When I posted my focaccia recipe yesterday, Lien left me a comment to let me know that the e-book version of Dan Lepard’s classic book The Handmade Loaf is now available for under $1 from Amazon Australia (looks like the US Amazon price has gone back up to $4.99). And even though I already have a hard copy, I bought an iPad version as well. As I’m getting older, the option of an adjustable font size is very appealing.
Dan’s book is full of wonderful baker stories and great recipes for both yeasted and sourdough loaves, as well as a variety of other breaded items (the potato stottie cakes are a particular favourite of mine). Over the past decade, my dough handling methods have become far more simplified (lazy is probably a better description) than those outlined in Dan’s book, so these days I tend to refer to it more for inspiration than strict formulas. Recipes have changed as well – we use far less sourdough starter in our loaves now than we did when the book was first published. Nonetheless, it’s a great asset in any bread baker’s library.
Here’s a link to the Kindle version and I believe it’s available on iBooks as well. I’m not sure how long they’ll be discounted for, so grab it soon if you’re interested. And here’s a review I wrote about it in 2009.
Have fun reading it! And thanks for the headsup, Lien! ♥
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PS. I’ve just remembered one thing – well over a decade ago, Dan had an online forum and a few of us asked him about the baking times in this book. They seemed a bit too intense for our domestic ovens, given that the loaves weren’t baked in covered pots back then. He provided these revised baking times and I scribbled them into the front of my book. Just passing them on in case they’re of use to anyone. As I said, these days I use the book mostly for inspiration and ideas rather than formulas.
I haven’t looked at his book, but I will soon. What does he bake his bread in, if your times are so different? I have started baking bread in an outdoor oven, which is alot of fun, now that we figured out how to bake in it without burning our loaves. The timing for baking is different from my oven as well.
This book was written a long time ago now, and the loaves were baked uncovered. Baking times and temps changed when we all started baking in pots! :)
I see! That makes sense. Lately I have been baking my sourdough uncovered, so I’ll have to keep that in mind.
Baking temps to go down to 180 and 170 – I’ve never baked this low and always started at 235c but what about the weight – are the 400 and 800 the final weights or the amount of flour only before adding the starter and water. I wonder if he sent those temps based on bread going into the ovens without DO’s.
When (if) you read the recipes, you’ll see that they were all baked uncovered. Times and temps changed when we all started baking in pots. It was a long time ago now when I wrote those notes, Roz, I was just passing them on in case anyone found them useful! :)
Ok thanks for that. I may still try them occasionally as I have been doing some baking without the DO’s.
Celia I did the self same thing .Had the old hard copy signed by Dan as did a course with him many moons ago and then got the kindle new edition in April this year for 99p. It was a limited time deal as it’s gone back to 4.99 now. I also got How Baking Works by James Moreton for 99p as I did not have this but had a hard copy of his other book Brilliant Bread. I am terrible for cook books but I enjoy searching them out in op shops . Missing doing this on lock down
Helen, it’s still 99c on the Australian Amazon, looks like just the US one has gone back up
I have used a lot of these recipes but quite a while ago. Don’t remember a problem with the temps but……….I will look at this again just because :) thanks.
My baking repertoire is basic which suits me fine and I wasn’t sure I needed to add another recipe book to my vast Kindle and irl collection until I read the words potato stottie cakes…
Some of us still don’t bake our bread in covered pots. Feeling a little left adrift from the in-crowd. No change there. :)
Thanks for the heads up on Dan’s book in eformat. I’m still learning with my sourdoughs and getting mixed results from different flours. I’ll keep trying as I’m hoping to recreate my mother and grandmothers traditional recipe which was cooked in wood fire oven.
Bourke St Bakery is $1.09, anna Jones is 99c as is the Green Roasting Tin and Diana Henry’s new book. I love Diana Henry so much.
Thank you!!
I’ve just grabbed three of those on Kindle – thanks so much for the headsup! Didn’t get the Bourke St Bakery book though – I have the hard copy and haven’t really enjoyed how it’s laid out.
Did you introduce us to Dan Lepard? Can’t remember but I love the book. His apple and oat is my go-to for a good bread that doesn’t take as long as a full sourdough and stays fresh longer, but the touch of sweetness makes it a good base for the not-very-sweet fruit breads I like – favourite so far lemon zest and dried blueberries, although a chance find of near-date citrus peel from the italian deli led to a lemony version that also went down well. i have found that dried blueberries don’t stain the dough grey the way that fresh or frozen do….. I like a punch of recognisable flavours rather than ‘spicy fruit bread’ of mixed spices and fruit.