Just bought this book last week - saw it on display at a bookstore, and it sounded interesting...looked through it, put it down to look for a less-leafed-through copy...it was the only copy around, so I grabbed it, bought it, and headed home to try it out. Having begun with Dan Leader's BREAD ALONE and more recently, Maggie Glezer's ARTISAN BAKING ACROSS AMERICA, and many great bread books in between, THE BREAD BAKER'S APPRENTICE has to be recipe for recipe the most practical, and we're talking about a bunch of great titles here. I was curious about the mystique of the Pain a L'Ancienne and had a hard time believing this one bread made of flour, salt, yeast and water...nothin' else, no sugar or anything... could cause the emotions experienced by the author and his friends as described in the book, but I tried the delayed-fermentation technique, baked a batch, and was astounded at this simple complex amazingly creamy bread. So was my family, and we're having a special baking night to make more. Add to this the cinnamon buns that literally made our knees weak, the Portuguese Sweet Bread (I grew up with this stuff in New England) and the rye bread, these are the best consitently successful bread recipes I have ever used in one bread book during the course of one week, and I highly recommend Peter Reinhart's THE BREAD BAKER'S APPRENTICE to anyone who loves to bake bread, as well as read excellent culinary literature.

This is actually three books in one.

1. A collection of Peter Reinhart's stories and travels. This adds considerable color to the narrative.

2. A group of recipes for bread. For the most part, these recipes employ longer fermentation times and wetter doughs than most people are familiar with, which makes them hard to work with at first. The good part is that they work and work well. After you've made several of the breads, you'll wonder how you made bread any other way.

3. The first 110-odd pages. This is simply the finest how-to book I've ever read on bread baking. It covers the subject from start to finish, from opening the bag of bread flour and wondering what's inside, to letting the finished loaf cool on the rack. Reinhart should publish this separately, it's that good.

If you bake bread, buy it. If you don't bake bread, buy the book and try baking some bread.

For the past week, my kitchen, my whole house even, has been filled with the lovely smell of bread. My bread has always been dense and cakey; after years of trying I had given up on the idea of bread making. But now, using Peter Reinhart's wonderful wisdom, my bread is light, airy, chewy, crusty and just amazingly delicious. Much longer fermentation, real bread flour, far less yeast, and minimal kneading! It's magic. It's more in the method than the ingredients. You must try it and see for yourself.

... [I'm making] rich, decadent cinnamon buns (using the RICH man's formula) are undergoing final proofing before being popped in the oven. They have risen phenomenally, sitting as they are atop a 1/4 inch layer of homemade caramel. I cannot remember having made a dough so light, bubbly and elastic. ...

What I love about the book is that, while giving you "formulae," as he calls the recipes, he NEVER FAILS to encourage to experiment. He may have a formula with little fat, but he'll tell you what'll happen if you put a bit more or a bit less, if the fat is lard or butter. You make the final call in your kitchen.

There is something odd, though. There is a formula that calls for 5 1/2 tablespoons of butter and 6 1/2 tablespoons of sugar, for example. Couldn't this have been rounded to 1/4 or 1/3 cups? I suppose it gets important when scaling up, and although the calculations maybe easy had the metric system been used, the ornery imperial system is very unfriendly for this purpose.

The photos are fantastic; sometimes they are indeed worth a thousand words. I look at the photo, and as I feel my bread I know what to "shoot for" so to speak.

Ah well, gotta go! Those sweet cinnamon rolls must be just about ready now. Buy the book!

This book is wonderful in the sense that it conveys the writer's joy and love of baking and bread. Some might argue that it is just too touchy feely but for the more thoughtful baker it is a good read.

The book is not that geared to the beginning baker unless that beginner is ready to work by 'feel'. The assumption is made that you know what a dough looks like when it comes together and what the right temperature water and room should be. The book also does not even deal with making breads with heavy duty mixers or bread machines -- this is back to the old fashioned way of doing things where you. have a greater connection to your product.

Now, I happen to enjoy this book but I would begin with a better beginner's book like, Baking with Julia before tackling the breads in this book because you will have a better technical understanding. But once you do the breads of this book you will be amazed and deeply grateful for the generousity of Reinhart for sharing his recipes.

Caution --
If you plan to use a mixer make sure it is a very heavy duty mixer otherwise, your machine will break with heavy, tough doughs like Struan. I tried the dough with both a KitchenAid and a Magic Mill DLX and both had trouble with Struan. In the end it is best to hand knead the final 10-15 minutes, but you will get quite the workout.

Further, I suggest that you read the recipes ahead because the layout is not easy for those into glancing at recipes as they work. And no, there are no pictures to help the baker.

But get this book none the less, because it is a book done with love and is a good addition to the collection.

This is possibly my favourite cookbook of all in my collection. I was privilledged enough to have baked cakes for Brother Juniper's San Francisco Restaurant before it closed and this brought back alot of my fondest memories. I always regretted never having gotten recipes for the muffins and breads so when I saw this book I just had to have it. I have read the book from cover to cover over the last few days and challenge anyone to refrain from buying a pantry full of ingredients after reading this book!! It is all you need to motivate you to make bread - something most of us shy away from. Brother Peter writes from the heart and from his obvious love of making bread. The secret ingredient in baking is always love and this is evident in Brother Peter's book. Having eaten Brother Juniper's breads I can say that the effort is more than worth it. You'll never want any other bread again.

