As with some of the other subjects covered in “The Library”, making bread is touched on by many of the general sustainable living skills type books and it is worth having a scout through your own library to check before deciding you need a specific book on the subject. Also some cookbooks, particularly the older style general cookbooks will also have a bread making section so it is worthwhile (and fun too!) having a trawl through to see what you can find.
Another point is that, because we only make our bread by hand, our books on using electric bread makers have been passed on to friends and relatives and so do not appear in this list.
A Loaf of Bread – Gail Duff – Reader’s Digest (AUS) 1998 ISBN 0 86449 187 5 – A good book with material about the history of bread as well sections on ingredients, equipment and a selection of recipes for different types of bread. At easy book to use for the beginner, and has our favourite pizza base recipe.
Breadmaking – Jill Graham – AH & AW Reed P/L (AUS) 1983 ISBN 0 589 50387 1 – for many years this was our main reference on Breadmaking. It is another good reference for beginners, covering the basics of Breadmaking well with sections on white and wholemeal breads, yeastless breads, flatbreads, fruit breads and even dessert and festive breads. A good basic book if you can find it.
Bread – Christine Ingram and Jennie Shapter – Hermes House (UK) 2003 ISBN 0 681 87922 X – This book has a reasonable coverage of ingredients, techniques and equipment including some mention of electric breadmakers. There is a large section that discuses breads from all corners of the globe which is followed up by 120 pages of recipes from breads all over the world, and there is a huge number of colour pictures.
The Students Technology of Breadmaking and Flour Confectionery – W.J. Fance – Routledge and Kegan Paul P/L (UK) 1982 ISBN 0 7100 9046 3 – This is not a beginners book but a scholarly technical reference on the breadmakers art. It gives a lot of detail on the “how” of Breadmaking but also the “why” that backs it up. If you really want to get into the technology of baking this book is for you.
100 Great Breads – Paul Hollywood – Cassell Illustrated (UK) 2004 ISBN 1 84403 143 8 – Not much detail on materials or techniques, the book gets straight into it with how to make an English wheat sheaf loaf. The book has sections on basic breads, French breads, Italian breads, traditional breads, herb and sweet breads. There are colour photos of the breads but not much of the process. 
The Natural Tucker Bread Book – John Downes – Hyland House (AUS) 1993 ISBN 0 908090 61 7 – For a small book this one has a surprising amount of detail on the ingredients, equipment and techniques of Breadmaking and backs it up with 60 recipes from plain and wholemeal breads down to some interesting ones like Tibetan Barley bread and soy bread. 
Bake Your Own Bread – Floss and Stan Dworkin – Signet (New American Library) (US) 1972 ISBN - This is a small paperback with only a few line drawings as illustrations but it does have plenty of information working through all the usual stuff, a good section on sourdough and some weird stuff like spiral breads, rye breads and batter breads.
Use Your Loaf – Ursel Norman – William Collins & Sons Co Ltd (AUS) 1975 ISBN 0 00 490002 2 – Only a small amount of info on basic baking followed by 26 recipes for breads of various sorts from all over the world but where this book is impressive is the line drawings included with each recipe showing the ingredients and techniques to be used. A simple book for beginners.
The Complete Bread Book – Lorna Walker & Joyce Hughes – The Hamlyn Publishing Group Ltd. (AUS) 1983 – 0 600 32355 2 – Lots of good information on bread ingredients and techniques and the most comprehensive chart on freezing bread that I’ve ever seen! Lots of recipes for traditional types of bread as well as some unusual stuff and some sweet stuff like tea buns and hot cross buns as well.
