The 15 Best Bread Cookbooks of 2023

Learn how to make fresh loaves at home from the world's top bakers.

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The 15 Best Bread Cookbooks of 2022

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.

My Bread: The Revolutionary No-Work, No-Knead Method

My Bread: The Revolutionary No-Work, No-Knead Method

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 Method
  • Author: Jim Lahey
  • Number of Pages: 224
  • Ebook Available: Yes

Sourdough: Recipes for Rustic Fermented Breads, Sweets, Savories, and More

Sourdough: Recipes for Rustic Fermented Breads, Sweets, Savories, and More

Amazon

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 More
  • Author: Sarah Owens
  • Number of Pages: 320
  • Ebook Available: Yes

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

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

Barnes and Noble

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 Bread
  • Author: Uliks Fehmiu
  • Number of Pages: 352
  • Ebook Available: Yes

Josey Baker Bread: Get Baking - Make Awesome Bread - Share the Loaves (Cookbook for Bakers, Easy Book about Bread-Making)

Josey Baker Bread: Get Baking - Make Awesome Bread - Share the Loaves (Cookbook for Bakers, Easy Book about Bread-Making)

Barnes and Noble

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 Baker
  • Number of Pages: 224
  • Ebook Available: Yes

The Hot Bread Kitchen Cookbook: Artisanal Baking from Around the World

The Hot Bread Kitchen Cookbook: Artisanal Baking from Around the World

Barnes and Noble

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 World
  • Author: Jessamyn Waldman Rodriguez and Julia Turshen
  • Number of Pages: 224
  • Ebook Available: Yes

Living Bread: Tradition and Innovation in Artisan Bread Making

Living Bread: Tradition and Innovation in Artisan Bread Making

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 Making
  • Author: Daniel Leader and Lauren Chattman
  • Number of Pages: 368
  • Ebook Available: Yes

Tartine Bread

Tartine Bread

Barnes and Noble

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 Bread
  • Author: Chad Robertson and Eric Wolfinger
  • Number of Pages: 304
  • Ebook Available: Yes

New World Sourdough: Artisan Techniques for Creative Homemade Fermented Breads

New World Sourdough: Artisan Techniques for Creative Homemade Fermented Breads

Amazon

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 More
  • Author: Bryan Ford
  • Number of Pages: 160
  • Ebook Available: Yes

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

The Bread Baker's Apprentice

Amazon

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 Bread
  • Author: Peter Reinhart
  • Number of Pages: 336
  • Ebook Available: Yes

Flour Water Salt Yeast: The Fundamentals of Artisan Bread and Pizza

Flour Water Salt Yeast: The Fundamentals of Artisan Bread and Pizza

Amazon

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 Pizza
  • Author: Ken Forkish
  • Number of Pages: 272
  • Ebook Available: Yes

Breaking Breads: A New World of Israeli Baking--Flatbreads, Stuffed Breads, Challahs, Cookies, and the Legendary Chocolate Babka

Breaking Breads: A New World of Israeli Baking

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 Babka
  • Author: Uri Scheft and Raquel Pelzel
  • Number of Pages: 352
  • Ebook Available: Yes

The No-Fuss Bread Machine Cookbook: Hands-Off Recipes for Perfect Homemade Bread

he No-Fuss Bread Machine Cookbook: Hands-Off Recipes for Perfect Homemade Bread

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 Bread
  • Author: Michelle Anderson
  • Number of Pages: 236
  • Ebook 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

Gluten-Free Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day

Amazon

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 Flour
  • Author: Jeff Hertzberg M.D. and Zoe Francois
  • Number of Pages: 304
  • Ebook Available: Yes

Bread: Mix, Knead, Bake―A Beginner's Guide to Bread Making

Bread: Mix, Knead, Bake―A Beginner's Guide to Bread Making

Barnes and Noble

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 Making
  • Author: Adams Media
  • Number of Pages: 160
  • Ebook Available: Yes

Mastering Bread: The Art and Practice of Handmade Sourdough, Yeast Bread, and Pastry

Mastering Bread: The Art and Practice of Handmade Sourdough, Yeast Bread, and Pastry

Barnes and Noble

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 Pastry
  • Author: Marc Vetri
  • Number of Pages: 304
  • Ebook 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.

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