I loved this book! Reinhart has an infectious appreciation for the wonder of bread. The recipes are fabulous, but the inspiration of his writing will give you a new appreciation for this ancient, simple food. A book to return to again and again. I loved this book! Reinhart has an infectious appreciation for the wonder of bread. The recipes are fabulous, but the inspiration of his writing will give you a new appreciation for this ancient, simple food. A book to return to again and again

After reading Mr. Reinhart's book, it sat on my table for over a week, before I picked it up again. Mr. Reinhart comes across as a school master instead of a nurturing instructor. He almost demands that the reader make his poolish recipe which in my opinion is way too much, without room to store it. He relents and admits one can use half the recommended portion. Another problem, not all recipes use the poolish your forced to make, even half portion, so your stuck with poolish you don't really know what to do with. Bottom line, he insists you follow his recipes or else it won't be world class. Who Cares? All I want to do is make a good loaf of bread. On the other hand, Daniel Leader's book BREAD ALONE, has simple to follow recipes, repeating steps in each one, which some readers find annoying but I find most useful. Mr Leader also expresses the desire for the reader to try on his own and modify the recipes presented to make his/her own special loaf. I am not saying the recipes of Mr. Reinhart aren't good, just that the reader is strapped in doing what the author says must be done.

I purchased Crust & Crumb as another addition to my many cookbooks on bread baking. I sat down to scan my new purchase and the next thing I realized is it was 2:00am and I'd just read the book word for word, cover to cover. I honestly believe I could throw out the majority of my books on bread baking and not ever miss them as long as Crust & Crumb was on my shelf. One telltale sign of the books influence on myself is that my Kitchenaid Mixer is gathering dust as I roll up my sleeves and passionatly begin kneading. Once again connecting to the magic of transforming singular ingredients into a living, united mystery that is more than the sum of it's parts. I feel I've found a kinderd spirit in Brother Peter, and am truly inspired by his knowledge of the history about bread, the fundamental meaning of bread to mankind and the humble passion he has for the process. Brother Peter walks one through the combining of the age old flour, water and salt, and then encourages ones "unbeilf" as grace takes over and a golden, crusty loaf is born. As spacey as these musings sound, the book is concrete, practical and it follows,easy step by step formulas. I try very hard to find the meaning and mystery in the everyday (mundane) events such as baking bread. Brother Peter has done that for us in "Crust & Crumb".

I have for my entire adult life had the ambition to bake what Peter Reinhart fittingly calls "world-class" bread, but in spite of buying and reading several books dedicated to bread and much work and experimentation, the good bread eluded me. When I saw Peter Reinhart's "Crust and Crumb" advertised, I was reluctant to buy another baking book, having resigned myself to the fact that good bread cannot be baked at home. "Crust and Crumb" got me over the hump. It made me understand the chemistry and process of bread baking, and the result is that I now bake bread which is as good as any that I have had anywhere - and I have eaten a lot of good bread, including in Italy and France. And it made me understand that in order to bake good bread, you have to take it seriously, be dedicated and take the time it takes - there are few shortcuts ("poolish" starter being one of those few) and really no compromises. "Crust and Crumb" is really the only bread baking cookbook you need. Well, maybe Joe Ortiz' "Village Baker" too.

Catholic order operates restaurants all over the world under name of Franciscan mond named Brother Juniper.

Here is little selection of everything from soup to dessert, and between. Some caught my attention that are delicious: Lemon Walnut Muffins, Tuna Cheese Grinder,Spanish Lentil and Sausage Soup,.

Received free. Likely would not have paid for it. Interesting tales with recipes.

I love cookbooks. They are as exciting and gripping as novels. But, very few cookbooks are made to be read like a novel-but this one is. Before each recipe is a short essay by the author explaining the addition of or the history behind each recipe or group of recipes. Some of the stories are wildly funny, such as the author's quest for the perfect barbecue sauce...

The recipes really shine, though. The only weak part of this cookbook is the section on soup (although, the Lentil-Spinach-Chorizo Soup is one of my all-time favorite soups). Otherwise, this cookbook has definitive recipes for some popular food: the Hummus, Baba Ghanouj, and Tabbouleh. The Tuna Salad (in connection with the Tuna Grinder in the sandwich section) is stellar, as is the Coleslaw. But, the very best recipe in the book: Caesar Salad with the accompanying croutons. Once you try these recipes, you will never, ever look at other recipes for these foods! Be warned, however: Br. Peter Reinhart LOVES garlic. This is not a book for people who are squeamish about garlic!

Reinhart has a real storyteller's gift, as he relates stories of cooking for a tiny restaurant and bakery for his small religious order located in Forestville, in the California Sonoma wine country. Funny anecdotes introduce each recipe - the barbecue sauce story is one of the best. The recipes are easy and many are fresh twists on old favorites, including cole slaw that will make you change your mind about slaw.

This is a very easy to read bread book. It has quirky annecdotes and fun stories. It is written in plain english, so it is easy to read for the first time bread baker. It has an awesome trouble shooting section and great tips. It also has wonderful recipes that taste fantastic. It is truly a book that one can sit down with and finish in a day and come away ready to bake bread with the best. I would truly recommend it for the baker who wants more than just a recipe. It is great for the baker who wants to know why to do it this way as oppossed to that way. It is also great for the baker who just needs some refreshing on a subject. You can easily browse the book and go to a particular chapter and jump right in. I highly recommend it for anyone who want to learn to bake some awesome tasting and wholesome bread!

Bread making is money saving and soul enhancing. I still like to make bread by hand, even though I own a bread machine. And this book helped me make truly delicious French bread. Just wonderful! The reading is also good for your soul. If you have more time than money...

This book uses the unique analogy of the stages of baking bread and the stages of faith. I don't bake, but found the stories fun and insightful. It is another example of how many ways we can see God in this world. How many different paths will lead to the Creator. One works with one has. What Peter Reinhart has is an in-depth understanding and passion for baking bread. He has cleverly combined the spiritual journey for himself and for us. Rising, punching down, resting, proofing, etc. I liked the book. It added insight spiritually and inspired me to try baking bread. A miracle indeed!