The Italian Baker, Revised: The Classic Tastes of the Italian Countryside--Its Breads, Pizza, Focaccia, Cakes, Pastries, and Cookies [A Baking Book]

When I scan books on Amazon, it seems I always read the bad reviews first, the one star reviews. So did I when I came across this one. Perhaps, I think, the detractors 'get' something that those more affirmative do not. Reading the reviews here, I was struck that they missed something perhaps, of the essence of making bread, and so ordered the book. I was not disappointed. I have made bread all my life, and was looking for a new text, authored by a kindred spirit. Ms. Field's book does not disappoint. You see, bread is not cooking. It is alchemy. Elemental components - flour, salt, water, yeast, mixed in a secret way, to make something simple yet complex, easy yet hard. Did you ever wonder why one can take these same four ingredients, and make something that is either sublime or grotesque, and that each tastes a little different? Ms. Field writes a book that is captivating yet practical; she shares her secrets, the wizard of bread, in a way that is on one hand practical, and on the other magical - her text is as compelling (moreso!!) than the recipes. Bread is historical. Bread is spiritual. Bread is love. It is no accident that Christ broke bread with his disciples. This is my body. This is my food. This is my love for those with whom I break it.The book is in two halves. Let's say that the first is spiritual. What are the ingredients, how do they differ, how does one handle them, how are they combined, what is the history of each, what is the mythology of each? Do you want to make the perfect loaf? Learn the mythology before you measure out a cup of flower. The second half of the book is recipes. The recipes of bread all seem stereotyped: this much flour, this much yeast, this much water, etc., etc. Ms Field elaborates the subtleties of them all. I have made about half a dozen so far and all have been wonderful. Yet I think perhaps it is because I read the first half of the book before I started. You see, you need both. The right amount of flour, and the love in your hands. Read the first half, then use the recipe from whatever book you want. I am sure that the effort will be rewarded.One of my fondest memories is of my grandmother cooking dinner. I remember her kneading bread, as I came as a small child to her apartment after church. She sang in Italian as she worked on the loaf. Later, over dinner, the warm loaves were served alongside our pasta or roast. I remember her sitting quietly as we rolled our eyes in ecstasy, and consumed her labors. Now, after a lifetime of pursuing perfection in a mixture of baked wheat, water, salt and yeast, know what she was thinking; I have given this up for you.If you want recipes go elsewhere. If you want a spiritual experience, I heartily recommend this book.

I bought the original edition shortly after it appeared in 1985, and until relatively recently it was my go-to book for both breads and sweets. Field introduced me and a lot of folks to high-hydration (wet!) doughs, to extended fermentation, and to a much wider range of possible breads. And while her tarts/cakes are less radical, I have found them well-adapted for home baking: reliable, tasty, and less fussy then their French counterparts.If you already have the old edition: go to the "Fresh Loaf" site and find a thread called "The Italian Baker, Revised" for a good discussion of what has changed. The bottom line is not much. The key upgrade for me is that metric weights have been added to all recipes -- much easier to work with and scale up and down. But if you already have the old edition and don't need recipes in grams, I don't think there's much reason to upgrade.If you're looking for your very first bread book: _The Italian Baker_ was a revelation in 1985, and it's still very good, but some of the new crop are even better. I would now suggest Reinhart's _Bread Baker's Apprentice_ as a first book, and if you don't mind a little geekiness I really like Hamelman's _Bread_. These books take you through a greater variety of types of bread in greater depth and detail.Why you still want _The Italian Baker_ on your shelf: it has a range of rustic breads, veg and herb breads, and sweet and festive breads that you won't find elsewhere. You'll find panettone recipes here and there, but I can't think of another book that is as thorough and helpful on festive Italian baking. Folks still remember the chocolate bread from this book that I made them 20 years ago. When I want something for a special occasion this is absolutely the first book I open. And if you just want to make the occasional nice loaf of bread, but are not ready to acquire a new hobby/obsession/fanaticism, you might find this book is written for you!