52 Loaves

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Overview

William Alexander is determined to bake the perfect loaf of bread. He tasted it long ago, in a restaurant, and has been trying to reproduce it ever since. Without success. Now, on the theory that practice makes perfect, he sets out to bake peasant bread every week until he gets it right. He bakes his loaf from scratch. And because Alexander is nothing if not thorough, he really means from scratch: growing, harvesting, winnowing, threshing, and milling his own wheat.

An original take on the six-thousand-year-old staple of life, 52 Loaves explores the nature of obsession, the meditative quality of ritual, the futility of trying to re-create something perfect, our deep connection to the ...

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More About This Book

Overview

William Alexander is determined to bake the perfect loaf of bread. He tasted it long ago, in a restaurant, and has been trying to reproduce it ever since. Without success. Now, on the theory that practice makes perfect, he sets out to bake peasant bread every week until he gets it right. He bakes his loaf from scratch. And because Alexander is nothing if not thorough, he really means from scratch: growing, harvesting, winnowing, threshing, and milling his own wheat.

An original take on the six-thousand-year-old staple of life, 52 Loaves explores the nature of obsession, the meditative quality of ritual, the futility of trying to re-create something perfect, our deep connection to the earth, and the mysterious instinct that makes all of us respond to the aroma of baking bread.

Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9781616200503
  • Publisher: Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill
  • Publication date: 10/25/2011
  • Pages: 352
  • Sales rank: 144,238
  • Product dimensions: 5.40 (w) x 8.20 (h) x 1.00 (d)

Meet the Author

William Alexander lives and bakes in New York’s Hudson Valley. He is the author of The $64 Tomato. Find him online at williamalexander.com.

Customer Reviews

Average Rating 4
( 11 )

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Sort by: Showing all of 11 Customer Reviews

  • Anonymous

    Posted February 3, 2012

    Awesome

    I'm not the only fool out there who thrives on doing things the hard way. Good to know. This book is funny, thought provoking, and full of fascinating historical and scientific details. Please excuse me now, I have to go peel bark from a pound of pear tree branches so I can dye an ounce of wool pink.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted January 15, 2011

    I Also Recommend:

    9780316001922

    You do not have to be a bread baker to love this book

    I enjoyed the self depracating humor and all the side information that William Alexander provides. The $64 Tomato was ok, but I enjoyed this book much more.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted May 6, 2010

    52 Loaves by William Alexander

    Subtitled "One man's relentless pursuit of truth, meaning, and a perfect crust." this is William Alexander's year-long attempt to replicate the 'perfect' loaf of peasant bread that he had in an upscale restaurant.

    It's very funny in some places such as when he uses pH papers supplied by his physician wife to see if the tap water he uses is acidic. He finds that it but is relieved to find that it is not pregnant. I also enjoyed the story of how he carried a sourdough starter through the TSA to take it to Europe.

    But, as a amateur bread baker, I found his obsession with minute details of measurements and times frustrating, since one of the things I like about bread baking is the inexactness of the process. And, I wondered if the perfect loaf of bread he strived for existed. Indeed, he seems to come to the conclusion that it is not.

    There is some very interesting information in his stories. I did not realize the ancient Egyptians kneading bread in a trough with their feet. And his description of the Abbaye Saint-Wabdrille de Fontelle in Normandy, France and his week with the monks there was very interesting.

    I would recommend this book to bread bakers everywhere.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted May 4, 2010

    Just flour, water, yeast, and salt

    If you enjoyed watching the movie "My Big Fat Greek Wedding", then you are going to relish reading "52 Loaves". Just as the audience did not have to be Greek to laugh at the hilarious movie scenes and to empathize with the protagonist's experiences, readers do not have to bake bread, to be fully sated with this wonderful book.

    For me, the most satisfying book is one that balances character, plot, setting, and theme. In "52 Loaves", all four strands are woven in a tapestry of well-written, thoughtful words.

    The main "character" is the author, William Alexander. If you can recall a time in your life when either a meal or food tantalized you with its sublime taste, smell and texture, you can understand the author's dogged attempts to recreate a memorable experience with a loaf of bread. Given bread's many dynamic variables (flour, yeast, time and temperature), replicating a loaf of bread without a recipe, is intricately complicated. As the story enfolds, we laugh heartily as the author encounters one mishap after another in search for this elusive recipe, while admiring his doggedness. The single-focused character who we meet at the beginning of the book becomes introspective and philosophical at the end.

    The plot holds the reader's interest as it revolves around the author's activities, his tribulations paired with triumphs, his obstacles followed by revelations. Along with the author, we learn from and enjoy meeting, among others, the miller, the bakers, the hippie, the scientist, the storeowner, and the monk. While we know intuitively that the author will eventually bake a "perfect" loaf, we read on to share in this victory. Rich in setting, the book travels from one location to the next - a myriad of fascinating places that culminate in a week's stay at a French monastery. The descriptions are precise in detail, informative in context, and lyrical in tone - a pleasing juxtaposition. Finally, like the author who learned that the perfect bread is the penultimate one, at the conclusion of the book, the reader will think about its many meanings long after the last page is read.

    "52 Loaves" is quintessential story-telling. Whether you have never baked a loaf of bread, want to bake a loaf of bread, or have experienced the joys of baking your own or eating the "perfect" loaf, this is the book to read.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted December 15, 2011

    No text was provided for this review.

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    Posted July 29, 2011

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    Posted March 27, 2011

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    Posted July 29, 2011

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    Posted August 6, 2011

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    Posted January 16, 2011

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  • Anonymous

    Posted June 28, 2010

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