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The Italian Baker
Bread in Italy is rough country loaves with thick chewy crusts and flat disks of focaccia seasoned with the wild herbs of the fields. It is celebratory sweet holiday breads dense with fat raisins, toasted nuts and candied fruit peels. It is "new wave" wave" breads, recently invented by artisan bakers and studded with roasted peppers, sun. dried tomatoes and salty olive paste. It is imaginative multi-grain breads and rolls with tastes and shapes that vary dramatically from region to region. Recipes for the breads of all these regions, for the comforting rustic soups and salads and appetizers based on them, for breadsticks and rolls, pizza and focaccia, for holiday specialties, for pastries, cookies, cornetti and nut tortes, fruit tarts, cheesecakes and spice cakes and other confections-all are offered in this landmark volume which presents, for the first time in English or Italian, the diverse baking traditions of Italy. Knowing these regional specialties and the stories behind them is like taking a trip through the Italian countryside. Putting the recipes on paper as Carol Field has done is like preserving the villages in the Italian hillsides with their churches and frescoes, for they are part of a tradition that has never before been recorded. In preparing for this book, Carol Field spent two years working with the bakers of Italy, traversing the country again and again from Lugano and Como in the north to Lecce and Palermo in the south, tasting and testing, then going back to the States to rework the recipes in an American kitchen with American ingredients. The result is recipes that are impeccably written for utmost ease and flexibility. Some are simple and earthy, some elegant and refined, but all will be a revelation to Americans who have previously known Italian breads and desserts only from the limited and stereotyped range available until now. Each recipe offers instructions for making doughs by hand, by electric mixer, and by food processor. Illustrations provide clear step-by-step how-to, and chapters on ingredients, equipment and technique reveal all the whys and wherefores.
443 pages, Hardcover
First published October 30, 1985
353 people are currently reading
500 people want to read
About the author
Carol Field
22 books7 followersCarol Field was an American cookbook author. She wrote about Italy and Italian food since 1972. Her television appearances included being featured with Mario Batali on his series and and baking bread with Julia Child on her series.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
July 2, 2015
This is a book for Italian bread fanatics or for professional bakers, because it is far beyond what the amateur home baker is probably interested in. The supplies alone will set someone back quite a bit of money. But if you are determined to make authentic looking and tasting Italian regional breads in your own home, then this is the book for you.
Just the basic instructions, and an explanation of the equipment and techniques necessary to get the right results, take up one quarter of the book. There is a full index, too, along with a U.S. website that offers sources for the sometimes difficult to find ingredients, and there are even 800 numbers provided in case you need that ingredient pronto!
There is even a long history of Italian bread making, beginning in pre-history and going along to the present day. The author states:
"Bread gives us real glimpses into the complex and fascinating history of all the regions of the country."
The instructions for most breads are provided for bakers working by hand, by mixer, and by food processor.
Special kneading techniques for various types of bread are described, as well as the use of the baking stone, and cast iron pans with rice to add moisture to the bread while baking. I found that not all the instructions were clear, however. Adding more images would help.
All attempts are made to recreate the chewy-porous breads that come from Italy's high-gluten flour and from cooking break in wood-burning stoves.
Regional and rustic breads, modern breads, dishes make with bread leftovers, holiday breads, rolls and breadsticks, pizzas and focaccias are all covered in the book. But while bread is the main focus of the book, it also covers some sweets, such as tarts, cakes, cookies, and sweet breads.
I may try some of the recipes, but the ones that require several days to prepare, and much money to spend on special ingredients and supplies, I'll take a pass on. As I wrote above, this really is a book for an Italian break fanatic, and I'm not one.
Please visit my full and illustrated review at Italophile Book Reviews.
http://italophilebookreviews.blogspot...
Just the basic instructions, and an explanation of the equipment and techniques necessary to get the right results, take up one quarter of the book. There is a full index, too, along with a U.S. website that offers sources for the sometimes difficult to find ingredients, and there are even 800 numbers provided in case you need that ingredient pronto!
