Description
WINNER OF THE IACP AWARD • This classic tome of Italian baking covers everything from breadsticks and cornetti to focaccia, tarts, pastries, and more—now updated with stunning photography, new recipes, and comprehensive tips and tricks.
“The Italian Baker takes you deep into the mind and heart of the Italian spirit.”—Peter Reinhart, author of The Bread Baker’s Apprentice and Peter Reinhart’s Artisan Breads Every Day
Carol Field introduces artisanal doughs and techniques used by generations of Italian bakers. Every city and hill town has its own unique baking traditions, and Field spent more than two years traversing Italy to capture the regional and local specialties, adapting them through rigorous testing in her own kitchen.
Field’s authentic recipes are a revelation for anyone seeking the true Italian experience. Here’s a chance to make golden Altamura bread from Puglia, chewy porous loaves from Como, rosemary bread sprinkled with coarse sea salt, dark ryes from the north, simple breads studded with toasted walnuts, succulent fig bread, and Sicilian loaves topped with sesame seeds.
One of the most revered baking books of all time, The Italian Baker is a landmark work that continues to be a must-have for every serious baker.
Table of Contents
Vii Acknowledgments
Ix Preface
1 Bread in Italy
15 Baking Basics
15 About the Recipes
17 Ingredients
• The Basic Four
• Additional Ingredients for Bread
• Additional Ingredients for Pastry and Cookies
42 Equipment
• The Basic Three
• Other Essentials
• Optional but Definitely Nice to Have
• Additional Equipment for Pizza
• Additional Equipment for Pastry
51 Techniques
• Techniques for Baking Bread
• Techniques for Baking Tarts, Cakes, and Cookies
67 PANI
69 Pani Regionali e Rustici REGIONAL AND RUSTIC BREADS
70 Classic Tastes of Italy
103 Tastes of the Countryside
127 Pani Moderni MODERN BREADS
128 Vegetable and Herb Breads
146 Breads of Various Grains
159 Gli Avanzi USING LEFTOVER BREADS
160 Savory Dishes
174 Bread-Based Desserts
177 Pani Festivi CELEBRATION BREADS
179 Fruit and Nut Breads
191 Lightly Sweetened Breads
199 Sweet and Holiday Breads
223 Panini e Grissini ROLLS AND BREADSTICKS
223 Panini
238 Panini Dolci
243 Grissini
249 Pizze e Focacce PIZZAS AND FOCACCIAS
254 Pizza
269 Focaccia
283 Pani Raffinati ELEGANT BREADS
285 Sweet Croissants
290 Savory Croissants
298 Puff Pastry
312 Savory Appetizers
315 DOLCI
317 Crostate TARTS
319 Basic Tart Doughs
324 Basic Pastry Creams
327 Fruit and Jam Tarts
339 Nut Tarts
343 Chocolate Tarts
345 Torte CAKES
347 Ricotta Cheesecakes and Creamy Rice Tarts
354 Spice Cakes and Fruitcakes
361 Sponge Cakes
369 Biscotti COOKIES
371 Nut Paste Cookies
380 Butter Cookies
389 Biscotti
393 Cookies of Various Grains
397 Sweet Pastry Dough Cookies
399 Chocolate Nut Cookies
401 Appendix: Source Guide to Ingredients and Equipment
405 Index
