By Daniel Leader with Lauren Chattman
(Avery, 2019; $40)
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One of the first champions of artisanal bread baking in this country, Daniel Leader founded Bread Alone Bakery in New York’s Hudson Valley in the early 1980s. Now a classic, Leader’s book Bread Alone won the IACP award for best baking book in 1994. In his latest groundbreaking book, Living Bread: Tradition and Innovation in Artisan Bread Making (with Lauren Chattman) Leader offers a comprehensive picture of bread baking today for the enthusiastic home baker. With inspiration from a community of millers, farmers, bakers, and scientists, Living Bread provides a fascinating look into the way artisan bread baking has evolved and continues to change – from wheat farming practices and advances in milling, to sourdough starters and the mechanics of mixing dough. Influenced by art and science in equal measure, Leader presents exciting twists on classics such as Curry Tomato Ciabatta, Vegan Brioche, and Chocolate Sourdough Babka, as well as traditional recipes. Sprinkled with anecdotes and evocative photos from Leader’s own travels and encounters with artisans who have influenced him, Living Bread is a love letter to the practice of making ‘good bread’ and a cutting-edge guide that will inspire home bakers as well as professionals.
