In the twenty years since the publication of The Complete Book of Breads new equipment and products have revolutionized the kitchen. With a food processor, or a heavy-duty mixer equipped with a dough hook, a home-baked loaf can be produced in a fraction of the time previously required, and with little effort as well. The easy availability of fast-acting yeasts, bread flora, and other specialty products has also broadened the possibilities.

These changes were part of the inspiration for the much-needed New Camplete Book of Breads; 200 of the recipes from the original book appear here, all revised with the modern cook, modern equipment, and marvelous products in mind. Beyond the updated recipes, master baker Bernard Clayton also includes 100 new recipes, which are the result of ongoing research, further travels, and the generosity of fans and friends. For each recipe, Clayton also gives instructions for using either the mixer or the food processor and takes into account the shorter time needed for fast-acting yeasts.

The New Complete Book of Breads offers an incredible range of variety, nearly, enough to supply a different kind of bread for a year of baking days. Here are wheat breads — Honey-Lemon, Walnut, Buttermilk; a variety of sourdough breads; all manner of corn breads; breads flavored with herbs and spices or enriched with cheeses; and all the favorite little breads — Kaiser Rolls, Mother's Biscuits, English Muffins, and Popovers. For the baker who observes the seasons and the holidays with a fresh loaf, there are Challah, Barm Brack, and Panettone; there are also delectable breads rich with nuts and fruits, such as Cherry-Pecan, Italian Olive, andHoney-Pineapple.

Here is the ultimate bread book, an indispensable reference for professional bakers and home cooks alike.

"If you have an oven, you must have this book...Bernard Clayton is a master baker."

-- Marion Cunningham

Bert Greene

Bernard Clayton's New Complete Book of Breads is a bona fide kitchen classic, the ultimate enlightener about the staff of life in all its infinite varieties.

"If you have an oven, you must have this book...Bernard Clayton is a master baker."

-- Marion Cunningham

From the bestselling author of The New Complete Book of Breads comes the thirtieth anniversary edition of this classic baking book, now in trade paperback. In this exhaustive volume, you'll find recipes for every imaginable type of bread, from white and rye to cheese, herb, French, and Italian breads. Croissants, brioches, flat breads, and crackers are covered in depth as well. Home bakers will find an extraordinary range of variety, nearly enough to supply a new bread a day for a year. There are wheat breads — Honey-Lemon, Walnut, Buttermilk; sourdough breads; corn breads; breads flavored with herbs or spices or enriched with cheese or fruits and nuts; and little breads — Kaiser Rolls, Grandmother's Southern Biscuits, English Muffins, and Popovers, to name a few. For the baker who observes the holidays with a fresh loaf there are Challah and Italian Panettone.

Clayton also covers topics like starters and storing and freezing breads, and devotes an entire chapter to "What Went Wrong — and How to Make It Right." Perfect for all levels of bakers, this book walks the novice through the steps and encourages the advanced baker to try new variations on recipes.

Devoted fans of Bernard Clayton will be thrilled with this easy-to-use paperback edition and delighted to see old favorites and try new ones. This is the definitive edition of the classic baking book that every good cook should own.

Award-winning author Bernard Clayton Jr. began his career as a reporter and foreign correspondent; baking and cooking were his hobbies. He has been writing cookbooks for more than thirty years. When Mr. Clayton travels, he investigates historical and regional recipes, conversing with cooks and bakers around the world. He is the author of numerous cookbooks, including Bernard Clayton's Cooking Across America, The Complete Book of Pastry, and The Breads of France. He lives with his wife in Bloomington, Indiana.