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Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery That Revolutionizes Home Baking Hardcover – November 13, 2007

4.7 out of 5 stars 2,254 ratings

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For 30+ brand-new recipes and expanded ‘Tips and Techniques', check out The New Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day, on sale now.

This is the classic that started it all – Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day has now sold hundreds of thousands of copies. With more than half a million copies of their books in print, Jeff Hertzberg and Zoë François have proven that people want to bake their own bread, so long as they can do it easily and quickly.

Crusty baguettes, mouth-watering pizzas, hearty sandwich loaves, and even buttery pastries can easily become part of your own personal menu, Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day will teach you everything you need to know, opening the eyes of any potential baker.

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

While the phrase artisan bread typically evokes images of labor-intensive sessions and top-notch ingredients, for authors Hertzberg and François it means five minutes. An intriguing concept—high-quality, fresh bread in less time than it takes to boil water. The authors' promises of no kneading, no starter, no proofing yeast and no need for a bread machine is based on the concept of mixed and risen high-moisture dough stored in the fridge for up to two weeks (dough is cut into pieces and popped in the oven for fresh loaves as desired). Note: for those tracking minutes, the five-minutes doesn't include the 20-minute resting time for dough or 30 minutes for baking. After concise, introductory chapters on ingredients, equipment, and tips and techniques, readers are presented with the master recipe, a free-form loaf of French boule that is the model for all breads in the book. Three main chapters—Peasant Loaves, Flatbreads and Pizzas and Enriched Breads and Pastries—are filled with tempting selections and focus on ethnic breads and pastries including Couronne from France; Limpa from Scandinavia; Ksara from Morocco; Broa from Portugal; and Chocolate-Raisin Babka from the Ukraine, but the basics (Oatmeal Bread, Bagels, White Bread) are all here, too. A smattering of companion recipes such as Tuscan White Bean Dip and Portuguese Fish Stew are peppered throughout. While experienced bakers and true gourmands will skip this one, those looking for an innovative approach to making bread just might find it in these recipes. (Nov.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Author

Jeff Hertzberg is a physician with 20 years of experience in health care as a practitioner, consultant, & faculty member at the University of Minnesota Medical School. He is also an ardent amateur baker. Hertzberg developed a love of great bread while growing up in New York City's ethnic patchwork of the 1960s and 70s, and he refined this love with extensive travel throughout France, Italy, Germany, Spain, Britain, and Morocco. He lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with his wife and two daughters.

Zoë François is a pastry chef and baker trained at the Culinary Institute of America. With Jeff Hertzberg, M.D., she is the author of Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day. Passionate about food that is real, healthy and always delicious, François teaches baking and pastry courses nationally, is a consultant to the food industry, and creates artful desserts and custom wedding cakes. She also writes the recipe blog Zoë Bakes. She lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with her husband and two sons.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Thomas Dunne Books; First Edition (November 13, 2007)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 242 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0312362919
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0312362911
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.55 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.78 x 0.99 x 9.32 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 out of 5 stars 2,254 ratings

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Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
2,254 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book's recipes easy to follow and quick to make, producing delicious results that match fresh dough quality. Moreover, they appreciate the no-kneading method and the ability to make fresh bread daily, with one customer noting it takes only minutes a day to prepare. Additionally, the book receives positive feedback for its informative content, and customers praise the lovely crunchy/chewy crust and soft crumb texture.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

823 customers mention "Ease of use"813 positive10 negative

Customers find the book easy to use, with recipes that are simple to follow and quick to make.

"...I won't give away the basic recipe, but it's very simple to remember the four ingredients and their measurements...." Read more

"...The master recipe makes 6 medium loaves, when you want fresh bread just grab a grapefruit sized piece...let it rise for 30 minutes or so and bake..." Read more

"...It is sooo simple to get chewy rustic ARTISAN breads with only 5 minutes of dumping ingredients in a bucket, mix it just to wet all the flour...." Read more

"...Once the basic methodology is mastered, new variations are introduced. I can't recall a time when I was so excited about a cookery/baking book...." Read more

668 customers mention "Bread quality"617 positive51 negative

Customers love the quality of the bread, noting that it comes out delicious and has a great crust, performing as well as fresh dough.

