approachable and incredibly descriptive. His writing style is perfect for recreating his adventures in bakeries down to the very last yeasty scent. He also folds in interviews and history seamlessly. His book is as perfectly risen as the bread he bakes.
I highly recommend you read this book, but I also recommend having a baguette on hand to satisfy any cravings that may pop up.
RATING: 8/10 [Terrific]
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