Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Review and GIVEAWAY! Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day

Last Christmas I got a book that changed the way I cook: Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. I think I "might" have mentioned it on this blog a "few" times.

I was not a bread baker until this book came into my life. (I know, "came into my life" sounds like I'm describing a love affair. And...I am.) From pizza to bagels to cinnamon rolls to braided challah to crusty white bread to breadsticks to...well, you get the picture...I've become a baker of really great bread, thanks to the techniques of Jeff Hertzberg, M.D. and Zoe Francois.

So of course I was a bit giddy with excitement when book #2 arrived in the mail last week.



Now, I admit I was a little nervous about Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day. I've had good luck with most of the recipes I've tried from the original book...but really never loved loved the 100% whole wheat recipe; it was just too dense for my taste. I was hoping that the second book would feature healthy recipes that also had a fantastic texture and flavor.

And so far...wow. This book has really come through for me! Jeff and Zoe have come up with recipes that are healthy but also incredibly tasty.

Here's the idea behind both books: You make up a large, wet batch of dough. Stir it up, no kneading required. Let it rise, and then store it in the fridge. The wet dough is designed to be used over the course of up to two weeks (depending on the recipe.) On baking day, preparing a loaf takes less than five minutes (not including resting/rising time and baking time.) Please note many of these loaves are baked with steam, and you should not use an "oven-safe" glass dish for your water/steam. You can read about my explosive experience here.

The first HBin5 recipe I tried was Apples and Honey Whole Grain Challah (p. 262.) I love the challah recipe in the original book, so I thought this would be a good one to try. It's made with 5 cups whole wheat flour and 3 cups unbleached white flour, and has the added goodness of wheat germ and apple chunks. Instead of butter, I used canola oil (one of the options provided in the recipe.)

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I made four of these turban-shaped loaves and later used the rest of the dough to make a good-sized loaf in a normal loaf pan. This bread was a hit. I brought it to a church function, and we all loved it. The apple chunks and eggs in the dough gave it a fantastic texture and flavor; it tastes decadent, even though it's healthy.

Next I tried the Master Recipe (p. 54, and also on the Artisan Bread in Five blog.) This is a very simple, very healthy recipe, with almost three times as much whole wheat flour as white flour. I made a seed mixture with poppy, white sesame, black sesame, and sunflower seeds to use as the topping (optional but awesome.)

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Once again, it did not disappoint--it was great! The bread was not too dense, and the seed topping really gave it an incredible flavor. This would make a delicious sandwich loaf too. The book gives plenty of other uses for the master recipe dough, and I have a lot of it waiting for me in the fridge, so I'll be doing more experimenting this week.

I highly recommend both of these books. Each stands alone; you don't have to buy the first book to get great use out of the second. I'd suggest you buy both, but I'm, of course, a fanatic! Thanks to the authors' blog, you can try the Master Recipe and the Whole Grain Brioche recipe for free, as well as various recipes from the first book. But really, the blog doesn't replace the books; it supplements them. Nothing beats having over 200 recipes at your fingertips, along with the extra information and instructions in the books.

And now to the really exciting part...

St. Martin's Press has provided one copy of Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day for a lucky reader of C. Beth Blog!

Here's how you enter:

Leave a comment here telling why you'd like to have 100 healthy bread recipes. Please only leave ONE comment.

To get extra comments, spread the word about the giveaway (via Twitter, Facebook, your blog, word of mouth, billboards, etc.!) Make sure anyone who hears about it from you gives you credit in your comment! You'll get an extra entry for each person who mentions you in their entry.

I will randomly choose a winner on Friday, November 6. I'll close the comments before choosing a winner.

Open to anyone with a U.S. or Canadian mailing address. If you are from a different country, feel free to enter, and if it costs over US$10 to mail the book, I'll ask you to kindly cover the excess.

And remember, if you are entering because you heard about the contest from someone, be sure to mention them in your comment!

*Disclosure:While the publisher provided me with a free copy of this book for the giveaway, I was not compensated in any other way. I purchased my personal copies of both books.

53 comments:

Laurel said...

I love this bread. It made a fantastic communion bread, and then I used the small loaf to for garlic toast to go with some French Onion Soup I made...yummy!! I'll definitely put this on my blog and on Facebook. Hope I win.
~Laurel

Cheaper Than Therapy - Take 2 said...

I love these recipes! I've never strayed from the basic Artisan recipe so I'd love to give a healthier version a whirl. Thanks for doing this :-).

Unknown said...

I have never baked bread before but I would love to learn, especially healthy breads. It would be great to be the mom who makes the homemade breads.

Ryan Ashley Scott said...

