The Bread Baker's Apprentice: Mastering the Art of Extraordinary Bread (15th Anniversary Edition)

This wonderful book is featured in our Fall 2025 Cookbook Club! Click here for details.

Molly Stevens once said that great cookbooks not only give you recipes, they teach you how to think. The Bread Baker’s Apprentice does exactly that.

For more than thirty years, Peter Reinhart has taught bread making to thousands of students, distilling science, craft, and tradition into clear lessons that home bakers can use every day. In this updated edition of his acclaimed classic, Reinhart brings that teaching experience to life, offering both inspiration and instruction in equal measure.

At the heart of the book is his step-by-step explanation of the twelve stages of bread making, accompanied by over 100 photographs that walk you through the process with confidence. From mastering doughs for pizza, challah, bagels, and sourdough to refining your technique for rustic country loaves and ciabatta, Reinhart shows how to build a strong foundation of skills you can adapt and expand.

With fifty master formulas and practical guidance throughout—including updated measurements, baker’s percentages, and temperature conversions—this book gives bakers the tools to experiment, personalize, and truly make each bread their own. More than just a collection of recipes, The Bread Baker’s Apprentice is a course in bread making, taught by one of the most experienced instructors in the field.

Winner of the James Beard and IACP Awards.

Hardcover. Color photographs throughout.