Our Books
Our Books
Simply Great Breads: Sweet and Savory Yeasted Treats from America's Premier Artisan Baker
by Dan Leader and Lauren Chattman
Listed by The New York Times: Notable Cookbooks of 2011
If bread is the staff of life, then this book by renowned artisanal baker Daniel Leader is every home baker’s must-have cookbook. Featuring an amazing array of incredible delicacies made with yeast, it’s the perfect combination of easy and sophisticated recipes, with the keys to unlocking basics of working with yeasted doughs. Who can resist a collection of 50 mouthwatering treats, essential recipes for everyone who loves bread? The menu includes must-bake breakfast classics like crumpets and English muffins, and the three irresistible Bs: bagels, brioche, and bialys … timeless favorites such as Parker House rolls, ciabatta, and challah … plus waffles, cider doughnuts, beignets, babka, and monkey bread. Bakers of all skill levels will learn tips and trade secrets from Leader, who has shared his vast knowledge with people around the world.
Bread Alone Bread Book
by Dan Leader and Judith Blahnik
IACP Julia Child Cookbook Award Winner and favorite among home bakers!
"Good bread is hard to find and easy to make," says Dan Leader as he draws you into the ancient world of traditional bread baking. Unlike any other bread book, Bread Alone will provide you with a comprehensive guide to creating—at home—the country-style breads that have consistently captured the imagination and the taste buds of the world. In a richly told tale, Leader chronicles his crossings of America and Europe to locate the most vital ingredients at the source, to learn from the methods of the world's great bakers, and to perfect their traditional techniques. His recipes are ones that have been used for centuries: large sourdough ryes, rich and dark raisin pumpernickel loaves, real French pain au levain, big round wheats with walnuts, crusty baguettes, high and airy breads, and more. Made from organic, stone-ground grains, these breads are slow-leavened, hand-shaped, and baked to perfection on heated baking tiles. As you read through the recipes, you can almost smell the ancient aroma of baking bread. And as you begin to bake, you will learn the importance of the primary ingredient in great bread: your own observations. Signed by author and Bread Alone co-owner Daniel Leader. 332 Pages.
Local Breads
Sourdough and Whole-Grain Recipes from Europe's Best Artisan Bakers
by Dan Leader
Leader's second bread-baking book is distinguished from his earlier classic Bread Alone by its focus on regional specialties, from the Alsatian classic pain au levain to Tuscan black olive puccia, from German laugenbrezeln or pretzels to the dark Silesian rye of the Czech Republic. The book opens with 50 pages of well-written and thorough instructions on everything from ingredients to equipment. The most helpful part is the explanation of the basic steps of any bread-making process, which serves as a primer on the procedural elements that are universal across the various European traditions. Leader, who founded the heralded Bread Alone bakery in Woodstock, N.Y., is most interested in teaching holistically, so that his readers will feel comfortable becoming apprentices and then experts themselves. One can't help imagining, however, that bread baking is best learned in the flesh. Leader advises that the only way to figure out if the dough is ready is through experience, and a hapless home baker might agree. Still, the book is an excellent primer on the best breads of Europe, and the traveler who has returned home with a longing for the Roman specialty pane di altamura might be satisfied with a mouth-watering trip down memory lane.
Panini Express
by Dan Leader and Lauren Chattman
70 delicious recipes for irresistible paninis!
In Panini Express, authors Daniel Leader and Lauren Chattman bring the warm, melted, grilled goodness of panini right to your kitchen. With 70 easy recipes for deliciously different sandwiches you can make with your panini press, savoring the flavors of Italy has never been so easy. Daniel and Lauren go beyond the traditional to offer up a world of tasty treats--Artichokes, Roasted Tomatoes & Goat Cheese on Baguette; Caesar Shrimp & Arugula Sandwiches; Ham, Brie & Apple French Toast, Roast Beef with Blue Cheese & Bacon on Ciabatta Rolls. There are even dessert panini (try the Open-Faced Blueberry & Créme Fraiche Brioche Sandwich) to sweeten your palate. And for those in a completely-homemade frame of mind, Panini Express also includes from-scratch bread and roll recipes, as well as sprightly spreads and other condiments like Chipotle Ketchup and Lemon-Tarragon Mayonnaise to up the flavor quotient. With Panini Express, discover the pleasures of making your own perfectly grilled sandwiches. "I have long admired Dan's commitment to artisanal bread making. In Panini Express, he shows that his passion for the perfect sandwich goes far beyond the bread." Chef Terrance Brennan, Proprietor, Artisanal Premium Cheese "Panini Express celebrates the delicious combinations of warm bread, melted cheese, and a global array of fillings--the results are mouthwatering." Rick Smilow, President and Owner, The Institute of Culinary Education