The Pain d'Avignon Baking Book: A War, An Unlikely Bakery, and a Master Class in Bread

Over the course of thirty years, Pain d'Avignon has grown from a small artisan bakeshop on Cape Cod into an important supplier of bread for restaurants from New York to Boston. The company's story is as remarkable as their loaves, beginning with expatriates from the war-torn former Yugoslavia who had never baked bread.

The recipes in this collection include detailed, step-by-step instruction, perhaps in memory of their own inexperienced beginnings. Sourdough starter, or levain, is a crucial component of breads such as pane francese or a very Cape Cod cranberry pecan loaf. Other breads rely on poolish, which needs 15 hours rest to be ready to be used in the likes of ciabatta or classic baguettes.

There are enriched and laminated doughs as well for making croissants, brioche, and both sweet and savory tarts.

Recipes from these sections use baker's percentages and weights; there are no volume measurements. Later chapters for treats such as scones, cakes, and cookies, as well sandwiches, do use more traditional volume measure.

A rewarding book for an experienced baker or motivated beginner.

Hardcover. Color photographs throughout.