Review of Flour Water Salt Yeast: The Fundamentals of Artisan Bread and Pizza

Ken Forkish’s Flour Water Salt Yeast: The Fundamentals of Artisan Bread and Pizza is a masterclass in bread and pizza making. Known for his award-winning bakery, Ken brings his expertise to the home baker, breaking down the science and art of artisan baking into an accessible format. If you’ve ever wanted to create bakery-quality bread or perfect your pizza game, this book is your go-to resource.

First Impressions:

This book is equal parts educational and inspiring. With its clean layout and stunning photography, Flour Water Salt Yeast invites readers to roll up their sleeves and start baking. Ken’s explanations are thorough and precise, ensuring you understand the why behind each technique. While the recipes range from beginner-friendly to advanced, the tone is approachable and encourages experimentation.

What I Loved:

• In-Depth Techniques: Ken explains every step of the bread-making process, from fermentation to scoring, in meticulous detail.
• Flexible Recipes: Each recipe offers variations, encouraging bakers to adapt techniques and flavors to suit their preferences.
• Focus on Quality: The emphasis on high-quality ingredients and tools sets this book apart, ensuring exceptional results.
• Step-by-Step Photos: Visual aids make even complex techniques like shaping dough feel achievable.

Recipes I Tried and Loved:

1. Overnight White Bread: Perfect for beginners, this recipe produced a soft crumb and a golden crust with minimal effort.
2. Saturday Pizza Dough: A versatile, easy-to-handle dough that yielded perfectly crisp and chewy pizzas.
3. Harvest Bread with Walnuts and Raisins: A flavorful, rustic loaf with a hint of sweetness and a nutty crunch.
4. Poolish Baguettes: These baguettes required patience, but the result was a bakery-quality crust and airy interior.

Add a Creative Touch with Tools:

To get the best results from Flour Water Salt Yeast, consider these tools:

• Dutch Oven: Essential for achieving the perfect crust on artisan loaves.
• Baking Stone or Steel: Ideal for pizza and baguettes to ensure even heat distribution.
• Bench Scraper: Useful for shaping and dividing dough.
• Kitchen Scale: Precision is key in bread making, and a scale ensures consistent measurements.

Who Is This Book For?

Flour Water Salt Yeast is perfect for anyone serious about improving their bread and pizza skills. While some recipes are accessible to beginners, the book primarily caters to intermediate and advanced bakers ready to dive deeper into artisan techniques. If you love the science behind baking or enjoy experimenting with fermentation, this book is a must-have.

A Few Notes:

The book’s depth and detail may feel overwhelming for true beginners. Some recipes require specialized tools or long fermentation times, which could be a challenge for those with limited time or equipment. However, the results are well worth the effort for those willing to commit.

Final Thoughts:

Ken Forkish’s Flour Water Salt Yeast is a definitive guide to artisan baking, offering recipes and techniques that inspire and challenge bakers. Whether you’re aiming for a perfectly crusty loaf or a pizza with just the right chew, this book will elevate your baking skills and deepen your appreciation for the craft.