Evolutions in Bread - by Ken Forkish (Hardcover)

About the Book

Approachable to the home baker, while still being chock-full of expert knowledge and all-new recipes, Evolutions in Bread covers same-day loaves, overnight cold-proof doughs, and classic levains. Forkish shares the secrets he has learned for making sourdough starter that's more flour efficient while also exploring classic breads and enriched doughs, such as Japanese Milk Bread and Brioche.

Book Synopsis

The New York Times bestselling author of Flour Water Salt Yeast teaches you how to elevate your sandwich bread, breakfast toast, and overall bread-baking game using everything he's learned in the last decade to perfect his loaves.

"A descendent of Flour Water Salt Yeast with an even greater eye towards baking breads that are complex in flavor but simple in process."--J. Kenji Lopez-Alt, author of The Food Lab, Every Night is Pizza Night, and The Wok

If you want to craft artisan pan breads and rustic Dutch oven loaves at home with professional, consistent results, this is the book for you. Think crispy, crackly crusts and soft, airy interiors, just like from your favorite artisan bakery--except it came from your own oven.

Approachable to the home baker, while still being chock-full of expert knowledge and all-new recipes, Evolutions in Bread covers same-day loaves, overnight cold-proof doughs, and classic levains. Forkish shares the secrets he has learned for making sourdough starter that's more flour efficient while also exploring classic breads and enriched doughs, such as Japanese Milk Bread and Brioche.

Included with each recipe is a handy baking schedule, helping newbies navigate their first starters and loaves. The doughs are also versatile; most can be prepared as a lidded pan loaf, open pan loaf, or as a rustic country loaf. This book will improve anyone's baking but also serves as a companion to Flour Water Salt Yeast, giving you everything you need to create any loaf imaginable.

Review Quotes

"If you somehow made it through the pandemic without picking up a copy of Flour Water Salt Yeast, well, what did you do with yourself? Rouse that slumbering sourdough starter and dig in to this sequel, which builds on the foundations of baking in the methodical, newbie-friendly way that baker/author Ken Forkish does best."--Food & Wine

"True evolution is not about what's most complex, but about what is most practical. Evolutions in Bread represents the newest phase in Ken Forkish's baking, that is, a descendent of Flour Water Salt Yeast with an even greater eye towards baking breads that are complex in flavor but simple in process. Any home baker can benefit from this uniquely democratic work from one of the great modern bread makers and educators."--J. Kenji Lopez-Alt, author of The Food Lab, Every Night is Pizza Night, and The Wok

"Ken Forkish's latest book is a masterwork. Evolutions in Bread offers an old-yet-new-approach, focusing not on rustic European loaves but on comfort breads with a softer crumb, like brioche and milk bread. But I'd buy this book just for its transformative toast. Once you've tried it, the mere memory will bounce you happily out of bed in the morning."--Darra Goldstein, founding editor of Gastronomica and author of Beyond the North Wind and Fire + Ice

"Ken Forkish writes books that people use. In Evolutions in Bread, he brings us from farm to mill to pan to hearth. It's been ten years since Ken's legendary Flour Water Salt Yeast and we should all be ready to follow this evolution as outlined by one of the truly great teachers."--Stephen Jones, founder of WSU Breadlab

"As a home baker who has spent many hours with Ken Forkish's books, Evolutions in Bread is a new best! He shares his new--even simpler--starter method, easy-to-follow recipes, and plenty of tricks and secrets to create the most incredible bread--all from your own kitchen!"--Abby Wambach, Olympian, activist, and #1 New York Times best-selling author of Wolfpack

"A wonderfully in-depth look at what is possible at home with the right teacher. Ken shows us endless ways to explore the many wonders of pan breads, utilizing heirloom wheats and sharing his passion for low-waste techniques. This book gave me the courage to jump back into baking at home and I'm sure it will do the same for you."--Sean Brock, chef and owner of Audrey and June

"Evolutions in Bread takes the artisanal love of bread baking to the next level. This book has so much information and explains it in such simple detail that anyone passionate about producing a great loaf can master many different styles. I, being a bread nerd, am obsessed with this book!"--Ken Oringer, James Beard award-winning chef and restaurateur

"Ken's method for sourdough in Evolutions in Bread has evolved from his first book to make it more user friendly, and all the recipes here were tested in regular home ovens, which can be temperamental, especially for bakers. In your hands you have the roadmap to making excellent bread in your own kitchen."--Francisco Migoya, head chef of Modernist Cuisine

About the Author

Ken Forkish is the founder of Ken's Artisan Pizza and Ken's Artisan Bakery. He trained at the San Francisco Baking Institute, the CIA Greystone, Toscana Saporita in Italy, and l'Institut Paul Bocuse in France. He is the bestselling author of The Elements of Pizza and Flour Water Salt Yeast, which won both a James Beard and IACP award.