Customer Reviews

No Need to Knead Handmade Italian Breads in 90 Minutes

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The following is a copy of a letter that I sent to Suzanne at buonaforchetta.com.

Dear Suzanne:

My name is Michael Tapia, I live in Boise, Idaho, and I have to blame you for an obssession; a no knead, artisan bread, obsession.

First, some background.

My wife Anna and I, visited Tuscany in the Fall of 1998. Rome, San Gimingnano, Florence, Siena (or, "Home," as Anna would call it) the Badia al Coltibuono estate, Lago Maggiore, Lago de Como. Before our trip, we we interested in all things Italian, (my mother's side of the family comes from Italia del Nord), after our trip, we were confirmed Tuscans. Most of our cooking at home, is done with Tuscan culinary philosophy in mind; fresh, seasonal ingriedients, "leftovers" carefully collected (even planned) for the next day's meals, elegant simplicity, and lots of good EV olive oil.

Anna has been the main chef in the house, and has been doing a select catering business for 4 or five years now, catering to friends or friends of friends, I say "select" because she is accustomed to taking only the jobs where the people are interested in eating what she's interested in cooking.

I have been main taster, strong back, and swarthy-master-prep-guy. I have my own specialities, Risotto, Crawfish etouffee' (sp?) grilled Vitello with Carciofi, and now, Artisan Breads.

Anna has never been much of a baker. She loves to cook, hates to bake. For years I have chided her (in a loving, friendly way of course), about this I would tell our friends: "fact. Don't order baked goods from Anna, Anna can make charcoal out of a boxed cake mix ."

One day, I was home and looking for something new to cook. Anna suggested that I try baking bread, since I had given her so much grief, and since I had been talking about baking for some time.

"Bread baking? That's too much work, and we don't really have the right tools," said I. We had tried some italian loaves using the traditional method in the past.

Good bread, hard work.

"Oh, we've got that cook book, No need to knead, " Anna replied.

"Italian bread without kneading?" said I. "It's gonna come out all grainy or flat, or like those so-called "organic" breads that taste like you're eating a handful of horse feed." I was sceptical, to say the least.

"No, she's got like focaccia, and ciabiatta in there, it looks kinda good, but you know about me and baking," Anna urged.

"Okay, I'll try one, but if it tastes like heath food, I blame you." I said.

So, I made a focaccia, using your book, and my 10 in. Caphalon saute pan.

That was 3 months ago, and I've made fresh bread at least every other day since. Focaccia, (traditional rounds with holes, and in the boule, my daughter Sydney is a "Crumb," I am most certainly a "Crust"), Fogasse, Filoncino Rosmarino and Kalamata, (Anna's favorite bread is the Rosmarino), Ciabatta, and some of the pizze (the basic pizza dough is so easy and good, it's nearly criminal). It helps having fresh Tuscan Rosemary, Sage,Basil, and three types of Thyme, out in the yard, my breads would be costing a fortune, if not for Anna's care for building a decent herb garden.

So, your revolution has now a devoted soldier. I find that I am planning my day around the biga or old dough I have invaribly sitting around the house somewhere (or outside in the back seat of my Acura when I think it needs a little warmer "room temperature" than is in the kitchen), or around the meals Anna and I are planning, and what bread will complement what (the focaccia rolls, a little well done, are like the fantastic, traditional Wisconsin hard rolls which complement Johnsonville Brautwurst).

My friend and former boss from Italy, Vincenzo Tomassetti, was impressed with the focaccia I made him, so much so that the week before he left for Italy, he ate at my house every night, and requested (or rather, demanded) fresh focaccia daily. Watching my friend greedily mopping remains of Alio y Olio Pepperoncino, with my fresh focaccia, is a memory that will remain.

I took a Rosmarino Filoncino to a Fourth of July party this week, and it was gone in 3 minutes. I should have brought two.

I've gone from the little bags of Gold Medal Flour to medium to the 25 pound bags.

On nights I can't sleep, (last night for instance) I am invariably up stirring a biga at 2am, or checking my larder for ingredients for something I haven't tried yet. I'm now not sure if I'm baking bread because I can't sleep, or if I can't sleep because I'm thinking about baking bread.

Anna actually said she had an "order" for some loaves for a catering job she has next week, I couldn't have been happier.

So, Suzanne, without embellishing, your book, (and the care, love, humor, and clear recipes within) have changed our home. My kids (Sydney and Bennett) now rarely eat store bought, white bread, in fact, they put in their own little bread orders during the week, and I am happy to oblige.

The bottom line for writing you this novella, is that there is now and forever fresh delicious bread on our table almost every day, and it is in very large part, due to you.

Thank you, so much.

