"Thoroughly researched and engagingly written....This impressive work falls somewhere between a cookbook, an exploration of bread-baking techniques, and a history of bread....Even those who think they know bread will find something to gain here....Highly recommended." -"Library Journal, "starred review "[A] fun and informative memoir [that] provides a fascinating miniature course on the techniques involved in making different varieties...baking methods used by our ancestors...and even a little history on grains and practices dating back to the Fertile Crescent." -"Publishers Weekly" "A consummate celebration of the deceptively simple loaf of bread...Besides imparting a history of grains and their places in culture over the past 105,000 years (when grain consumption appears to have begun), Fromartz includes step-by-step recipes for nurturing dough starters and for baking baguettes, flatbread, rye bread (which he learned to make in Berlin) and a loaf made from an artisanal grain, Turkey Red wheat....Richly detailed [and] lively." -"Kirkus Reviews" "This fascinating, beautifully written memoir reveals Sam Fromartz as that rare breed of cook: craftsman, historian and scientist all in one, following his senses and questing after what is delicious, authentic, and pure." -Alice Waters, vice president of Slow Food International, owner of Chez Panisse, and author of "The Art of Simple Food" "In this lovely book, Sam Fromartz offers a signature mix of baking insights and wonderful storytelling as he hits the road to find his perfect loaf. If you make bread--or ever intend to--you need to read this book." -Ruth Reichl, former editor-in-chief of "Gourmet" and author of "Delicious!" "Sam Fromartz's odyssey teaches us that being a great baker takes more than simply following recipes-it is a relentless quest. His conversations with bakers and then his reinterpretation of their lessons at home is a double education. I

Samuel Fromartz's work has appeared in "The New York Times," "The Washington Post, " and "The Atlantic, " among other publications. He lives in Washington, D.C.