# Another bread book



## kimmie (Mar 13, 2001)

The Taste of Bread : A Translation of Le Gout Du Pain, Comment Le Preserver, Comment Le Retrouver--by Raymond Calvel, Ronald L. Wirtz, James J. MacGuire

Format: Hardcover, 1st ed., 216pp.
ISBN: 0834216469
Publisher: Aspen Publishers, Inc.
Pub. Date: January 2000

Contents

Characteristics of Raw Materials and Dough Production * The Role of Mixing and of Yeast Fermentation in the Creation of Bread Taste * Baking and Keeping Qualities of Bread and Their Relationship to Taste * Bread and the Consumer. Traditional and Speciality Bread Production * Yeast-raised Sweet Dough Products, Common and Dietetic Rusks, Breadsticks, Croissants, Parisian and Regional Brioches * Bread and the Consumer. Nuturitional Value of Bread. Bread and Gastronomy.

Review Quotes

At last, Raymond Calvel's Le Gout du Pain is available in English, translated by Ronald Wirtz. Mr. Calvel is known throughout the world for his research on the production of quality French and European hearth breads. Supplemented with dozens of black and white photos, drawings, and color plates, this book provides the basic technical knowledge that is necessary to the development of competence in the manufacture of hearth breads.

You will get a good price at 
Barnes & Noble

The book is intended for professional bakers.

[ September 27, 2001: Message edited by: Kimmie ]


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## kylew (Aug 14, 2000)

M. Calvel is rumored to be a true guru. He is often cited in other bread books. I'm not sure I am ready for him quite yet. I did just order Beth Hensberger's Bread Bible, Secrets of a Jewish Baker and The Village Baker by Joe Ortiz. 3 new books, Frank refreshed and ready, girlfriend away for the weekend....I smell trouble!


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## kokopuffs (Aug 4, 2000)

Warning, warning, remote sensors indicate information overload chez KyleW. Warning, warning...


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## kimmie (Mar 13, 2001)

Hey Kyle,

You will love Beth Hensberger's Bread Bible.


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## kylew (Aug 14, 2000)

I got one out of three; The Village Baker. I guess I'll get the other two on Monday. I think it's kinda tough to get anything south of Canal Street these days so I won't b***h


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## kimmie (Mar 13, 2001)

Hey Kyle,

I would consider Calvel's book seriously if I were you. I feel you are just about ready for a really serious book on bread!


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## kylew (Aug 14, 2000)

Frank anf Ernest may get a sister. I am going to try Ortiz's real basic (flour and water only!) starter. It looks almost like an old dough thing. You keep a walnut size chunk. Film at 11!


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## isa (Apr 4, 2000)

Kim's right The Bread Bible is a great book. Been working my way through it since I got it. So far so good, everything turned out great. 

How to you like The Village Baker Kyle?


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## thebighat (Feb 21, 2001)

My baking formula tech instructor from J&W emailed me and said the Calvel book was out and really recommended it. What's the deal? Lots of info, I'm sure, but any formulas?


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## kylew (Aug 14, 2000)

Here's the blurb from C.H.I.P.S.. It looks like it does include formulas. Barnes & Noble is selling it for $48.


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## kylew (Aug 14, 2000)

OK, it's true. I have no will power! It's a good thing I don't have kids. After having just spent $48 on a (the?) bread book, they might be going hungry!


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## isa (Apr 4, 2000)

Yet another bread book is coming out in November: Bread Baker's Apprentice : Making Classic Breads With the Cutting Edge Techniques of a Bread Master by Peter Reinhart.

How about it Kyle?


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## kylew (Aug 14, 2000)

It's a given Iza  In fact, at the same time as his book is released in November, Peter Reinhart will be touring with members of The Bakers Dozen. They are going to be promoting their new book as well. They have a stop @ The Institute of Culinary Education (I.C.E. formerly known as Peter Kump's New York Cooking School). I have a well placed contact at I.C.E and think I will be able to sneak in 

[ October 03, 2001: Message edited by: KyleW ]


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## kylew (Aug 14, 2000)

I just got Calvel's book. It looks much more like a text book than a cook book. I just wish I had a fire place to out my feet up in front of. This book looks very cool.

TBH - There seem to be many formulae.

[ October 03, 2001: Message edited by: KyleW ]


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## risa (May 11, 2001)

When did Peter Kump's change names? Not that it makes any difference to me since I'm far far away from NYC and not likely to be going to cooking school any time soon.


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## kylew (Aug 14, 2000)

The name change happened the middle of last month.


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## isa (Apr 4, 2000)

Does that mean you'll give us a resume of the lecture?


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## kylew (Aug 14, 2000)

Attention class!

Iza - I tried to send you a private message but your box is full


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## isa (Apr 4, 2000)

I know Kyle I've been having problem with it, I can't seem to be able to empty my mailbox. I finally asked Nicko to help me. Problem should be fix in a few days.


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## kylew (Aug 14, 2000)

I was going to ask you about kimmie but I heard from her yesterday  Just wanted to make sure she was ok.


