What to Buy Gift Guides Cookbooks The 15 Best Bread Cookbooks of 2023 Learn how to make fresh loaves at home from the world's top bakers. By Rachel Weingarten Updated on November 18, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Learn more. Barnes and Noble Baking bread is a ritual for many home cooks. For some, kneading by hand almost becomes a meditative practice; for others, it takes years to figure out the secret to perfect proofing. Regardless of your skill level, bread cookbooks are a great way to learn new techniques and recipes. “What makes home-baked bread priceless is the time, energy, and love you put into it,” says Uliks Fehmiu, co-founder of Pain D’Avignon, the beloved Cape Cod bakery. “You can never compare the hot, steamy, crunchy bread that just came out of the oven to the loaf baked a day earlier. There is nothing like breaking a fresh loaf of bread with your own hands.” Whether you want to make sourdough for the first time or are ready to move on to buttery brioche, we’ve rounded 15 of the best bread cookbooks for any home baker. Our Top Picks My Bread at Amazon Jump to Review Sourdough at Amazon Jump to Review The Pain D'Avignon Baking Book at Amazon Jump to Review Josey Baker Bread at Amazon Jump to Review The Hot Bread Kitchen Cookbook at Amazon Jump to Review Living Bread at Amazon Jump to Review Tartine Bread at Amazon Jump to Review New World Sourdough at Amazon Jump to Review The Bread Baker's Apprentice at Amazon Jump to Review Flour Water Salt Yeast at Amazon Jump to Review My Bread: The Revolutionary No-Work, No-Knead Method Amazon View On Amazon Lahey is the creator of the famous no-knead dough technique, which involves mixing flour, yeast, salt, and water together quickly, then leaving the ingredients alone for 12 hours before baking in a Dutch oven. While it sounds like a very unusual technique, it’s a great way for beginners to start to understand the fermentation process. This cookbook teaches you how to nail this innovative bread baking method and features tons of images and tips on what to do with all that bread you’ve baked but didn’t eat, such as making breadcrumbs from stale bread. Price at time of publish: $30 Full Title: My Bread: The Revolutionary No-Work, No-Knead MethodAuthor: Jim LaheyNumber of Pages: 224Ebook Available: Yes Sourdough: Recipes for Rustic Fermented Breads, Sweets, Savories, and More Amazon View On Amazon View On Barnesandnoble.com Since the beginning of the pandemic, sourdough has become increasingly popular for both new and seasoned bread bakers. Not only is it tasty, but it’s also easier to digest than other breads, making it an appealing option for health-conscious folks. Even if you’ve already perfected the prep process, you can go beyond starters with this fantastic resource for creating whole grain, sprouted fermented bread. This cookbook features 101 recipes using sourdough starter in savory and sweet baked goods, including peach and lavender crumb muffins, jalapeño cheese bread, and chocolate buckwheat cookies. Price at time of publish: $35 Full Title: Sourdough: Recipes for Rustic Fermented Breads, Sweets, Savories, and MoreAuthor: Sarah OwensNumber of Pages: 320Ebook Available: Yes The Pain d'Avignon Baking Book: A War, An Unlikely Bakery, and a Master Class in Bread Barnes and Noble View On Amazon View On Barnesandnoble.com The story of Pain D'Avignon is very touching, with a group of friends fleeing war-torn countries to create a bakery revered by foodies and chefs alike. This book is an adventure story and a complete masterclass in baking the types of loaves people will talk about weeks after your latest dinner party. We asked Uliks Fehmiu what made him share the formerly top-secret recipe. “Long gone are the days when expert bakers hid their recipes and methods as top-secret government classified documents,” he says. “Recipes and baking techniques are now more easily accessible. Our desire is to share that passion and joy for the bread making process with everyone. If we could do it, you can certainly as well.” And don’t be overwhelmed by all the steps involved. Fehmiu says, “if you like to cook or bake, you already know how enjoyable and rewarding the process can be.” Price at time of publish: $40 Full Title: The Pain d'Avignon Baking Book: A War, An Unlikely Bakery, and a Master Class in BreadAuthor: Uliks FehmiuNumber of Pages: 352Ebook Available: Yes 19 of the Best Baking Cookbooks, According to the Pros Josey Baker Bread: Get Baking - Make Awesome Bread - Share the Loaves (Cookbook for Bakers, Easy Book about Bread-Making) Barnes and Noble View On Amazon View On Barnesandnoble.com One frustrating thing about cookbooks is how challenging it can be to find one at your skill level. And sometimes you’re deep in a recipe before realizing it’s so advanced that you can’t keep up with the instructions, much less create anything to match the images. Thankfully, Josey Baker Bread (and who doesn’t love a great aptonym?) gives clear, almost chatty instructions, timetables, and walk-through photos of every step. It’s also written in order of difficulty, starting off with a basic bread recipe and moving on from there. Price at time of publish: $28 Full Title: Josey Baker Bread: Get Baking - Make Awesome Bread - Share the Loaves (Cookbook for Bakers, Easy Book about Bread-Making)Author: Josey BakerNumber of Pages: 224Ebook Available: Yes The Hot Bread Kitchen Cookbook: Artisanal Baking from Around the World Barnes and Noble View On Amazon View On Barnesandnoble.com If you live for bread baking, you may find yourself bored at times, making the same few loaves. The Hot Bread Kitchen Cookbook is a beautiful collection of recipes, including loaves, baguettes, enriched breads, conchas, bialys, and more from around the world. There’s a feel-good factor as well. The bakery employs, educates, and empowers immigrant women, bringing recipes from their homelands and, in turn, empowering and educating them. Price at time of publish: $35 Full Title: The Hot Bread Kitchen Cookbook: Artisanal Baking from Around the WorldAuthor: Jessamyn Waldman Rodriguez and Julia TurshenNumber of Pages: 224Ebook Available: Yes Living Bread: Tradition and Innovation in Artisan Bread Making Amazon View On Amazon In Living Bread, lauded dessert maker and James Beard Award winner Daniel Leader takes readers through wheat farming practices and advances in milling to sourdough starters and the mechanics of mixing dough. His recipes are a mash-up of bread and desserts and include vegan brioche, chocolate sourdough babka, and pompe à l'huile, a sweet bread unique to the South of France. Price at time of publish: $40 Full Title: Living Bread: Tradition and Innovation in Artisan Bread MakingAuthor: Daniel Leader and Lauren ChattmanNumber of Pages: 368Ebook Available: Yes Tartine Bread Barnes and Noble View On Amazon View On Barnesandnoble.com Chad Robertson won the James Beard Award for Outstanding Pastry Chef in 2008, and his talent and knowledge show in this cookbook. If you’re looking for an easy read, this is not it. If you’re looking for a bread cookbook to teach you step-by-step the ins and outs of every aspect of making bread — get ready for a life-changing baking experience. Robertson's basic recipe is explained with numbered steps right from the beginning. But pay attention because the steps aren’t repeated, meaning you’ll have to master them before moving on. Price at time of publish: $40 Full Title: Tartine BreadAuthor: Chad Robertson and Eric WolfingerNumber of Pages: 304Ebook Available: Yes New World Sourdough: Artisan Techniques for Creative Homemade Fermented Breads Amazon View On Amazon View On Barnesandnoble.com View On Uncommon Goods In this book, Instagram-famous baker Bryan Ford focuses on North, Central, and South American bread making practices as opposed to European. "Most people think of sourdough as a Tartine country loaf, a specific-looking bread that has specific ingredients," he told Food & Wine. "Let's be more inclusive. Let's accept that pan cubano is also sourdough, and pan de coco is sourdough, and look at it as such." Ford also ties in his Honduran and New Orleans roots to further flesh out this eye-opening redefinition of naturally leavened bread. Price at time of publish: $28 Full Title: New World Sourdough: Artisan Techniques for Creative Homemade Fermented Breads; With Recipes for Birote, Bagels, Pan de Coco, Beignets, and MoreAuthor: Bryan FordNumber of Pages: 160Ebook Available: Yes The Best Bread Cloches for Crispy Sourdough, Based on Our Tests The Bread Baker's Apprentice, 15th Anniversary Edition: Mastering the Art of Extraordinary Bread Amazon View On Amazon View On Walmart View On Barnesandnoble.com For more than 30 years, James Beard and IACP Award winner Peter Reinhart has been considered one of the world’s leaders in bread and bread baking. This cookbook starts with in-depth tutorials, theories, and techniques from the master himself and then goes into extremely detailed recipes. Not only will you learn some delicious bread recipes, including sourdough and old-school New York bagels, but you’ll also learn information on why you use certain ingredients and what they do. In addition to the rich content, there are more than 100 photos to help visual learners nail their creations. Price at time of publish: $40 Full Title: The Bread Baker's Apprentice, 15th Anniversary Edition: Mastering the Art of Extraordinary BreadAuthor: Peter ReinhartNumber of Pages: 336Ebook Available: Yes Flour Water Salt Yeast: The Fundamentals of Artisan Bread and Pizza Amazon View On Amazon View On Barnesandnoble.com If you’ve ever had truly exceptional pizza, you’ve probably noticed the quality of the bread — yes, bread — the other ingredients are perched on. I know that when I bite into a slice, I can tell if there’s apple juice used instead of water. In this book, Forkish goes into granular detail on how to make bread rise in the best possible ways. And if you adhere to his rules and instructions, your bread baking will be on par with the pros. One thing to keep in mind is that this book goes through a lot of flour in pursuit of the perfect leaven (the fermented starter many artisanal bakers rely on for peak tang in the completed bread). Price at time of publish: $35 Full Title: Flour Water Salt Yeast: The Fundamentals of Artisan Bread and PizzaAuthor: Ken ForkishNumber of