There is even a long history of Italian bread making, beginning in pre-history and going along to the present day. The author states:
"Bread gives us real glimpses into the complex and fascinating history of all the regions of the country."
The instructions for most breads are provided for bakers working by hand, by mixer, and by food processor.
Special kneading techniques for various types of bread are described, as well as the use of the baking stone, and cast iron pans with rice to add moisture to the bread while baking. I found that not all the instructions were clear, however. Adding more images would help.
All attempts are made to recreate the chewy-porous breads that come from Italy's high-gluten flour and from cooking break in wood-burning stoves.
Regional and rustic breads, modern breads, dishes make with bread leftovers, holiday breads, rolls and breadsticks, pizzas and focaccias are all covered in the book. But while bread is the main focus of the book, it also covers some sweets, such as tarts, cakes, cookies, and sweet breads.
I may try some of the recipes, but the ones that require several days to prepare, and much money to spend on special ingredients and supplies, I'll take a pass on. As I wrote above, this really is a book for an Italian break fanatic, and I'm not one.
Please visit my full and illustrated review at Italophile Book Reviews.
http://italophilebookreviews.blogspot...
June 7, 2019
I have slowly, over the last couple of years, been trying out recipes from this book. Last week I made the Pizza all Siciliana (Sicilian Pizza). Field describes this as a "fat pizza" and I think that's a great description. The Sfinciuni tomato sauce is to die for, a rich blend of tomatoes and onions that simmer on the stove for a couple of hours. Delish.
I also posted about this wonderful book a year ago on my blog. I share that post below:
"Bread is merely flour, water, yeast, and salt as the world is merely earth, water, fire, and air."
Carol Field in The Italian Baker
Carol Field offers up recipes of the Italian countryside in this book, including breads, pizza, pastries, cookies, and focaccia. I decided to try focaccia, something that Field suggests has become the national dish.
Field notes that focaccia is "simplicity itself," made from the herbs of the countryside, along with oil from Liguria, and garlic and olives. Sometimes there are variations with tomatoes or oregano, capers or anchovies, basil or sweet onions.
Schiacciata is the word Florentines use for the breads other Italians call focaccia.
Here is the recipe I used:
Schiacciata alla Florentina
2 1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 1/2 cup warm water
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 1/2 tablespoons lard at room temperature
2 1/2 tablespoons of nonfat dry milk
3 1/4 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
By hand, stir the yeast into the warm water in a large mixing bowl; let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes. Stir in the oil, lard, and dry milk. Mix in the flour and salt and make a well in the center. Pour the yeast mixture into the well and gradually stir the flour into the liquid. Stir until well combined. Knead on a floured surface until velvety and soft, about 8 to 10 minutes. The dough should be soft, so add any extra flour sparingly.
(I didn't have lard, so I substituted butter.)
Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let rise until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours.
Flatten the dough firmly on a lightly floured work surface and divide into two 8-ounce and one 10 1/2 ounce piece. Roll each piece into a ball and let rest under a towel for 15 minutes. Dimple and spread the balls with your fingers to cover the bottoms of two oiled 8-inch pie plates and one oiled 10-inch pie plate. Brush the tops with oil and sprinkle lightly with salt.
(I had to use three 8-inch pie plates as I didn't have a 10-inch plate.)
Cover with a towel and let rise until doubled, about an hour.
Cover with one of the following toppings:
2 red onions, thinly sliced and sautéed in 2 tablespoons of oil and 1 tablespoon of butter over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of fresh basil
or 3-4 fresh tomatoes, thinly sliced, sprinkled with chopped basil leaves and 3/4 teaspoon of salt
or 2 yellow and/or red peppers, thinly sliced and lightly sautéed with a large garlic clove in 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil for 15 minutes; discard the garlic
or 4-6 small zucchini, cut lengthwise into thin slices and lightly sautéed with 2 whole cloves of garlic in 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil; discard the garlic; sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh basil.
