Mr. Brown instructs not only in the making of food for the body, but also for the soul. Every time I open his book, it takes me back to those heady days of spiritual searching. Although I am no closer to Enlightenment, the work of the yeast and the energy of a day's baking makes the product vastly more satisfying than any commercial loaf.
If I am ever stranded on a desert island, I would want this book along, even if I had no supply of flour!
If you scrupulously follow the introductory instructions for the basic Tassajara bread, you will be able to make any kind of bread from scratch, by hand, guaranteed. Just now I have two gorgeous loaves of millet bread in the oven, and this is just my second time making bread by hand. Thea author, Edward Brown, tells you precisely how the dough should look, how it should feel, and how to know when you are finished kneading. You simply cannot go wrong.
I have the other "bible" of bread making, James Beard's book, and, much as I adore James Beard, I prefer the Tassajara method of bread-making. There is less guesswork, and less seems to go wrong.
And I love the spiritual side, the bliss-out and enjoy-the-moment side to the book, as well. I will never, ever part with this book.