Synopses & Reviews
Bread is one of the most fundamental parts of our diet, yet so many of us rely on bland grocery-store offerings when flavorsome breads can easily be made at home.
Della Fattoria Bread teaches readers to make the popular breads of this award-winning bakery. More than an instructional guide, the book takes the fear out of bread baking,and encourages bakers to draw on their senses, experiences, and instincts.
Weber's teachings are homespun and based on passed-down wisdom, not on finicky science or dull kitchen textbooks. The book is filled with invaluable bread-baking secrets, including starters and proper techniques, and features recipes for all levels of bakers. Beginners can learn to bake yeasted breads using pans. Advanced bakers can jump right into making free-form loaves of naturally leavened breads in all shapes and flavors. Other chapters include recipes for enriched breads like brioche and challah; pre-fermented breads, including baguettes; and crackers, breadsticks, naan, and more. The book includes recipes that incorporate the breads, too, such as Tomato Bread Soup and Della Fattoria's famous Tuna Melt Piadina, along with the stories of the bakery and the unique family that has run it for nearly 20 years.
Review
“I love this cookbook! Kathleen not only gives us the recipes to make her amazing breads, but she’s also infused her book with so much joy that I want to fire up the oven right now.” Ina Garten, author of the Barefoot Contessa cookbooks
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“I challenge anyone to pick up Kathleen Weber’s incredible bread book without falling in love. She’s a true baker, who yearns to make you one, too.” Carol Field, author of The Italian Baker
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“I’ve been a great fan of Kathleen Weber’s distinctive breads for years. Now anyone who loves bread can get a taste of what makes hers so special. The pages of Della Fattoria Bread glow with Kathleen’s warmth and enthusiasm, and kindle the urge to bake with her imaginative recipes, handy tips, and stories that remind us why cooking matters.” Harold McGee, author of Keys to Good Cooking
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“Something for bread fanatics of every level and persuasion....The recipes are interspersed with tips that encourage experimentation and — crucial for beginning bakers — courage.” San Francisco Magazine
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“Weber teaches you to think like a baker about the whole process....Superb, inspiring recipes and photos fabulous enough to spread with butter and eat.” BookPage
Review
“The greatest gift a baker can give is to share her experience and knowledge with those who want to learn the craft of baking bread. In Della Fattoria Bread, Kathleen guides you page by page with stories about her journey of bread making, giving you the encouragement to start yours, too.” Cheryl Day and Griffith Day, authors of The Back in the Day Bakery Cookbook
About the Author
Kathleen Weber opened Della Fattoria in 1995 after years of obsessively baking bread at home. Some her first clients included The French Laundry and the Sonoma Mission Inn, which quickly put Della Fattoria on the map. In 2011, Bon Appétit named the bakery one of “America’s 10 Best Bread Bakeries.” The business has grown to include a café in downtown Petaluma and a stand at San Francisco’s Ferry Plaza Market. Located on a working ranch in Petaluma, California, Della Fattoria is run by Kathleen; her husband, Ed; and her children, Elisa and Aaron. Weber is the author of
Della Fattoria Bread.
Thomas Keller, author of The French Laundry Cookbook, Bouchon, Under Pressure, Ad Hoc at Home, and Bouchon Bakery, has thirteen restaurants and bakeries in the United States. He is the first and only American chef to have two Michelin Guide three-star-rated restaurants, The French Laundry and per se, both of which continue to rank among the best restaurants in America and the world. In 2011 he was designated a Chevalier of The French Legion of Honor, the first American male chef to be so honored.