English Bread and Yeast Cookery facts for kids
First edition cover
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| Author | Elizabeth David |
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| Subject | English baking |
| Genre | Cookery |
| Publisher | Penguin |
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Publication date
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1977 |
English Bread and Yeast Cookery is a famous cookery book written by Elizabeth David. It was first published in 1977. This book explores the history of making bread in England. It also looks at how bread-making improved in Europe. The book explains the different ingredients used and shares many recipes for various types of bread.
Contents
About the Author and Why She Wrote the Book
Elizabeth David was a well-known food writer. Before this book, she had already written several popular books. Her earlier works focused on foods from the Mediterranean, France, and Italy. But she also started writing about English cuisine, which is food from England. Her first book on English food was Spices, Salt and Aromatics in the English Kitchen in 1970.
English Bread and Yeast Cookery was her second book about English food. Elizabeth David spent five years researching and writing it. She was quite upset about the quality of bread in Britain at the time. She felt that the bread being sold was not very good.
She wrote about how much grain was wasted on making poor-quality bread. She said that people bought millions of factory-made white loaves every day. She believed people didn't care enough about good bread. To show how bad it was, she included a funny newspaper cartoon in her book. It showed a housewife saying she was giving her family "sliced bathroom sponge," and they hadn't even noticed!
What's Inside the Book
This book dives into the history of bread-making in England. It also carefully looks at each ingredient used to make bread. Elizabeth David organized the book into two main parts. The first part is all about history and background. The second part is full of recipes.
The food writer Jane Grigson reviewed the book. She noted that Elizabeth David covered the history of wheat and how flour is made. She also looked at how much bread cost over time. This included rules from 1266, like the Assize of Bread, which set prices for bread and ale. The book even helps you figure out if it's cheaper to bake your own bread or buy it.
In the second part of the book, Elizabeth David shares many recipes. You'll find recipes for different kinds of bread first. Then, there are recipes for other yummy baked goods. These include buns, yeast cakes, soda-bread, brioches, croissants, pain au chocolat (chocolate bread), and even pizza! Just like in her other books, she added interesting quotes from famous people. These included writers and even the painter John Constable.
Book Sections
The book is divided into many helpful sections. Here are some of the main topics you'll find:
- Introduction
- Part I: History and Background
- Our Bread Grain: Wheat, Rye, Barley, Oats
- Milling (how flour is made)
- Yeast
- Salt
- Liquids and Fats used in Breadmaking
- Bread Ovens
- The Bread Factories
- Shapes and Names of English Loaves
- The Cost of Baking your Own Bread
- Part II: Recipes
- Bread
- Baps and Rolls
- Crumpets and Muffins
- Notes on French Bread
- The Pizza and the Pissaladière
- Dumplings and Doughnuts
- Regional and Festival Yeast Cakes and Fruit Breads
- Yeast Buns and Small Tea Cakes
- Soda Breads
- Bibliography and Further Reading List
- Index
Where to Find the Book
English Bread and Yeast Cookery was first published in 1977. It came out in both hardback and paperback versions. It was reprinted several times in the years that followed. New editions have been published over the years, making sure many people can still enjoy this classic book about bread.