Sincerely,

Michael Tapia

I love this book. I'm very busy making great crusty, rustic breads and I learned that I don't have to stay home all day to do this. The commentary is fascinating and Suzanne has a great sense of humor, which I thoroughly enjoy. I've ordered one for my son-in-law and have recommended it to friends. I will treasure this book.

I am slowly working my way through all of the recipes in this book, and every one has been superb! My husband (the picky eater) has just finished polishing off the pizza I made with her dough recipe, and has pronounced it perfect! This is quite an accomplishment ~ marital harmony and great bread combined. Her filoncino and baguette recipes are outstanding and easy to accomplish. Get a stand mixer, and never knead again!

If you are a bread baker you should buy this book! Even if you are a novice this book will be so helpful. I am completing my degree in Pastry Arts so I bake a lot of bread and the recipes in this book will forever in my repertoire . I suggest you add them to yours too. Carol Field's books are great as well!

The breads in this book do turn out nicely. The recipes are easy to follow. However, the title is completely misleading. Almost none of the recipes can be made start to finish in 90 minutes. Instead of kneading she has you "stir." Which is actually more difficult than kneading. If you have a mixer that will knead dough, it makes these recipes even easier. I use my Kitchenaid stand mixer.

I just made my first loaf of successful whole wheat bread--ever! Used to think that my skin had some adverse chemical reaction to yeast because nothing ever worked out when I used it. I watched as the bread rose, worrying every minute (even thought about praying over it!...seriously). Would THIS bread recipe RISE? YESSSSSSSS! It rose, it rose! Would it bake up properly? It did and the flavor was scrumptious!
Thank you, Suzanne Dunaway! No more dependence on stores and their psuedo-bread products for this old broad! Ahhhhh...and the fragrance of bread baking throughout the house....near Nirvana!!!

I bought this book a few months ago and since have not bought a single loaf of bread from the store.
Easy, clear recipes with a minimum of effort - great results!

For anyone who yearns to bake and taste really good bread, but labors under mythological fears, drop them. This is the best, most refreshing cookbook I have come across in many years. The bread-making procedure is the New Millenium - there is no kneading - and no failure because it is so simple. Get good yeast from a mill, this book and you will think you are a professional baker - and you will salivate every time. Along with wonderful, pure, delightful breads, there is a plethera of other items, like a most delicious tomato sauce. This Simply Perfect Tomato Sauce is quick and easy and explodes all of the mythes of cooking for 6 hours with a ton of ingredients.
I cannot tell enough people about this book and/or the contents. The Authoress, Suzanne Dunaway, takes a good amount of time to give you a feeling, and background of each item. You become one with the recipes.
Salivate, stir and enjoy!
Maureen Cooley

I have a bookshelf of cookbooks. I rarely use them. That's because I like the sounds of the recipes but as far as following them...who needs it? I know how to cook. I just a need a concept, an idea, or some background. Or I need a specific piece of information to get certain results. That's how I stumbled across Suzanne Dunaway's awesome bread book. I had eaten some loaves at a reputable bakery about 200 miles from where I live and I wanted to replicate those loaves at home if at all possible. The bakery would not supply me with information on how they got these wonderful holes in a chewy bread they called "Paesano". So, I got on line and found this cookbook. I thought how many Italian breads could there be? I'll find the bread I'm looking for. I got Suzanne Dunaway's book and I've baked a loaf of some bread or other every day since. And I've reproduced the chewy loaf I was looking for using her Ciabatta recipe. The results are incredible. The bread is chewy and light, with lots of texture and eye appeal, (very rustic with the irregular shape and the sprinkle of rosemary). She encourages the use of instincts and discourages complicated techniques and materials. (I especially like her thoughts on tap water and regular flour.) I don't need complicated instructions and impossible ingredients. This is the best bread book investment one could make! I also think it would make an excellent gift for cooks and those just starting out as cooks...(college students, newly married couples...), because success is almost guaranteed.

Aside from the great instruction and appealing recipes. The stories Ms. Dunaway tells are equally pleasing. She is clearly a generous spirit who LOVES to cook and share food. I'm convinced that for those very reasons everything she produces in her kitchens is delicious. Reading her book is like getting to go over to her place for a meal. After the first successes using her recipes, I felt guilty that I hadn't invited her over for a bite, yet!

Get this book if you never thought you could make terrific bread. I never made a loave of bread in my life and now I am wowing my friends. If I make two loaves I give one away for the feedback. I haven't heard a complaint yet. They can't wait to get more. I was a little timid at first because the book has no photographs which to compare my finished product (there are numerous drawings). But if you follow the great instructions it's all going to work out right. Nothing super complicated here. Outstanding Fococcia, Ciabatta, and Pane Casereccio, among many others. As a bonus, there are chapters on making pizza, creative things to do with bread leftovers, and a section on bread making for children. I haven't bought a loaf of bread since I bought this book. Highly recommended.