(I used tomatoes with fresh basil for one pizza, cheese for another, and pepperoni for a third. I liked the cheese and the tomato pizzas best)
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Using baking stones, if possible (turn on oven 30 minutes before baking) and place the baking pans directly on the preheated stones. Bake the schiacciata 25-30 minutes. Serve hot.
I also posted about this wonderful book a year ago on my blog. I share that post below:
"Bread is merely flour, water, yeast, and salt as the world is merely earth, water, fire, and air."
Carol Field in The Italian Baker
Carol Field offers up recipes of the Italian countryside in this book, including breads, pizza, pastries, cookies, and focaccia. I decided to try focaccia, something that Field suggests has become the national dish.
Field notes that focaccia is "simplicity itself," made from the herbs of the countryside, along with oil from Liguria, and garlic and olives. Sometimes there are variations with tomatoes or oregano, capers or anchovies, basil or sweet onions.
Schiacciata is the word Florentines use for the breads other Italians call focaccia.
Here is the recipe I used:
Schiacciata alla Florentina
2 1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 1/2 cup warm water
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 1/2 tablespoons lard at room temperature
2 1/2 tablespoons of nonfat dry milk
3 1/4 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
By hand, stir the yeast into the warm water in a large mixing bowl; let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes. Stir in the oil, lard, and dry milk. Mix in the flour and salt and make a well in the center. Pour the yeast mixture into the well and gradually stir the flour into the liquid. Stir until well combined. Knead on a floured surface until velvety and soft, about 8 to 10 minutes. The dough should be soft, so add any extra flour sparingly.
(I didn't have lard, so I substituted butter.)
Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let rise until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours.
Flatten the dough firmly on a lightly floured work surface and divide into two 8-ounce and one 10 1/2 ounce piece. Roll each piece into a ball and let rest under a towel for 15 minutes. Dimple and spread the balls with your fingers to cover the bottoms of two oiled 8-inch pie plates and one oiled 10-inch pie plate. Brush the tops with oil and sprinkle lightly with salt.
(I had to use three 8-inch pie plates as I didn't have a 10-inch plate.)
Cover with a towel and let rise until doubled, about an hour.
Cover with one of the following toppings:
2 red onions, thinly sliced and sautéed in 2 tablespoons of oil and 1 tablespoon of butter over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of fresh basil
or 3-4 fresh tomatoes, thinly sliced, sprinkled with chopped basil leaves and 3/4 teaspoon of salt
or 2 yellow and/or red peppers, thinly sliced and lightly sautéed with a large garlic clove in 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil for 15 minutes; discard the garlic
or 4-6 small zucchini, cut lengthwise into thin slices and lightly sautéed with 2 whole cloves of garlic in 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil; discard the garlic; sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh basil.
(I used tomatoes with fresh basil for one pizza, cheese for another, and pepperoni for a third. I liked the cheese and the tomato pizzas best)
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Using baking stones, if possible (turn on oven 30 minutes before baking) and place the baking pans directly on the preheated stones. Bake the schiacciata 25-30 minutes. Serve hot.
December 19, 2012
During the last few years of my father's life, he became highly whimsical - buying many things he did not need. He'd then gift many things to me, my brother and my sister. Among the better items he gave me was a signed copy of this baking book. Traditional pizzas and bread were emerging onto the food scene in the Bay Area, and Field's book is the best entry into making traditional bread at home with the aid of a baking stone. There are great things about making ANY kind of bread at home, but if you are a beginner or even an intermediate or advanced baker, you know that there is nothing you can do to recreate the crusty loaves one gets at the local bakery. The ovens just work far too differently from our home ovens. Enter the baking / pizza stone to help you - and Field to explain in progressively easily accessible recipes how to use it.
August 22, 2009
The section on rustic breads is worth the price of the book. On each recipe, there are instructions for preparing by hand, by food processor and by mixer. Field travelled all over Italy, visiting bakers to learn recipes and then translated them into North American flour types.
I have used my copy of this so many times that the spine has broken. I'd replace it except then I'd have to transfer all my notes.