"...The breads are that good!!! Keep in mind that you'll need some equipment to do this right. At a minimum, you'll need: *..." Read more

"...that is crispy chewy on the outside and soft and fragrant in the inside...." Read more

"...Bread was fantastic. Now I have been a baker for 40+ years, even had a job as a baker in the 70's...." Read more

"...instructions and, to my amazement, produced that longed-for superior loaf of bread! The bread emerged with a crispy crust and a tender, moist crumb...." Read more

202 customers mention "Time saving"194 positive8 negative

Customers appreciate the time-saving aspect of the book, noting that it delivers bread in 5 minutes and requires modest time and effort, being faster than frozen bread dough.

"...Uh, no. That part is a gimmick. But it's still pretty doggone quick...." Read more

"...Pizza is done in about 8 minutes! I feel more in control of the ingredients of my food...." Read more

"Artisan Bread in Five minutes?? Well I was a tad skeptical with the title...." Read more

"...I also like the ease of making pizza. I used to make my own dough but I could only knead two at a time in my machine so it wasn't always convenient...." Read more

180 customers mention "Success"160 positive20 negative

Customers report excellent results with this baking book, noting that the methods and formulas work well, with many achieving perfect results on their first attempt.

"...UPDATE: It's been about six months now. I have made some amazing raisin bread and sticky buns with the sweet dough...." Read more

"...It's easy, it's quick, it's fun, and it works every time (so far.)..." Read more

"...almost went down to three stars because of that point, but the results are so good that I just can't do it. Five minutes a day, huh?..." Read more

"...The recipes are easy and the results impressive." Read more

94 customers mention "Bread variety"80 positive14 negative

Customers appreciate the variety of breads they can make daily, with some mentioning specific recipes like buttermilk wheat and sesame breads.

"...simple it is to make incredibly delicious white, wheat, rye, and sesame breads...all my favorites!..." Read more

"...They had beautiful, fresh baked, powder sugar topped, raspberry jelly filled mallorcas and thus the tiny tyrants were soothed. WIN!!..." Read more

"...The other great thing is that I can partially bake a loaf and then finish it elsewhere...." Read more

"...It has that sourdough-esk quality that I like. It's fresh. And most important, I know what went into making it - flour, salt, yeast, and water...." Read more

88 customers mention "Information quality"88 positive0 negative

Customers find the book's information quality positive, describing it as very informative with amazing ideas and lots of suggestions, and one customer mentions how it sparks experimentation in the kitchen.

"...Flour Selection. Most of the flours are simple to find, but I had a real tough time finding rye flour. _______ EDIT:..." Read more

"...great book in any way and the recipes are certainly delicious and creative! I highly recommend this book for any home baker's book shelf...." Read more

"...The process is simple. The results are rewarding. Amaze your friends. Influence your associates...." Read more

"...While they are not five minutes (thus the four stars), they are smart, quick, easy and make my bread driven life much simpler...." Read more

61 customers mention "Crust quality"61 positive0 negative

Customers love the crust of the bread, describing it as crunchy and chewy, with a soft crumb that makes it great for sandwiches.

"...that is crispy chewy on the outside and soft and fragrant in the inside...." Read more

"...Chewy crust...perfect if you can wait to cut into the bread for a few hours. Cut into it a little earlier the crustier the crust is...." Read more

"...The bread emerged with a crispy crust and a tender, moist crumb. It was delicious!..." Read more

"...on the cast iron pan without preheating the oven gave me a thin crispy top crust and a dense chewy texture without gaping holes...." Read more

34 customers mention "Kneading"31 positive3 negative

Customers appreciate the no-kneading approach of the book.

"...Now this really piqued my interest -- what, no kneading? How could this be? I did an internet search which led me to this book...." Read more

"...No kneading or other prep. It bubbles and rises like crazy...." Read more

"...They are almost fool proof. No kneading. Just assemble the ingredients in a bowl and stir. Viola!..." Read more

"...With the "Secret" in the subtitle you can make bread without kneading and dough in quantity at one time which keeps in fridge for up to 10 days!..." Read more

