How to Bake Bread: The Five Families of Bread

We all know whole grain breads are better for us, but will we actually eat them, much less take time to bake them? Yes, says beloved baking instructor Peter Reinhart, but only if they are very, very good. So Reinhart, with his decades of experience crafting amazing artisanal breads, has made it his mission to create whole grain breads that are nothing short of incredible.

In this follow-up to his award-winning book The Bread Baker’s Apprentice, Reinhart offers groundbreaking methods for making whole grain breads that taste better than any you’ve ever had. And because his approach is also simpler and less labor intensive than conventional techniques, you'll choose to make and eat these breads. His fifty-five recipes for whole grain sandwich, hearth, and specialty breads, plus bagels, crackers, and more, incorporate widely available whole wheat flour as well as other flours and grains such as rye, barley, steel-cut oats, cornmeal, and quinoa. Each is so rich with flavor and satisfying texture that white-flour counterparts pale in comparison.

Written in Reinhart's famously clear style and accompanied by inspiring photographs, these recipes were perfected with the help of nearly 350 testers. Introductory chapters provide a tutorial, with step-by-step photographs, of the delayed fermentation method that is at the heart of these recipes, as well as a crash course in baking science, discussions of grains other than wheat, and more. Advanced bakers will relish Reinhart’s innovative techniques and exacting scientific explanations, and beginning bakers will rejoice in the ease of baking wholesome breads with such extraordinary flavor.

Peter Reinhart is a baking instructor and faculty member at Johnson and Wales University in Charlotte, North Carolina. He was the cofounder of Brother Juniper’s Bakery in Santa Rosa, California, and is the author of six books on bread baking, including Brother Juniper’s Bread Book, Crust and Crumb, and the 2002 James Beard Cookbook of the Year and IACP Cookbook of the Year, The Bread Baker’s Apprentice.

Hardback, 9-1/4 " x 10-1/4", 320 pages, loaded with beautiful color illustrations.

Handmade in Austria, the KoMo Classic stone burr grain mill has special appeal to lovers of elegant design, natural materials and fine craftsmanship. KoMo believes that design sophistication lies not in more complexity, but in simplicity. The Classic's construction of solid native beechwood or American Walnut with finger-jointed corners mirrors the warm and simple goodness of whole grain foods.

KoMo mills are built for performance and also for longevity, which is reflected in their long, twelve year warranty. Thanks to the quality of their materials and hand built craftsmanship, there's every reason to expect your KoMo mill to continue serving the next generation. Should your mill need anything years from now, the burrs and all other parts are easily accessible and serviceable. Most other grain mills have much shorter life cycles, and many are not repairable in the event of a problem as seemingly minor as clogged burrs, requiring disposal of the entire mill.

In addition to the major environmental benefit of building long-life goods, KoMo partners with PEFC, the world's largest forest certification organization, to both protect and restore forest lands. You can learn more about KoMo's PEFC certification below.

Housed within the Classic's handsome exterior is an exceptionally advanced, yet beautifully simple, milling mechanism. Precisely fitted corundum-ceramic burrs grind to any texture you choose, from exceedingly fine flour to coarse meal or cracked grain, all by simply rotating the grain mill's hopper to align with your choice on the front texture setting scale. The Classic—a graceful union of natural elegance and perfect function—is KoMo's best selling mill.

All KoMo electric grain mills are equipped with specially developed motors that provide reliable and efficient power. The Classic, with its 360 watt motor, produces 8-9 ounces of flour per minute for bread flour texture. Its large solid wood hopper holds 2 lb., 1 oz. of grain.

All dry grains can be ground with the KoMo Classic mill, including soft or hard wheat, oat groats (dehulled oats), rice, triticale, khorasan, spelt, buckwheat, barley, rye, millet, teff, quinoa, amaranth, sorghum, soybeans, and dent (field) corn. It will also grind lentils, dry beans (pinto, red, garbanzo/chickpeas, kidney & more), coffee beans, and dried, non-oily spices. It isn't suitable for oilseeds like flax or sesame, popcorn, cocoa nibs, cinnamon sticks, or sugar.

Dent (field) corn and soybeans can be ground to any texture from cracked to meal to very fine flour. For these very large-kerneled grains, grind first with the stones opened widely to produce cracked grain, then a second time if you want flour. The KoMo Classic will grind oats to a wonderfully soft, fine textured flour, but open the stones about five clicks (or so) wider than you would for a hard grain like wheat, otherwise the soft oat flour will fill the stones' furrows and in-feeding will stop. Opening the stones further will give you a cereal grind for porridge, or coarser yet for cracked oats, similar to steel-cut.

If you prepare food for someone with a food allergy, see KoMo's optional interchangeable insert system. This ingenious solution lets you grind different types of grain in the same mill while keeping food types completely separate.

As with all KoMo grinders, cleanup of the Classic is minimal and easy, and full access to the milling stones takes just seconds, without tools. A sealed wooden lid keeps everything clean between uses. Sound level is a big issue with many grain mills. Among the world's quietest-running grinders, KoMo mills don't have the high-pitched sound level that many mills do, which makes them kind to your ears and your nerves.

The KoMo Classic mill is available in the standard 110V version for use on U.S. power, or a 230V version for use overseas. Mills with 230V power are equipped with a Euro plug. For more details about the Classic mill, see the specs tab, above.

For more details see the specs tab, above.

Engineered expressly to develop perfect dough, Famag spiral mixers feature a spiral dough hook that remains stationary while the bowl rotates. This kneading action is exceptionally thorough and uniform, while avoiding both overworking and overheating of the dough. Italian-made Famag spiral mixers are world renowned for strength, quality, and outstanding baking results.

The Brod and Taylor Bread Proofer does more than just proof bread dough. Use it to make homemade yogurt or set it to a low temperature for pizza dough. You can also melt chocolate and butter without any fear of burning these delicate ingredients.