BREADS FROM THE LA BREA BAKERY

Breads from the La Brea Bakery
by Nancy Silverton

This bread book is based on a classic method of creating bread with a natural yeast starter. It is not about a quick glance at a recipe and throwing a few ingredients together, but understanding the process well first and then embarking on a bread making journey. Not everyone will want to go on that journey. So if you are new to baking your own bread this may not be the ideal bread book for you, yet.

Commercial yeast is, in many ways, about simplicity and speed. Traditional bread making is not about speed, and neither is establishing a traditional starter. It’s a simple combination of flour and water designed to foster wild yeasts in a two week process. Yes, wild, air-borne yeast. And yes, two weeks until the starter is ready for use in its first loaf of bread. Many breads even take up to two days to get to the finished product after this. But this is the whole point – allowing time to do its traditional work in bread making. And the wait is worth it. There is nothing artificial about this bread, including the process. It is not about speed and shortcuts. Expect to plan ahead.

While the process will not appeal to everyone, this is a stunning book. Nancy Silverton established the La Brea Bakery, Los Angeles, which is the source of the title and recipes in this bread book – breads she produced at La Brea Bakery. These range from the more typical breads like baguettes and focaccia, to specialty breads like walnut bread, fig anise bread, chocolate sour cherry bread, and potato dill bread. Those who prefer working in baker’s percentages may, however, be disappointed to find the recipes are volume based. It would not be difficult for an adventurous cook to try the wonderful combinations of ingredients here using active dry yeast instead of the more complex starter.

Silverton begins with an almost scientific description of bread ingredients and their function (‘The elements of bread’), and goes on to cover the tools required, then ‘A lesson in breadmaking’. Recipes are categorised by the starter needed: white, whole wheat or rye. The final chapter provides options for using starter that would otherwise be thrown away, which helps reduce waste.

In essence, this book is a detailed tutorial on bread creation. The basic white bread is explained so intricately that it covers thirty pages, with ten on creating a starter and twenty on producing the dough and baking it. As there are a limited number of photographs of the breads themselves, sometimes the written descriptions in the recipes allow for some uncertainty as to when to stop kneading or baking. It is good to refer to ‘A lesson in breadmaking’ for clarification where possible. Silverton aims to explain ‘why’ as well as ‘how’, which will ultimately provide the freedom to begin creating your own personal specialty breads at home.

It is extremely satisfying to know you have captured and fostered wild yeast to make your own bread. Home bread bakers don’t usually start at this point, but if this is your new ambition you will find all the tools to achieve your goal here, plus plenty of encouragement along the way. It should also be said that while there is a lot of waiting involved the actual work you will personally provide is quite minimal.