Unleash your inner bread baker
5 out of 5 stars
Unleash your inner bread baker
A good starter book to dip your fingers and toes into the world of bread baking. The instructions are clearly written and easy to follow. If you are new to bread baking, the key is to read through all of the introductory chapters, tips and tricks, and the master recipe details, make sure you have the right ingredients (organic makes especially good bread) and the equipment, and follow the master recipe to the letter. Do this until you are comfortable with the process. At that point, with the other recipes as a guide, you can really unleash your creativity. Once you understand the basics of what needs to be in your bread, how the rising process works, and what well baked bread looks like, you can really be adventurous. The process described here really is "no knead" and the bread I've produced has been crispy/chewy on the outside and with a wonderful soft crumb, even using whole grains like spelt and rye. Instead of a dough bucket, I use a large 1 gallon-plus plastic pitcher with a loose lid. In addition to making bread on a baking stone, I've also experimented with plain old parchment on cookie sheets for small loaves (works great) and rectangular loaf pans (with a parchment sling) for "wetter" breads (popping the breads out a little early to crisp the sides and bottom on the rack). As long as you have a steam pan in the bottom, it shouldn't be difficult to get a good loaf. The other key is to cook bread a little longer than you think it needs - it should sound kind of "hollow" when you rap it. Bake white breads at higher temps, and whole grains at lower temps. Get a thermometer to make sure your oven temp is accurate. ANd most of all, have fun!
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on February 8, 2011
    I can't BELIEVE how simple these recipes are. This book is amazing. My family and friends think I'm a rock star with all the awesome bread I've been able to make. I've been making an average of two loaves per day for the past few weeks and haven't really had a failure yet.

    The best feedback of all is that MY WIFE HAS STOPPED BUYING BREAD for our family. That's truly amazing, because we used to go through four loaves a week for breakfast toast and school lunches.

    Last Sunday I brought six loaves of bread and some cold cuts to a friend's Super Bowl party. You'd have thought I brought a bowl full of diamonds--people were that amazed.

    I can't believe how simple it is to make incredibly delicious white, wheat, rye, and sesame breads...all my favorites!

    I won't give away the basic recipe, but it's very simple to remember the four ingredients and their measurements. You can practically throw the book away once you master that basic recipe.

    So is it really only five minutes a day? Uh, no. That part is a gimmick. But it's still pretty doggone quick. It takes me about fifteen minutes to whip up a bowl of dough and clean up the mess. Then I put it in the fridge and forget about it. The next day I preheat the oven when I get home, form up a couple of loaves and let them start to rise, go change out of my work clothes, pop the loaves in the oven, and they're done before my wife gets home from work. Amazing!

    Any complaints?

    Yeah, kind of. I actually have two gripes about this book.

    First, I don't like the way the recipes are organized. I like specialty cookbooks (books that basically tell you how to make one thing--bread, in this case) to feature all the chapters with the main recipes and then have chapters at the end that give you ideas of things to create with those items. But this book has a few bread recipes and then a few recipes of specialty sandwiches. The sandwich recipes aren't that useful to me and they just get in the way. I make my own sausage, and my favorite sausage cookbooks (Home Sausage Making: How-To Techniques for Making and Enjoying 100 Sausages at Home and Bruce Aidells's Complete Sausage Book : Recipes from America's Premium Sausage Maker) organize all the sausage recipes into chapters for each of the varieties and then put the "what to do with your sausages" recipes in the chapters at the end. I mostly ignore those recipes, because I already know what I want to cook with those sausages.

    Secondly, I'm surprised there aren't more recipes with grains and nuts. My family loves twelve grain bread and likes the kinds with whole grains inside. I'm surprised there's nothing like that in this book.

    One other minor gripe is about the table of contents. The Contents only lists the chapters, but doesn't list individual recipes. That makes it hard to find the one you're looking for. The index at the back is OK, but that's not really how most people browse a book.

    Aside from these small dings, the book is fantastic and I'm thrilled to have found it. I feel like I should get a commission on referrals, because I have five friends who have already bought this book after trying my breads. The breads are that good!!!

    Keep in mind that you'll need some equipment to do this right. At a minimum, you'll need:

    * Cooking Stone. I have a pampered chef pizza stone. It works fine.
    * Pizza Peel. That's the big wide spanking paddle that you use to put the bread in and out of the oven.
    * Big Bowls. Having a couple of really big mixing bowls is a must. Remember that the dough will rise better if you have a wider bowl, because the surface area creates a lot of weight (more surface area distributes the weight across a thinner batch of dough).
    * Flour Selection. Most of the flours are simple to find, but I had a real tough time finding rye flour.

    _______
    EDIT:

    A month later and we're completely sold on homemade bread. I've shared loaves with some of my neighbors and now they've stopped buying store-bought bread too.

