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The Easy Way to Artisan Breads & Pastries
by Avner Laskin
Sterling Publishing Co., Inc.
ISBN 1-4027-1260-X
Published January 2006 - Hardcover - 160 pages - $24.95

Nothing beats the tempting aromas of home-baked bread.  There's something so basic and homey about the smell of baking bread.  Even toasting bread has a soothing smell about it.  In this book by professional baker Avner Laskin, all the guesswork has been eliminated so that you can confidently attempt your favorite restaurant or store-bought breads.  It's recommended you use a standard electric mixer with a dough hook, which is a huge relief for those put off by all the kneading that is usually required.  It's advisable to read through the first few pages as the hints and tips here are important - and always follow the recipe instructions so that you'll produce great bread.  Recipes include Heavenly Apple-Cinnamon Bread (French), Rich Yeast Pastry (a versatile pastry), Rye and Raisin Rolls, Delicate Butter Bread, French Ciabatta, Fresh Rosemary Focaccia, Whole Wheat Bran Bread, Organic Sourdough Bread (don't be in a hurry for this one - it needs time to rise), and High-Fiber Bread (this is what we should eating more of!).  There's also a section on Festive Breads which include Challah, Tomato-Basil Bread, Perfectly Parmesan Bread, Favorite Beer Bread, and Irish Potato Bread.  Something I've been looking for for years, Healthy Sourdough Seed Bread (6 or more "seeds") is featured here - yummy.  There's even a recipe for pretzels.  Here's an opportunity to really get creative and impress your family and friends - using pre-packaged bread and biscuits is a cop-out.  Unfortunately, as we are trying to be more healthy and steer clear of white flour, most recipes call for unbleached all-purpose (white) flour - it's recommended that if you use whole wheat flour, use stoneground whole wheat.  Bear in mind that most mixtures need "rising time" and thus cannot be prepped and baked in a few minutes.
See my review of Nuts, also by this author.
Conclusion - Extremely useful and informative.