One of the best lessons I learned from reading "The Italian Baker" is to add a small amount of whole wheat flour to white flour in order to mimic hand-milled flour. For loaves that are look to be made with only white flour, this adds just the right trace of nuttiness and a depth of flavour that is missing with just white flour.
I have used my copy of this so many times that the spine has broken. I'd replace it except then I'd have to transfer all my notes.
One of the best lessons I learned from reading "The Italian Baker" is to add a small amount of whole wheat flour to white flour in order to mimic hand-milled flour. For loaves that are look to be made with only white flour, this adds just the right trace of nuttiness and a depth of flavour that is missing with just white flour.
December 31, 2016
I wish I had bought the print edition, instead of the Kindle edition, of The Italian Baker because I need to constantly flip sections for more complete instructions when baking from it. This inconvenience will stop as I become more familiar with Field's methods. I enjoyed reading all of the histories and background information about bread, desserts and ingredients, but I am having problems recreating the doughs as described. My bread dough is never as wet as Field's, but the bread is amazing. The Italian bread is better than any I have ever purchased from Italian bakeries. The rosemary bread is exquisite and we gobbled it up with our black bean chili.
I tried using our own wicker baskets for bannetons, as Field suggested (and because these bread forms are so expensive), but I never got a pleasant pattern on the crust. I finally found a cheaper source for bannetons and will be using them for the first time this weekend. Once I am used to the "workflow" for these loaves, the breadmaking will be shorter and less messy than it is now. Learning all this is loads of fun and, for me, deeply satisfying.
I have marked many breads, tarts and pizzas that I want to make. Even some cookies, which I usually find frustrating and tedious. If you bake bread, you need to have this book. Go order it now.
I tried using our own wicker baskets for bannetons, as Field suggested (and because these bread forms are so expensive), but I never got a pleasant pattern on the crust. I finally found a cheaper source for bannetons and will be using them for the first time this weekend. Once I am used to the "workflow" for these loaves, the breadmaking will be shorter and less messy than it is now. Learning all this is loads of fun and, for me, deeply satisfying.
I have marked many breads, tarts and pizzas that I want to make. Even some cookies, which I usually find frustrating and tedious. If you bake bread, you need to have this book. Go order it now.
March 22, 2021
I am not much more than an amateur home baker but I have been improving my skills during the pandemic. Lots of baking books have been checked out from the Dallas library. Reading/perusing them made me realize how much I do not know. When I ran across the recipe for pugliese bread in this book, I wonder if I would no longer be afraid of making this bread. I have gotten better at working with yeast after I decided I needed to move beyond quick breads (banana, pumpkin, squash, zucchini). The first time I had looked for a recipe on-line for this bread, I felt intimidated. Once, I saw the recipe in this book, I realized I was ready. Yes! Success with the pugliese and a decent ciabatta too. I have a few more recipes to try. I found a couple of rye bread recipes and cornetti (sweet and savory).
Happy to have found this book. Libraries are our friend.
Happy to have found this book. Libraries are our friend.
July 3, 2017
I have Carol's latest revised edition of this book. Anyone who loves to bake as much as I do will not only enjoy this book, but pick up some great tips for making Italian style breads and pastries. The introductory sections of the book are inviting and interesting in explaining the process Carol used to collect the recipes in Italy and then test them out. Her descriptions of ingredients and equivalents is very illuminating. The recipes themselves are calling to me. I'd been searching for a recipe for "Saronno" style ameretto cookies for ages and found the perfect recipe in Carol Field's book. They are delicious and taste amazingly authentic. I received the book as a birthday gift and I'm working my way through it one recipe at a time!
June 30, 2021
Just finished reading through all the aromatic 400 pages of this one. Beautifully written with a lot of original ideas (considering it was pubished in 2011) but I was specifically looking for doughs made with poolish starters. But, NO. Not a word or mention of it. But, for pain, dolchi, you can't go wrong. Directions are also given for each recipe according to how you will be making it: hand; mixer; or processor. Not sorry I bought it, I think this will be my 'go to' for many desires.
