September was a month of bread, and I have Flour Water Salt Yeast to thank for that. I am beyond glad that I picked up this book at Amanda’s recommendation. Where baking bread is concerned, this book may as well be the Bible. There is so much to learn, and Forkish does the job of teaching the novice well. Even I managed to bake with absolute success. I’ve been interested in baking bread all year, and recipes I’ve tried from pinterest and beyond have generally had mixed results. This is not so with what I got out of this book for a few reasons.

The first several parts of the book aren’t even recipes. Forkish guides you through the process of baking bread right from the beginning. From the equipment you need to the way to knead the dough, he leaves nothing out. Some of it is very specific to his methods, but I’m okay with that. I’m more likely to keep using his methods than venture out, so the proofing bowls I bought will continue to have use.

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Hello, Amanda here! I started baking bread about two years ago and fell in love with it as a hobby, so when Theresa expressed an interest in trying out bread making for herself, I was one of the people behind her with pompoms and a bag of flour. As a child I had a love for bread that bordered on a complex, and while I have more self control as an adult, there’s still something about a warm loaf of bread that makes me want to dive right in and forget balanced food groups. 

I actually picked up baking on a whim, but with the gusto of a college student who has her own kitchen for the first time. My first loaf was tragic, lopsided and a bit anemic in color, but I ate it with the smug satisfaction of someone who had created a masterpiece. Since then, I’ve experimented with different recipes and cookbooks, but have only kept two up on my shelves. One of those is Flour Water Salt Yeast, and it’s quickly become a favorite.