This was such a great cookbook - the recipes were easy to follow and I liked that the author included different methods of baking (including using an airfryer!). Can't wait to try out these recipes myself, reading this has made me HUNGRY!

Great basic guide to making bread. Good information and well placed. The recipes also looked tasty and I will definitely be trying a couple of them out.

Making bread at home is a valuable skill, and there are dozens of books out there that help wannabe bakers. Some of these are good, and of course, some aren’t so good. One of the good ones is Complete Starter Guide to Making Bread: From Buns to Baguettes, Essential Recipes for All Bakers, by Kathryn Hawkins, experienced food writer, food stylist, and home economist, as well as a prolific cookbook author. Her experience shows through in this excellent cookbook.

This book begins with an interesting chapter on the history of bread baking, and covers important aspects of bread baking: ingredients, equipment, and basic techniques, including sourdough. She also includes a troubleshooting guide.

The best part of the cookbook, of course, is the recipes. There are recipes for all the regular types of bread, as well as some unique and mouthwatering breads that most bakers will want to try. Each recipe is written in the traditional manner with the ingredients listed first, followed by step-by-step instructions which make it easy to make successful loaves and individual breads, rolls, bagels, etc. Regular flour and bread flour are listed in the recipes, as well as alternative flours (and fats for vegans and dairy free bakers) so the recipes are suitable for everyone – even those on special diets.

Another plus to this cookbook is that there are beautiful, professional photographs of the finished products, and they will inspire everyone to make a long list of “must make soon” breads. All told, this is an excellent cookbook, not only for beginners, but also for experienced bakers. It was easy to adapt the recipes to make the dough in an automatic bread machine, and that is a real plus.
Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Fox Chapel Publishing for this E-ARC.

I love baking bread!!! I love bread books! I love bread making shows! A glass of wine, fresh baguette and the great British bake off???? Sure, call me for a good time!!!

This book is perfect. It’s instructional (not sure if that’s a word). It’s got so much detail in it. The beginning is all about the ingredients of the bread. Then it goes on to tell you about bread fillings. Which, as an avid focaccia maker, I love. Sometimes I forget that you can play around with bread so much. You can make a whole meal inside of bread! How fun!
Then it tells you things like how to fix something if your bread does this or that.
Then the recipes. Which is the best part. The recipes are well written and easy to follow.
I will be working my way through this entire book!
Yum!

This is INSANELY helpful!! Every possible type of bread you could need to break has a recipe in here. Pita to baguette to bagels to doughnuts?? This is a staple for every kitchen. Even if you don’t bake often, this has something for any occasion!! It even includes techniques for kneading, ingredient recommendations. I’m shocked at how helpful this cook book is.

Very in depth beginner bread cook book that delves deeply into each individual aspect of baking. This book includes both sourdough and regular recipes and would be good for someone wanting to learn both

This is a great guide for beginners on their journey to making bread. Easy to follow instruction. lovely illustrations and filled to the brim of beautiful and yummy recipes.

My daughter and I have been trying lots of different bread recipes. We love to bake and are always looking for new recipes. This was a very informative book. It goes back to the meaning of bread in religion and cultures. How they first started to make bread and ground the ingredients. It was interesting to learn the ins and outs of the history. There are tons of different recipes and helpful hints and tricks if you are having issues with your bread. She also shows different ways to bake your bread. Even a recipe for the air-fryer! Thanks for the information and recipes. My patrons will love this book once it is out.

I found this to be a real in-depth, standout guide for bakers of any ability. There is so much information packed into this, from the origins of bread to all the different types of flours used.
The recipes aren’t over complicated & seem easy enough to follow, I can’t wait to try some!!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

“Complete Starter Guide to Making Bread: From Buns to Baguettes, Essential Recipes for All Bakers” by Kathryn Hawkins.

This is a useful cook book all about different bread recipes. I can’t wait to test some of these out!