I really enjoyed reading this book. I tried several of the recipes. It changed how I was making other recipes too. I appreciated the cold bake information. I do feel like it’s helped my bread have better rise. I am all into sourdough and a hundred percent whole wheat flour. So this book had a lot for me to enjoy. My family has loved the bread I’ve made from this. Very nutritious.
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love his other recipes and loved this one too! I am not a baker but I found these easy to follow and delicious.

This was a nice cookbook. I liked the variety of recipes and found them to be easy to follow. I will check out more from this author.

This book is all about the different ways to make bread. These recipes are meant to be super complicated. They wrote this book so that everyone has the tools and the ability to make some homemade bread. There are also pizza crust and cinnamon rolls and pretzels. Definitely one to have and go through with your kids and make some bread to go with soup.

This well-researched, encyclopedic book is full of information on making whole grain bread the no-knead way. Bittman builds on Jim Leahy's famous no-knead bread recipe and uses some of the dough from the loaf to build the starter he describes in the book. It takes a few days to develop the bread starter so the aspiring baker needs to plan accordingly. All the bread recipes in the book use this starter and are only minimally kneaded.

This book is an excellent resource for an aspiring baker who wants to bake whole grain bread. Bittman's book provides thorough step-by-step instructions. You also learn what ingredients and cookware you need to achieve good results. In addition, the photographs of the process and finished breads are fantastic. Bittman and company give you an appreciation of the how and why of whole grain bread-making that is superlative.

I will be adding this book to my personal library and will be working my way through the recipes to achieve the promised results. I am confident that with the instruction and how-to information provided in this book, I will be successful!
Five stars.

Thank you NetGalley and the Publisher for an ARC copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Bittman Bread isn't only a cookbook it is also a bread making textbook, bread bible. Mark Bittman makes it easy to learn the science behind bread making. The book is loaded with many beautiful pictures. The recipes are straight forward.

Another great book for someone who loves bread or want to understand it! Recipes were easy to follow and inspired. Love how the pictures and instructions were true. Recommend.

Do you want your own real whole wheat bread every day?
Author and chef Mark Bittman is presenting his book "Bittman Bread. No-Knead Whole Grain Baking for Every Day" together with Kerri Conan. The book was published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
In the introduction Bittman tells about his history and experience of bread making. Conan states: "Our goal is lofty but simple: We want to make naturally leavened whole grain bread the centerpiece of nutritious meals" (p. 9). The book "unfolds in six progressive chapters: Making your starter and a first loaf; a detailed discussion of grains, flours, equipment, and timing; feeding the starter and producing your first “Bittman Bread”; other loaves in the same vein, but wildly varied; pizza and flatbread and rolls and savory pancakes; sweet things including pancakes and waffles" (p. 9).
This is a great book for those who are interested in bread making and have the necessary time, for those who don't want to use bread baking mixes, for those who are interested using a starter that is not yeast, for those who are interested in using real whole great even for pizzas, rolls, and sweet stuff. The book is presented in a great design and the pictures create a real appetite. I also appreciated that the recipes are in grams (since Bittman recommends weighting the ingredients) and are not using (American) measuring cups and spoons which are not as easy available in various parts of the world. Sadly the baking temperatures are only given in °F. A conversion table would have been really helpful for those who are used to °C. A further challenge is the fact that one not only has to have access to right grains, but also to a usable covered pot or Dutch oven and parchment paper. I use my own recipes for baking my bread and usually use a bread making machine but I might try some of these recipes one day.
The complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley free of charge. I was under no obligation to offer a positive review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
#BittmanBread #Netgalley

This book is for someone who wants a textbook on bread making, but it is bread of a certain sort only - whole grain and extremely hearty. All of the breads start with the same homemade starter. There is no kneading required. To make the breads, basically you use starter, add flour and water, employ various resting periods, add salt and other flavorings, fold a few times and then bake in a covered pot lined with parchment paper. The chapters are progressive : “Making your starter and a first loaf; a detailed discussion of grains, flours, equipment, and timing; feeding the starter and producing your first ‘Bittman Bread’; other loaves in the same vein, but wildly varied; pizza and flatbread and rolls and savory pancakes; sweet things including pancakes and waffles.”

I found this book interesting and informative, although I am never going to bake bread. Frankly, I use my ovens for storage, and even the stovetop recipes (like flatbread and pancakes) looked too “hearty” for me. However, for a bread baker I think that this would be a very useful book. All of the steps are explained very clearly and most of them are illustrated.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

This book had way more information than i expected Mark Bittman is an impressive chef. This book really gets into the details of bread and I mean litterally scientifically with a section on the chemical structure of bread. Loved the book it was fasinating. I can't say I'm any better at making bread but that's my personal struggle. Definitely not for the lack or quality of information provided. This is a must have for any bread lover.

Mark Bittman is a man whose culinary prowess is undeniable. He is a respected columnist, a great chef and now a baker extraordinaire. I loved the break down scientifically , the chemical structure of bread. Why bread works and in some rare cases how it can be fixed or altered and still taste delicious. Loved this book!

