I bake all my own bread, and have done for the last decade or so. Originally I made bread in a bread machine, and then I “graduated” to oven baking – I must admit I don’t knead the bread by hand, I used my beloved Thermomix. I have dabbled in sourdough in the past when I saw Modern Sourdough by Michelle Eshkeri on Netgalley I said "yes please" very quickly. Michelle is a Jewish, London based bakery owner who has a similar cultural background to me, and a lot of the breads are familiar to me from my everyday life - I bake challah whenever I host Friday night dinner and I'm obsessed with bubka.

Even on my tablet this book is exquisite. Very clear recipes, accompanied by stunning photos. The text is interesting, informative and clear. So, will I be getting my starter started and my dough soured? Probably not. We only bake once a week, and this book is quite clear about the extra preparation and planning that sourdough takes. That said, I am very, very tempted. I highly recommend this book, even if it’s just to look at the pictures and dream.

I can say for sure that Michelle Eshkeri has talent, no one can deny that. Her new cookbook "Modern Sourdough" provides an endless array of recipes that utilize sourdough, all of which I hadn't known I could do. The recipes at first glance look complex, including her method for making a sourdough starter; however, once you get your hands dirty its all relatively easy. This book not only walks you through all the complexities of sourdough baking but helps open your eyes to the endless possibilities with your starter. I will admit this book is not for the faint of heart and more for the seasoned baker. The photographs are presented beautifully and compliment the recipes wonderfully. All in all, I will be the first person in line at the store buying this.

This was a fun and interesting cookbook with a great variety of both sweet and savoury recipes. An added bonus was that they included how to make your own sourdough starter.

Thank you Quarto and Netgalley for a copy of Modern Sourdough for review. Available September 10, 2019, this cookbook is a must for any sourdough fan.

Modern Sourdough by Michelle Eshkeri covers all the basics and then goes into more depth than some of the other sourdough baking books I have read recently. I loved her chapter on sweet sourdough because I have never thought of using sourdough starter in that way. She also included some recipes on how to use some of the discard starter if you wanted and the basics on maintaining and building your own starter.

Very well rounded book, good for all level of expertise.

Who doesn't love sourdough? Okay, some people don't, I suppose. But if you do, you'll find lots of yummy looking recipes here to put your starter to good use! Amounts are given but weight which makes me happy. If you don't already have a digital scale for your kitchen, invest in one. Weighing ingredients is so much more accurate. There are the expected bread recipes of course, but also a variety of pastries and sweets (sourdough rye brownies?) along with savory recipes. In addition to the variety of sourdough recipes, the is also a section of Margot specialties such as salted caramel chocolate chip cookies. This is followed by a section of jama and spreads that will nicely accompany your sourdough creations. Photos accompany the majority of the recipes and additional photos are included when more complicated techniques are used.

A note for the vegan bakers: They're are recipes here that don't contain animal products but many call for eggs and while some will likely do well using egg substitutes, others likely won't. Maybe borrow it from your local library to see if there are enough recipes for you before purchasing.

Thank you to Quarto Publishing Group - White Lion Publishing and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.