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## thebighat (Feb 21, 2001)

I got my last big overtime check of the season, with a surprise bonus for working Yom Kippur, so I beetled into Barnes and Noble and ordered The Taste of Bread. Should be here by the end of the week.

The clubhouse manager asked me to make him some bread to impress some friends of his, I guess, so I made Reinhart's pain ordinaire in a retarded 2 lb boule, the Royal Crown Tortano, and Reinhart's focaccia shaped like a ciabatta. They liked the tortano. 

I have been working part time in a whole foods grocery store where they have everything they need in the way of ovens, mixers, proofers, but they don't use them. They buy all the bread from some places with really good reputations and you know, eat a slice or two of any of them, and you'll know if you have a tmj problem. We talking chewy. I'm not sure if that's what I like.


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## kokopuffs (Aug 4, 2000)

TBH:

I lived in the San Francisco bay Area for 15 years. All of the sourdough bread that I bought from street vendors in S.F. seemed tough. Chewing it gave my jaw muscles, the masseters, a real aerobic workout. Never again.


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## thebighat (Feb 21, 2001)

There was a Barnes and Noble box on the Hoosier when I got home tonight, but it was kind of light. I was expecting a scholarly tome that will keep me absorbed for weeks. It feels like a Golden Book, but we'll see what's inside.


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## kokopuffs (Aug 4, 2000)

TBH:

what is a HOOSIER in terms of furniture?:beer:


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## kylew (Aug 14, 2000)

TBH - I'm dying to know your impressions of The Taste of Bread. I agree that the book looked unassuming. There are an awful lot of words per page though  I find it fascinating. A lot like the Bread Builders, but with formulae.


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## isa (Apr 4, 2000)

How do you like The Village Baker Kyle?


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## kylew (Aug 14, 2000)

I'm spending the weekend in The Lab. It is my intention to spend some time with Mr. Ortiz. I will file a full report


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## thebighat (Feb 21, 2001)

A Hoosier is one of those old fashioned oak kitchen worktop/cupboard items. The one we have has been in the family for years.
I crawled into bed with The Taste of Bread and was immediately and properly humbled. I can't wait to really get into it. This guy Calvel sounds like the Ignatius J. Reilly of bakers, always on the lookout for lapses in decency and taste. I am going to try his French bread tomorrow, following all his hints on mixer speeds and times and temperatures. I also want to try the rustic bread with the pate fermentee that just gets cut into chunks and not really properly shaped.


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## kylew (Aug 14, 2000)

I kinda though you might like it. I find the Translator's side bars very helpful.


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## isa (Apr 4, 2000)

I'm looking forward to it Kyle.


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## kimmie (Mar 13, 2001)

You see, I have no kitchen to work in and my baking books and toys are in storage.

You guys...keep posting...at least, I enjoy reading...FOR NOW!

 


TBH: I'm glad you like the Calvel book.


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## isa (Apr 4, 2000)

Kimmie, I'll lend you mine if I get to keep half the bread you make!


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## kimmie (Mar 13, 2001)

Nice try Isa, but I'll pass. :chef:


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## isa (Apr 4, 2000)

Guess I'll have to make my own bread this weekend....


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## thebighat (Feb 21, 2001)

Made the French bread with the traditional method today. His percentages are very close to Reinhart's for the same pain ordinaire. He is at 67% h2o to Reinharts 66, and yeast is 1.25% to .05. I blew the dough temp, came out a little cold, so I put the dough in the warming cabinet for a while. It finished fermenting on the bench and the thermometer was at 75. The 35 minute rest after rounding was a little long for me, but the baquettes rolled out nicely after that rest. I made two baguettes, one big batard, 2 pain fendu, and a boule. I have trouble with the slashing. The baquettes bent in the oven, the cuts on the batard filled in and the pain fendu didn't look like the picture, but geez, it was good bread. It was a 3 min mix on speed 1 on a 20 qt, 15 min autolyse, then 8 min on 1. I usually cut that 3 min down till the dough picks up, then I mix on 2 for about 10 min. The baguettes came out perfectly round, not at all flat on the bottom. I like that. I'm trying it again tomorrow. I have barely had a chance to look at the book in depth I've been burning the proverbial candle.


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## kimmie (Mar 13, 2001)

TBH,

I find it interesting that YOU had problems slashing! What went wrong? Please keep us posted on your results, like a diary...

:lips:


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## kylew (Aug 14, 2000)

Isa - I'm struggling with The Village Baker. Been looking for projects for the weekend and I can't seem to get my hands aroound his recipes. He deals in handfulls of flour, nonspecific amounts of levain, he gives only dry measure amounts (how do you measure a cup of levain?)etc. There are weights in the formulae in the back of the boog but he foes not give baker's percentages and the amounts are huge. The other thing is I guess I didn't want to start a third starter. From what I've read, his levain is a lot like Reinhart's firm starter. I happen to have a batch of that in the fridge so I am going to sub it for levain and see how it goes.


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## isa (Apr 4, 2000)

What a mess Kyle. Sorry, it's always disappointing when a book doesn't hold to its promises.


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