*Thank you to Mariner books, Mark Bittman, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review*

This bread is amazing. I wish I could attach pictures to my review so Mark Bittman can see how beautiful the loaves I have made in the past few weeks turned out. I even made two sourdough for my PTA Luncheon and they were raved about. The instructions are simple and well defined, and so easy to follow. I even took one of his basic sourdoughs and put nuts and cheese in it and it turned out perfect! I can't wait to buy the hard copy! Thank you!

This seems like a very thorough and well-researched resource for whole grain baking! I have to say that I am still too traumatized by the early pandemic sourdough pet days to really give these recipes the college try, but the tips and methods seem well-explained and really well developed! A handy reference for the new or expert baker - whole grains are tricky, but they’ve got you covered.

This is a great book for anyone who loves baking. I have recently started baking and there was a lot of valuable information within the pages. Books like this make the process more enjoyable and a great reference to refer back to. Thanks 😊

Mark Bittman can be trusted. Putting his legendary name on a book about bread baking makes this a reliable, must-have choice for anyone looking to perfect the art form that is bread. Demystifying the backstory of bread and noting that there will be pitfalls for the novice, this book can be used again and again. Nothing seems like a problem because the solutions and learning experiences are built into the process. A baker might not achieve success on the first bake, but this book looks into what might help to make your next loaf better than the one before. It is bread baking - but with hope.

"Bittman Bread" explains his techniques for making whole-grain bread using a variation on no-knead bread and a sourdough starter started from commercial bread yeast. He explained his no-knead technique and how to make the sourdough starter and keep it alive. There were step-by-step pictures showing the process. He also included other bread recipes that use this starter. He explained the process with enough detail and troubleshooting tips that I feel confident that I can make this starter and bread. However, it takes a lot of time and effort. I was also somewhat confused by why the sourdough starter was done with white flour. It seemed based on the assumption that you're currently using white flour, but I don't have any in the house, so hopefully whole grain will work well. Overall, I'd recommend this to fans of whole wheat bread and/or no-knead bread.

Mark Bittman and Kerri Conan have become experts on the use of pre-fermented starter doughs to prepare specialist whole grain bread products.
Although they do rather arrogantly claim that it is impossible to bake a great whole grain bread using commercial yeasts, using starter doughs is a traditional craft used in commercial bakeries worldwide and widely accepted.
The concept is simple. Use yeast to create an active base mix of yeast, flour and water, then take portions of this base mix and add additional flour and water to prepare a new starter dough for the type of bread you want to make.
The challenge is time.
This is a lengthy process involving several days to create the primary mix, then 8 to 12 hours for the jump-starter dough, them several hours to allow to stretching and folding and resting cycles of the bread dough. You would need to plan the baking very well in advance to make it fit into any normal lifestyle.
Also, the title is misleading. The four sets of stretching and folding actions are equivalent to kneading the dough.
There is also a LOT of confusion about quantities. A cup of starter dough is mentioned in one place and 100grams in the next recipe.
Sorry, not for me.

Bittman Bread
No-Knead Whole Grain Baking for Every Day

Authors: Mark Bittman and Kerri Conan
Designed by: Toni Tajima
Photography: Jim Henkens

Going back to basics…and what is more basic than bread…Bittman and Conan use a basic starter that incorporates natural yeasts in the environment to create bread from whole grains. This same dough can be used for a variety of baked goods and is versatile in its ability to use a multitude of whole grains.

The directions are easy to follow, ingredients easy to find, and the challenge to try a loaf or more enticing. The photographs of baked goods made me think that the bread would be dense and heavy rather than light and fluffy but that it would also taste rich and earthy were I to take a bite.

I questioned the use of parchment paper as it is not readily available where I live. Also, I wondered what one would do if they did not have a Dutch oven or covered baking dish that was requested/required. I have never made this type of bread though I have used starter in the past.

I found the book interesting but as there are only two of us in the home now, I am not sure how often I would be likely to make bread from scratch. However, my husband did harvest grain and barley this past year so we COULD grind it with my old Kenwood grain mill and give one or two of the recipes a try.

Thank you to NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4-5 Stars

I am really new to baking bread -- let's just say it was a habit I picked up during the pandemic as many of us have! I also am a relatively new cook over the past 5 years and rely heavily on Bittman's previous books "How to Cook Everything: The Basics" and "How to Cook Everything." for guidance in the kitchen. Bittman Bread does not disappoint. He and his co-author, Kerri Conan provide very helpful tips and their own preferred approaches to bread so I feel I have different options. I really appreciate the emphasis on whole wheat and grains (though I have up until now only made white flour based breads). Because I am so new to this, I have to say creating starters and feeding them intimidated me. The first time I tried it was not very successful but I will keep practicing. I like how the book is laid out -- we start with the starter then bake a beginner loaf. As you get comfortable you can expand into other types of breads including pizza crust and rolls. The photos are extremely helpful as well. . I recommend this book and would add that it is helpful if you have some familiarity with making bread.

Want to bake healthier whole wheat breads, pizza dough, flatbreads and more? Tired of kneading dough? This book has the answers. The recipes require a starter dough and the first chapter is devoted to getting that going. From there you have lots of choices of tasty, healthy recipes to bake. Just ordered a hard copy for myself. Thank you to the authors, publisher and NetGalley for a preview copy.