    A friend of mine gave me a simple suggestion that saved me a bucket of money: shop at Smart & Final. I've been buying flour and yeast at my local grocery store, but the yeast is really expensive. The yeast comes out to about $4 for every eight-loaf batch. But at Smart & Final I found a one-pound package of yeast for $3.50. That comes out to pennies for every batch of dough. It's about a $3.75 savings per batch. They also have 10 pound bags of flour for the same price as a 5 pound bag at the market. Between those two ingredients, that cut the cost by about 80%. And I thought it was cheap before!!!
    17 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on February 14, 2013
    I am a former chef and comfortable with bread baking but I had never used the moist dough techniques before and now I am a true convert! Just mix the 4 ingredients in a 6 qt container (I bought the Cambro 6 qt round food canister with lid on this site), let it rise on the counter for two hours and then it can keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks! The master recipe makes 6 medium loaves, when you want fresh bread just grab a grapefruit sized piece...let it rise for 30 minutes or so and bake for about 25 minutes. The result is a beautiful bakery quality loaf (I take that back, we don't have bread this good in our bakery) that is crispy chewy on the outside and soft and fragrant in the inside. My family of four adults will polish off a loaf for dinner and always look for more. There are endless variations you can create with this dough including dessert pastries. It is so easy, I feel like I'm cheating...minimal prep time and pretty much no clean up. The authors recommend a pizza stone for best quality but I chose to just use my cookie sheet and parchment and was very pleased with the results but I have just ordered a stone and peel because I now always have bread dough in my fridge and I can't imagine ever buying bread again. The best part of this book is the trouble shooting they do for you...giving you tips on why it may not have come out as perfect as you would like. This book is perfect for novice bread bakers but experts be warned, you will never knead a ball of dough again once you make it their way!
    Update: I've been using the book for a couple of months now. There is always dough in the fridge now and I have gone through three different recipe variations each one better then the next. We make pizza all the time now and always have fresh bread on the table for family dinners. I bought a pizza stone and peel and I think the results are superb. I leave the stone in my oven as it makes it hold heat more efficiently and lowers energy usage. Pizza is done in about 8 minutes!
    I feel more in control of the ingredients of my food. I can sneak some whole grains in the recipe and no one is the wiser. My pizza's are whole grain in part, use fresh tomatoes instead of sauce, sometimes some pesto...and I use less cheese that take out and enjoy it much more at a fraction of the cost. No more $5.00 bakery bread for family dinners. My wallet is just lovin it...
    I haven't made any dessert breads yet. I now buy flour in 25 pound bags...lol.
    UPDATE: It's been about six months now. I have made some amazing raisin bread and sticky buns with the sweet dough. I gave this book to my brother with a bucket and Danish dough whisk for his birthday and his just loves it! I will say that I learned in the beginning and was reminded again by my brother, that if you don't let the bread cool it will be gummy in the center as it continues to bake as it cools...no one can seem to wait so I have increased my oven time by up to ten minutes depending on the size of the loaf. I now try to have at least one bucket of dough in the fridge at all times...sometimes a sweet dough as well although it doesn't last two week (yeah like THAT would ever by a problem). Have picked up the "Healthy artisan bread" book but I love the first book so much I just haven't gotten around to making anything else yet...maybe tomorrow...
    14 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
  • Stephanie
    5.0 out of 5 stars Interessant und mit vielen Rezepten
    Reviewed in Germany on December 19, 2014
    Auf dieses Buch habe ich mich richtig gefreut. Als ich es dann in den Händen hielt war ich erst enttäuscht. Es gibt kaum Bilder zu den einzelnen Rezepten. Dazu wirkt das Papier grob, ähnlich dem Recyclingpapier. Aber nachdem ich dann anfing mich mit dem Buch zu beschäftigen war die erste Enttäuschung schnell verflogen. Es gibt eine gute und umfangreiche Einleitung mit vielen Tips und Tricks. Dann folgen Rezepte über Rezepte. Von herzhaft über süß bis hin zu raffiniert.

    Allerdings sollte man dem Englischen schon gut mächtig sein. Einige Zutaten habe ich nachschauen müssen. Aber mir macht das nichts aus.

    Das tolle an dieser Methode ist, dass man immer Teig auf Vorrat im Kühlschrank hat und nach Lust und Laune immer frisches Brot, Pizza oder süßes Gebäck zaubern kann. Die Teigvorbereitung ist so einfach, dass man noch nicht mal einen Handmixer oder eine Küchenmaschine benötigt. Lediglich eine große verschließbare Schüssel und einen Holzkochlöffel sind, neben den Zutaten, notwendig. Auch bei den Zutaten benötigt man keinen teuren oder ausgefallenen "Schnickschnack". Bis auf wenige Ausnahmen sind alle Zutaten problemlos im normalen Supermarkt zu bekommen.

