Bread book divulges intricacies of the artisan’s delicate craft

ARTISAN BAKING ACROSS AMERICA: THE BREADS, THE BAKERS, THE BEST RECIPES, by Maggie Glezer, photography by Ben Fink, Artisan, New York, 2003, $40.

It seems that in the last few years, many food lovers have decided that the best thing since sliced bread is unsliced bread. Whether light and wrapped in a crackling crust or packed with grains, ready to be torn apart and vigorously chewed, “artisan breads” of many designs are elbowing aside the polythene-shrouded Wonder loaf. Some people are passionate about their bread – enough so to search avidly for their favorite loaves, and then to pay several dollars more for them than for the plastic-wrapped, machine-made versions.

But what is artisan bread? Really, as Maggie Glezer points out, such loaves should be “artisanal” – the artisan being the baker. But hair-splitting aside, Glezer offers that for bread to be considered artisan, “at least one part of its production must be performed by hand.” Beyond that, it seems that all bets are off.

Sourdough, hearth-baked, oven-baked, grainy and pure white breads can all qualify. Whatever your personal preference, it is probably amply covered in what is a weighty, gloriously photographed and almost encyclopedic volume.

Taste and perception can combine sublimely in the perfect artisan bread. “Artisan Baking,” unable to offer flavor directly in its pages, plays shamelessly to the gallery with its images. Those who see the baker’s life as an earthy procession of morning rays slicing through flour-heavy air will not be disappointed by Ben Fink’s beautiful images. The words, however, may be a little more discouraging.

My grandfather would often sagely inform me that “hard work’s not easy.” And Glezer soon leaves us in no doubt that the craft of the baker is a difficult one, and one that takes years to master.

“It’s only flour and water and time,” Glezer notes – but be warned, it can be a lot of time she’s talking about.

Some recipes can take up to a week of preparation – especially if your yen is for sourdough bread. Still, the methods in the book are wonderfully precise, many techniques are handsomely illustrated and there is more information than you can imagine you need to know about proofing and fermenting, as well as the intricacies of flour types.

Some of the most accomplished bakers from across the country share their stories and best recipes. For those determined to become master bakers, or at least be able to boast of a few successes, this book could not be better.

And for those in love with the idea more than the practicalities of the baker’s life, “Artisan Bread” still has lots to offer.

Glezer takes us inside mills and bakeries both small and large across the United States, giving us an exhaustive and fascinating insight into the production of artisan breads. She takes us to Kansas to see the threshing, Rhode Island to see grinding, Oregon to be initiated into the mysteries of sourdough and New York for pizza crust and bialys.

“Artisan Baking” is an essential volume for those who think bread is better when sweat, rather than steel, has played the greater role in its manufacturing. And while every aspect of the craft is laid bare here, Glezer’s book does nothing to dispel the wonder and respect we have for those artisans and their products.

Adam Corrigan can be reached at adness@direcpc.com.