Title:	Very Good Bread: The Science of Dough and the Art of Making Bread at Home: A Cookbook
	Author:	Melissa Weller
	Published:	November 5, 2024, Knopf
	No. of Pages:	336
	Cover Price:	$40.00 Hardcover, $19.99 Kindle

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Although I’ve been baking bread for years, I always welcome new ideas and good books to help me improve my skills. I ran across an excellent bread primer, Very Good Bread: The Science of Dough and the Art of Making Bread at Home: A Cookbook, by James Beard Award–nominated baker, Melissa Weller, that got me excited about baking lots of new types of bread. The book includes Master Classes for several types of bread, which are very helpful and informative.
The breads included are varied and mouthwatering. There are several chapters featuring sourdough, as well as regular breads for those of us who have passed that sourdough bandwagon. The recipes are written in the traditional manner with the ingredients listed first (the measurements are in both volume and weight), followed by excellent step-by-step instructions. It’s easy for anyone to follow them, from beginning bakers to advanced bakers. The book is easy to read, and includes helpful comments at the beginning of each recipe.

Another plus is that there are beautiful, professional photographs of most of the recipes which help bakers decide just what to make next and how the finished breads should look. The author also includes toppings and sandwich fillings for bagels, breads, and rolls.


All told, this excellent cookbook will inspire bakers and wannabe bakers to get to work. It is highly recommended and it will keep many of us baking for months.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.