I don't have a bread machine, but always wanted to make my own bread. We go through at least 2 loaves of whole wheat bread a week (all those pb&j sandwiches, you know). Healthy recipes - and delicious ones at that - would be perfect to have at home and even share with family around the holidays.

Call Me Cate said...

I love the idea of baking fresh bread but it's so much work! Five minutes and healthy? That's my kind of bread!

I try hard to limit my carbs but I'm such a bread-lover that it's hard. If I had 100 healthy recipes, it would take some guilt out of my "guilty pleasure".

TMC said...

I'd like to give making my own bread a try!

btw, Cate sent me. ;)

Unknown said...

This sounds like an amazing book! I'd love to have a copy. :)

Becky said...

I had no idea they had another book! I have the original "Artisan Breads in Five Minutes a Day" and loooove it. I'm currently addicted to the Rosemary and Onion Foccacia and have made it three times in the past couple of weeks. Yummy. Nothing compares to fresh-baked bread.

stacief said...

I would love to try to make bread and have been a bit daunted by yeast. I love bread and healthy would be amazing!

Thanks for the chance to win!

Toni said...

That sounds awesome! I never tackle bread making because of the time involved but if I could do it in five minute a day increments, that I could handle.

I have a Christmas Party every year and I'm thinking my guests would love some fresh baked bread!

(Also Cate (showmyface) tweeted a link which got me here faster than if I would have waited to open up google reader, because I follow you anyway. But Cate's awesome so there. Hehe)

Sasha said...

Ohhh.... now I'm hungry! We are carb-freaks and LOVE bread at our house and I'd love to serve a more healthy version. Enter me please! Oh, and I saw it on YOUR facebook! :-)

Amy said...

I asked for this book as a Christmas present - but CBeth could be Santa at our house. ;)

Jess said...

I really want this book. If I don't win it I will probably just go by it. I have never made bread. I really love wheat bread but my family won't eat it so I hope they would like many of the recipies in there.

Kristi said...

Mmmmm...the apple and honey challah looks to die for!! I want some NOW!! :) This book could get me into trouble. I'm a bread addict!

Christy said...

I've been considering making bread for awhile, but haven't taken the leap yet. It's a little intimidating! (I have recently learned to make my own pie crust... maybe bread is next!)

betty said...

I heard about this contest through Cate over at Show My Face

that book sounds awesome! I'm not much of a bread baker but this concept of making it and keeping it in the fridge sounds like something I could do!

cool give away

betty

Unknown said...

I've never made my own bread before, and these pics and your recommendation are really inspiring. Thanks for the giveaway! Off to RT on Twitter :)

Renee said...

I saw this contest on Sasha's blog! I've seen another blogger rave about the first bread cookbook and almost bought it on Amazon. It's far better to win the new copy! I've been making more and more bread recently - last week was whole wheat bagels!

caryn said...

I would love a copy of the book! Everytime I read your yummy posts about the bread you have made I kick myself I haven't picked up a copy yet.

Autumn said...

I LOVE bread! Especially homemade bread!! I'm in!! And off to twitter/facebook/myspace to spread the word! Wooo! Bread!

It would be awesome to learn new bread recipes (especially ones where I can make one big dough batch and use little by little for two weeks! AWESOME!)

Lindy said...

There is nothing like homemade bread - love the smell! I need some yummy recipes and this book would be perfect. Stopping by after seeing about the giveaway on Show My Face!

Shannon said...

Well, I love bread and I should be more healthy about my bread love affair. This book sounds fabulous! Sign me up!

Our Scoop said...

Those look AWESOME! I have been hesitant to get the new book for the same reason you mentioned about the whole wheat recipe in the first one. I might have to ask for this for Christmas because we are trying so hard to eat healthier now so I have packed the other bread book away for awhile :( (sad sigh)

Suburban prep said...

I haven't always been a bread person. But with the amount of fiber and different ways one can enjoy bread I am quickly turning into a fan. I would love to know how to make bread in a healthy manner. I guess part of is that in the past I have been afraid of the yeast factor. I am sure this book would help put my fears to rest.

msgb245 at gmail dot com

Teresita said...

I love bread but never liked the idea of too much time being spent on trying to make it - you are truly a godsend. Thx! A

Autumn sent me your link - great.

Anonymous said...

I loved the original, so would love to receive this one too!

ABCD Diaries said...

Our family LOVES bread and this sounds really great...thanks for the chance:)

SurvivorBlessing said...

All I can say is: I tasted it and I want more.....!
I love dark breads - must be my 100% German side!
Thank you.

2cats said...

After your post about the first book I checked it out. I never buy store bread now. I make a few batches of dough a week and we have fresh baked bread when we need/want it.
I have a batch of pumpernickel in the fridge right now, waiting to be baked tomorrow.
I would really like to try the book for a new variety of bread to make. Especially with the holidays coming up.
Unfortunately the only other place I can mention this give away is in Facebook. Maybe on my blog too, duh.

Brandy said...

Mmmmm... All those breads look so good. I love to bake bread and try not to buy bread anymore. :)

Sasha sent me. :)

Dilcia said...

I'm a huge fan of "Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day." My husband is the cook and baker in our family, and I'd love to get him this second book as a Christmas present. Because it would be a present for me, too, you see? :) But if we win it through this contest, I will totally mail you one of the loaves he makes!
Thanks Beth!

mullensfam said...

oh please, oh please let it have the bagel recipe :) hehe

Unknown said...

I bought the Artisan bread book last year after reading about it on your blog and we are seriously addicted...our favorite is the master recipe. I have since given the book and a bread container as a gift a few times....would love to win the new book!!! Thanks for the heads-up and the great recipe...looks like a book club recipe for next time it is at my house!!

Erika said...

I love bread and these pictures are to die for! And I read about this from Sasha ;)

Heidi said...

We LOVE bread and my hubby would be amazingly happy if I made it at home! I'm going to go post this link on FB for all of my friends who are carb-addicts, too! :)

Allison said...

I love bread and am desperately trying to lose my baby weight!!!!

(Heidi sent me) :)

becky s said...

That sounds awesome. I've been trying to avoid HFCS in my food - and it's quite hard to avoid in bread! We eat a fair amount of bread and we certainly need to eat healthier. Plus, really easy recipes that don't take a huge amount of time? I'm all over that.

nopinkhere said...

I usually try to either use my bread machine or buy from the bakery, but these sound even easier. I'd love to give it a try.

Unknown said...

Right now I'm all about being healthy and since I'm also addicted to the first book, it's hard to not make wonderful Blueberry Strusel Bread every week.

I'd love the healthier versions.

Jen said...

I'm starving just looking at the pictures!

Janell said...

I have a go-to bread recipe and a go-to roll recipe, both using my bread maker to mix/knead and then shaping the loaves/rolls myself. But I'm intrigued by your posts about this book and I'd love to give it a try!

Anonymous said...

I have always wanted to learn to make bread, as my grandmother would often make homemade bread and I have such fond memories of it. Now that my daughter is almost 5, she has taken an interest in helping out in the kitchen, and I think this would be the perfect thing!

CrazzieMist said...

A meal is never complete for me without bread! Upon reading this blog i got inspired to learn baking and so baking this bread! I think i just discovered my interest. Thanks to my friend Autumn for sharing this link...

Unknown said...

I was aondering if I could find the book in Mexico, or if I had to buy it thru Internet... Would really love to try does recepies. Thanks Autumn for sharing such a wonderful page!

Isabella said...

OK, I have to give credit to Cate @ showmyface for this one.

Sign me up for an entry. :)

Sunshine said...

Autumn Horton sent me! GREAT blog!!! : ) YUM!!!

Megan Fletcher said...

I would like the book. I was thinking earlier, after reading your post and then the free recipe on their blog, how I could manage to get the book, forgetting in a later post, about your pizza, that you said you were giving one away. duh! I'm a little slow. I bought some vital gluten (had run out a month ago), some more wheat flour, and I might just be giving the recipe a try this weekend. I might also be emailing you for a few tips, Beth. :-) oh, and I'll blog and FB about the giveaway. maybe you'll get some more hits!

Anonymous said...

Thanks to Autumn who has shared this great resource to so many of us over on Facebook. I know so many more people are visiting this page via her page, so I just wanted to thank her and thank you for such a great article!

Ama Zing said...

These sound like a great books, I would definitely like to check them out. Who doesn’t like homemade bread?
Autumn sent me the link =)

Elicia said...

for the health value and of course to try new recipes!

orange.moose.3gmail.com

Unknown said...

WOW this bread looks so yummy! I have made bread before always a pain because u have to use it fast. I am really excited to make it and have it ready on hand. i can't wait to make cinnamon rolls :) big thanks to AUTUMN for posting this link to me....she better be prepared i am gonna send so many loafs of bread her way LOL

emphatica said...

I loved the first book so much but felt, like you did, that the whole wheat recipe was just not right. I try to cook with only whole grains so this book would be used a lot!

Anonymous said...

The bread looks really good. In 5 minutes? Thats amazing....It would be fun to give it a try. Thanks AUTUMN for sending me this link! :)