    Ich kann dieses Buch nur empfehlen.
    Report
  • V. Brummer
    5.0 out of 5 stars There is no better bread!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 12, 2011
    I use this book every single day. I no long buy bread from the supermarket, because it just doesn't compare to the amazing loaves you can make from this book. It takes a little longer than 5 minutes a day, the initial preparation takes around 20 minutes, rising time of 1-2 hours initially and 20-40 minutes each loaf and whatnot is not included, but it is easy, it involved NO kneading and the results are FANTASTIC.

    The only bad thing I can say about this book is the lack of colour photos, it would be nice to have one every recipe, but you can manage without it. I am working my way through this book, and so far my favourite has to be Challah. The bread is soft, slightly sweet and very palatable. Today I just made myself Italian Semolina bread, which is delicious and nutty. The recipes make a huge amount of dough, enough for many loaves, but it is supposed to last the whole week; if you are a small family and you wont use it all, try halving it, it's really very simple.

    If you are still making bread using bread machines or kneading your own dough, then I seriously recommend trying this book, because I spent years making my own bread by kneading and kneading, and the result was NEVER as nice as the loaves from this book. The crust is crisp and the inside is soft but not too dense, and unlike most homemade breads, it doesn't go rock hard when cold. The broiler is the secret to a loaf that isn't impossible to chew. And it's cheap to make too, because you don't need bread flour, we use value plain flour and it is perfect. It helps though to add at least 1 cup of strong flour to give it some extra "oomph" and I recommend ignoring some of the cooking times if they say 35 minutes, try 25 - it's usually done.

    All in all, I truly love this book, my children will grow up on freshly made bread every morning, what more can they ask for?
  • さばお
    5.0 out of 5 stars even a sleepy Japanese man have fun with this book
    Reviewed in Japan on May 8, 2014
    it's not difficult to make a nice bread easily if you read this book
  • LeeOhBee
    5.0 out of 5 stars Who knew bread making could be so simple?
    Reviewed in Canada on January 16, 2010
    'Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day' promises to "help home bakers make great daily breads..... and still have a life outside the kitchen". The book achieves this goal and more.

    The master recipe couldn't be easier - I had to take another look to see if I had missed doing something and I hadn't. I love crusty, chewy bread and my bread machine just wasn't getting the tastes and texture that I like so I gave up using it. Nor was I prepared to put the time and effort into mixing, proofing, kneading, resting, rising, punch-downs and further rising time that's involved with traditional bread-making, so I started buying artisan breads which, while excellent, were very expensive. Having Hertzberg and Francois' delicious, satisfying 'master recipe' dough on hand at all times means I haven't had to buy any other kind of bread since I started using this book. It's just too easy and takes no time at all. I even find myself looking forward to putting a fresh loaf on and to trying all the other recipes it contains.

    I feel like a bit of a fraud when I enjoy the results I get from making this bread - almost, but not quite. I mean, I do have to spend five minutes getting it done and no-one else needs to know it's so easy!
  • Estal
    5.0 out of 5 stars I May Never Buy Bread Again!
    Reviewed in Canada on October 16, 2012
    I am so totally thrilled with this book, it's caused a revolution in our house! And, I think, for the many friends and family who have been inspired by the bread I have served them and stories I have recounted.

    I am kind of lazy and very busy, a tough combination, but because of this book I now bake all of our bread - and we are a family of 4 who eat bread with at last two meals a day! Really and truly, I bake it all. The 100% whole wheat sandwich loaf for our day-to-day bread, school and work lunches. The master recipe in endless shapes and sizes for serving guests, taking to special occasions, round-the-house enjoyment. The olive oil dough is divine, I especially love it in the focaccia recipe. The olive loaf was devoured in seconds when I served it at a party. Endless great things to say...

    So, is it really that easy? Everyone asks me this and looks dubious when I explain but it truly is. Take the master recipe, in a nutshell: four ingredients put in a bowl, mix with a wooden spoon, wait, take a chunk out and shape, wait, bake. Done. That simple. And here is the added bonus: you can store the dough in the fridge, often for up to two weeks (depending on the type of dough), so that when you want to bake a loaf you just take out what you need, shape, wait, bake.

    If you have any curiosity at all about trying bread making and are daunted by traditional methods, give this a go. If you know how to bake bread but could not fathom doing it for all your bread needs, try their method. And if you just fancy smelling fresh bread cooking once in a while - this is the book for you!

    Oh, I have to go, it's time to put this morning's loaf in the oven!