Amy's Bread

At the New York City bakery after which this book is named, Scherber and Dupree practice artisan bread baking, producing small batches of hand-shaped, hearth-baked loaves that are distinguished by the thick crusts, chewy crumbs and distinctive flavors imparted by long fermentation times. Here they adapt techniques and recipes for producing such breads at home. Photos (by gentl & hyers) and clear instructions mark the introduction to such techniques as smoothly shaping a baguette or distinctively scoring a crust. Detailed recipes for five basic loaves (Golden Whole Wheat Bread; Amy's Crusty Italian Loaf) encourage novices. Subsequent chapters feature more adventurous breads: golden Semolina Beehive with Black Sesame Seeds; Coarse Cracked corn with Four Peppers; Chewy Olive and Thyme Sticks; Autumn Pumpkin Bread with Pecans. There's even a ""huggable edible,"" Toy's Teddy Bread, a sourdough loaf shaped like a Teddy bear. A glossary, troubleshooting guide and mail-order source list wrap up this comprehensive treatment that caters to both neophyte and veteran bread bakers. (Apr.)