Pages: 272Ebook Available: Yes The 12 Tools You Need to Bake Better Bread at Home Breaking Breads: A New World of Israeli Baking--Flatbreads, Stuffed Breads, Challahs, Cookies, and the Legendary Chocolate Babka Target View On Amazon View On Target If you’ve ever hoped to master some of the more complicated breads (beyond laffa or pita) coming out of the Middle East, this cookbook is for you. Scheft is the owner of Breads Bakery in New York City, home of award-winning baguettes and babkas. He takes inspiration from his grandmother’s recipes as well as his Scandinavian heritage, European pastry training, and Israeli upbringing. It’s important to note that the portions are pretty large, so you’ll be left with several servings to share with others. Price at time of publish: $40 Full Title: Breaking Breads: A New World of Israeli Baking--Flatbreads, Stuffed Breads, Challahs, Cookies, and the Legendary Chocolate BabkaAuthor: Uri Scheft and Raquel PelzelNumber of Pages: 352Ebook Available: Yes The No-Fuss Bread Machine Cookbook: Hands-Off Recipes for Perfect Homemade Bread Target View On Amazon View On Target Depending on who you ask, bread machines are either the best or worst inventions since sliced bread. For the past few months, I’ve been experimenting with almond flour or spelt flour bases in my Zojirushi Home Bakery Mini Breadmaker. There are times when the fresh bread comes out perfect and other times, it’s a crumbly mess. I started thumbing through The No-Fuss Bread Machine Cookbook and liked the fact that there was a variety of ways to use your bread machine, along with the nutrition information as well. A huge bonus is in the introduction, in which helps explain why some breads fail. This is an excellent cookbook for beginners or anyone wanting easy bread baking tips for their bread machine. Price at time of publish: $13 Full Title: The No-Fuss Bread Machine Cookbook: Hands-Off Recipes for Perfect Homemade BreadAuthor: Michelle AndersonNumber of Pages: 236Ebook Available: Yes Gluten-Free Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Baking Revolution Continues with 90 New, Delicious and Easy Recipes Made with Gluten-Free Flours Amazon View On Amazon View On Walmart View On Target The popular duo created a cookbook not only filled with gluten-free recipes but also a plethora of options that take about five minutes prep time. It’s nice to know that you can get the richness and weightiness of true bread without wheat flour or other ingredients that might be difficult for some bodies to process. One thing to keep in mind, five minutes of prep time doesn’t mean slopping together a bunch of ingredients and hoping for the best. The key to creating a gluten-free bread alternative with a great crust or the right level of crumb is meticulously following the instructions. Price at time of publish: $35 Full Title: Gluten-Free Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Baking Revolution Continues with 90 New, Delicious and Easy Recipes Made with Gluten-Free FlourAuthor: Jeff Hertzberg M.D. and Zoe FrancoisNumber of Pages: 304Ebook Available: Yes Bread: Mix, Knead, Bake―A Beginner's Guide to Bread Making Barnes and Noble View On Amazon View On Barnesandnoble.com There are times when even the most sophisticated bread baker simply craving something hot and crusty to serve with dinner. While this book is described as being a beginner’s guide to bread making, the instructions can feel a bit sparse for someone who’s never baked bread before. Instead, it’s a lovely little book for someone who wants to fling flour about and find a recipe that won’t be overly challenging. Look forward to Italian ciabatta, buttermilk potato bread, and more. Price at time of publish: $18 Full Title: Bread: Mix, Knead, Bake―A Beginner's Guide to Bread MakingAuthor: Adams MediaNumber of Pages: 160Ebook Available: Yes Mastering Bread: The Art and Practice of Handmade Sourdough, Yeast Bread, and Pastry Barnes and Noble View On Amazon View On Barnesandnoble.com If you come home from your travels marveling about the quality of bread served, check out this cookbook. While many bread chefs explain the science behind their methods, not all break down the regional ingredients as well. For instance, in this book, you can find out how to use fresh milled and whole grain flour. You can also learn about local and regional wheat varieties, so you can use the exotic wheat you pick up on your travels. There are also easy-to-understand instructions to use whatever flour you have handy to adapt any of the recipes. Plus, it includes some wonderful interviews with grain farmers and bread bakers from around the nation. Price at time of publish: $33 Full Title: Mastering Bread: The Art and Practice of Handmade Sourdough, Yeast Bread, and PastryAuthor: Marc VetriNumber of Pages: 304Ebook Available: Yes Our Expertise Rachel Weingarten is an internationally recognized lifestyle writer, weekly style columnist, and award-winning author. She has bylines in InStyle, PEOPLE, Allrecipes, and more. As a former bakery owner, she determined the best bread cookbooks based on her hands-on experience testing out recipes. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit