The Rye Baker: Classic Breads from Europe and America

Author and baker Ginsberg champions the often overlooked rye in this collection of more than 70 recipes. Chapters are broken down by region—spanning the U.S. and Europe—and include “Immigrant Break: America,” “The Essential Loaf: France and Spain,” “Robust and Complex: Holland, Denmark, and Northern Germany,” and “Dark and Intense: Russia and the Baltics.” A primer on ingredients and equipment and a history of rye prepare the reader to dive into staple recipes including “Old-School Deli Rye”, rye biscuits, and sweet-sour rye bread. The humble grass grown as a grain gets turned up a notch with the lovely, French triple-folded Breton folded rye, Frisian gingerbread from the North Sea coast of Holland, and honey-flaxseed crispbread from Sweden. Recipe layout includes charts and breakdowns for timing such as the “Day 1, Evening, Wheat Sponge” stage and the “Day 2, Morning, Final Dough” stage for an Auvergine rye-wheat boule that sits overnight “to unlock hidden flavors.” Full-page photos of perfectly baked, crisp-crusted loaves are sure to entice home bakers to delve into this meticulously written title that celebrates all things rye. (Sept.)