Bread (Edible) Kindle Edition

This little book is by far the favorite title I have read to date in the Edible Series of books. Mr Rubel knows his topic completely, and is an excellent writer. He explains everything in great factual detail, rather than winging it by the cuff theorizing as some do. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in food history and in understanding the whats and whys of bread making through the ages. It is a fascinating work.

Bread: A Global History begins with ancient history in the fertile crescent of the Red Sea. The use of wild grains in bread-making probably predated agriculture and the domestication of animals. This book, which is the 24th in a series of edible histories, is ably edited by Andrew F. Smith.The primary thesis is that bread is more than merely a food or a summary of ingredients: it is also a concept. Mr. Rubel strives to enlarge the way we think about bread by taking us on a bread tour across time and through international space. He is a serious food historian, excellent cook and baker, and the author of The Magic of Fire--an encyclopedic book of fire cooking, which is sadly now out of print.As culture develops, bread becomes a social marker--the whiter the bread, the more desirable it is. The poor consumed a more primitive loaf--darker and less desirable. Fashions in food are generally guided by a wish to imitate what is eaten by the wealthy. This still tends to be true. Although the history of bread can be seen as a steady march toward whiter and finer flour, today consumers are being drawn to more primitive ingredients and techniques because of our awareness of the enhanced flavors and healthy characteristics of whole grains.The book emphasizes leavened, kneaded dough, but also includes relevant information on flatbreads, pancakes and shortbreads. Mr. Rubel dispels the myth that cooking over a fire is a "primitive" activity. He appreciates that the campfire provides an "infinitely nuanced oven" for baking breads at different levels of heat. If the baker knows how to manage a fire properly, he has a far greater range of temperatures available to him than he does in the modern conventional oven.Recipes for 7 different kinds of historic breads are included, as well as a glossary defining ninety-nine different kinds of bread. My only complaint about the book is that it is too small, which makes it difficult to see the detail in the excellent photographs and prints. This is a fascinating book to read, and has succeeded in changing the way I experience a loaf of bread. I think that's what the author had in mind.Mercy Ingraham

This book came along at the perfect time for me. I am preparing to teach a course at a School of Divinity about the Lord's Supper. I wanted to know more about bread--its history and varied uses and meanings over time. Rubel provided me with just the sort of foundation I needed. His writing is clear and engaging and stretched my knowledge about bread and bread-making. I am grateful for a well-researched book that provided me with the knowledge I sought and invited me to read more.

I love the history section, the discussion of the different grains and other ingredients that have been used in bread and the explanation of the different breads eaten by different parts of society. The photos and descriptions of the steps that went into producing flours at different time periods were fascinating. I do wish the recipes at the end were formatted better, they were conversational but not something you could just open the book and try - I needed to re-write them to be able to make them and see the steps without searching through the paragraph for the ingredients.

Wonderful little book! Very well said, as always.

Very educational and informative!

Think you know everything about bread? Try this book. Its and eye opener. Good for the foodie history buff.

I'm really enjoying this book. It's full of such interesting facts and I'm learning so much.

This is a superb small volume on man's use of various grains to produce baked goods we refer to as breads. There are a few recipes here, but they are ornaments. The history proper is the important thing and it is well and concisely presented.

If your interested in off brand history, you'll enjoy this.

A relevant history of breads all around the world, by a specialist of cooking with fire and magic. Do not use it to learn how to make bread but what is the spirit of bread.