August 20, 2018
Great book with terrific recipes and and interesting stories in between. There are enough "good" recipes in this book to make the purchase price justifiable. And by "good" I mean a completely subjective selection of recipes I would try.
November 15, 2024
This is a great baking book. Took me by surprise as I had not heard much about it. The Italians have a deep and rich regional baking cuisine and this book catches a lot of it. The regional rolls alone make this book exceptional, as to that breads, cakes, tarts, etc. wow.
September 17, 2008
this book kicked off my interest in baking bread and i haven't bought a loaf since. well, maybe the odd artisanal thing when visiting kids away from home, but not at home. when i went to italy in the 70s, i discovered a society where fresh bread was basic to life. this book helped me to appreciate what went into the making of that staple, not just the assembly of bread--and the techne is critical--but choice of ingredients, where they come from. also, raised my awareness about flours, especially durum, and my appreciation for north dakota and manitoba, where some of the best durum wheat is grown, and how such unexpected places could actually have anything to do with the italian baking enterprise.
June 24, 2016
Surprisingly useful despite its age ...must have been _way_ ahead of its time when first published. Nice way to see how baking styles have changed (not always for the better:-) in the last few decades. Very pleasant to see a more relaxed -slower paced- style than is typical today; by no means "boring" or "watching paint dry", but invites you to curl up on the couch and really get into it rather than just flipping it open to the necessary information for a recipe then flipping it closed again.
December 9, 2011
Nice to see that this classic has been reissued. I'm working my way back through the recipes with my son after 20 years of non-baking, and Field's comments are always helpful. Her introduction to the history of bead in Italy is a gem; now I'm eager to read Pellegrino Artusi's 1890 cookbook on her recommendation.
May 11, 2014
Another cookbook I checked out recently where I was intent on trying at least one recipe, and I could not find one recipe that interested me. I am sure this isn't true for everyone. I'm just reporting my experience.
September 15, 2015
I am basing this on the one recipe I tried so far. I know one recipe over many months is not many, but I have been trying recipes from a range of sources. The one cake I have made, a spice cake was easy to make and tasted great.
September 26, 2016
Just like Nonna made
Nonna was from the old country and did her baking from scratch. Regretfully at my age I didn't think to write the recipes down with amounts. This hit the mark of her baking. Thanks for the memories.
Nonna was from the old country and did her baking from scratch. Regretfully at my age I didn't think to write the recipes down with amounts. This hit the mark of her baking. Thanks for the memories.
April 20, 2007
This book was kind of like a bible when I was growing up. Her "new" breads are better than the traditional ones, however.
January 26, 2008
Awesome breads! Core cookbook for me.
May 25, 2008
I gave this as a gift. I ended up liking what he cooked out of it I bought one for myself!! My favorite is the marbled pund cake with chocolate & vanilla flavors!!
July 19, 2010
Update on 7/19/2010 - Jessica's Biscuit (ecookbooks.com) has the book in stock. It was just reissued in a limited release.
July 4, 2010
Great book about bread making that is also filled with travel stories.
February 26, 2012
Great book about baking bread, with lots of information about Italian bread history- when it started, etc. Beautiful photos too!
July 31, 2015
Revisiting this good cookbook. 7/15 Still a 5 star!
I really loved this book! I checked it out from our library, but I plan on purchasing it and working my way through all of the recipes.
I really loved this book! I checked it out from our library, but I plan on purchasing it and working my way through all of the recipes.
September 23, 2013
Lots of good breads.
March 28, 2014
I really like to see updated version of this book--the recipes from 1985 are a bit archaic in today's cooking world--who uses lard?
October 3, 2015
For bread this is one of the best places to start.
October 31, 2016
My all-time favorite bread book!
September 27, 2007
The source of my Italian Cheesecake Recipe....
Want to read
January 11, 2012David Lebovitz recommends
Want to read
March 19, 2015As heard on Rick Steves Audio Europe.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews