King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking [Hardcover]

After becoming vegetarian in 2003, I became much more conscious about adding whole grains to my diet, to the point of replacing white flour with whole grains whenever possible. In the past, baked goods with whole wheat and other grains were easily detectable as "health food." However, the talented kitchen staff at King Arthur has found ways to tone down whole wheat that pass as full-flavored, healthier counterparts of traditional favorites such as scones, pie crust, croissants, and other delectable goodies.

The book begins, appropriately enough, with breakfast (porridges, oatmeal, granolas, waffles, pancakes, French toast, muffins and scones). After a hearty foundation, quick breads, muffins, coffeecakes, biscuits and scones are explored, followed by crisps, cobblers and puddings, flatbreads and crackers, yeast breads, sourdough, cookies and bars, cakes, pie and quiche, pastry, and a guide to whole grains.

This is my first King Arthur cookbook, and I appreciate the fact that when they discuss kinds of flour to buy, they do not endlessly promote their own brand as the only choice (in fact, there are precious few mentions of King Arthur flours).

If I had to choose one baking book to have in my collection, it would be this one. The clear instructions and healthier updates of many classics are crowd-pleasers, and the cookbook itself is beautiful to look at. This is the perfect gift for your favorite (health-conscious) baker.

Like their New England neighbors at Cook's Illustrated, the King Arthur bakers are dedicated to testing and re-testing, and above all, technique. There's a good dose of baking science, too - this is a volume Alton Brown and Rose Levy Beranbaum must assuredly have acquired for their own libraries. The knowledge that both Cinnamon and Garlic can impair the rising process in breads is in itself worth the price of the book.

This tome has many marvelous illustrations which go a long way to instruct the reader. Sidebars abound with helpful (though sometimes quirky) information and tips. While whole wheat flour is the star, other whole grains are explored. You'll find encyclopedic history and data on Rye, Buckwheat, Kamut, Farro, Tritcale, Spelt, Barley, Amaranth, Teff, and others. King Arthur is big on the science and treatment of yeast, as well. Clear explanations are provided regarding the differences and applications among "Active-Dry", "Instant", and "Rapid-Rise" yeasts (no, "Instant" and Rapid-Rise" or "Quick-Rise" yeasts are NOT the same). The King Arthur bakers are also proponents of pre-ferments and they distinguish among the panoply of starters: Sponge, Poolish, Biga, and Levain (sourdough). Oddly, I couldn't find a discussion of the importance of an "autolyse" - an initial resting period just after the initial mixing of water and flour that gives the flour the time to hydrate. I couldn't even find the term in the "Index" - although it appears in KA's "Baker's Companion". Believe me - use of an autolyse can make a world of difference in the end result.

The design of the book is similar to KA's "Baker's Companion" and "Cookie Companion" (both worth owning). It's a big volume (more than 600 pages and 300 recipes) but not too heavy as the result of the intelligent use of paper stock. It's well-ordered, easy to read, and logical enough for a Vulcan.

A couple of caveats: By their own admission, the King Arthur bakers tell you that their recipes are most successful if you use their brand of flour - most of which have a higher protein level than other brands. Fear not - instructions are given for using other brands. Fortunately, most KA flours are now widely available in many major supermarkets. From personal experience, I can assure you that KA bread flours produce extraordinary results. The only other bread flours I use are Bob's Red Mill Dark Rye Flour, and Whole Wheat Flour - both of which are excellent, also widely available, and come in handy smaller sizes.

Second warning: some of the recipes suggest an overnight rest to soften the bran in the whole wheat flour. The Brownie recipe included in the book will taste slightly gritty without the benefit of the overnight rest - and when I want a Brownie, I want it today and I want it luscious, not coarse-textured.

One especially helpful tip is the addition of a small amount of orange juice suggested in the production of whole wheat bread made with traditional whole wheat flour. The orange juice counteracts the inherent bitter edge caused by the phenolic acid (similar to the astringent tannins in tea). A new alternative is to employ KA's "White Whole Wheat" flour which does not contain phenolic acid - but still contains all of the bran and germ - a true whole wheat product.

Having tried only one of the recipes in this book, I cannot attest to the others - but based on the success of KA's other cookbooks and their bi-monthly newsletter, "The Baking Sheet", one would have to assume reliable, if not stellar results - and healthier (though not necessarily lower in fat and calories) eating in the process.

Many of us are familiar with King Arthur flours and baking advice and some even their previous two award winning cookbooks. What we didn't have from them until now was a baking cookbook using whole grains.

Many of us have laid off the baking goodies for health reasons, avoiding processed white flour and sugars, etc. Now with this tome we have what we need to get back baking!

Brownies, biscotti, cakes, pies, crackers, scones,breads, etc. There is what easily appears to be over 500 recipes on using whole grains in this things and many have advice on low fat alternatives. Helpful on each recipe is a complete nutritional breakdown. The sidebars are extremely helpful, e.g. "What's a Pinch?" specifically here of instant yeast. The line drawings are truly appreciated by those of us who dip in and out of the baking arena, so all this advice and user friendly aids in this cookbook are valued. There are around seven pages of color photos.

There is even advice on how to substitute whole grains for processed white flour, but with the caveat that likely after you've tried these recipes, you'll just seek this collection out for your baking needs. And it is extensive. So far I've sampled the Fresh Berry Tiramisu; Apple Brown Betty and several others with outstanding results. There is something here for everyone from crackers to sourdough, from cream puffs to cookies to croissants. It's a large volume which will require shelf space, but worth the investment for those who wish to still bake the goodies but desire the healthful benefits that whole grains provide.

Sources are listed, with King Arthur of course being the logical start with their extensive catalogue, however they do even provide internet suggests to find all kinds of other sources as well.

This is truly that genre of cookbook which isn't to be exhausted with recipe trying any too soon. That would require lots of baking regularly, but when one gets the hankering for those scrumptuous baked goods, this is the one that can deliver delicisous, conistent and healthly results.