Here’s a book review I wrote for my sweet and smart friend Jeyran Main’s wonderful book reviewing blog. Along with reviewing books, she’s available for hire to edit books, publish them, as well as to translate them from Persian to English.
Happy bread day to me! Happy bread day to meeee! Today I baked a fabulous loaf for my family and me that was as easy as it was delicious!
Tango gatherings are social in the best way, often involving potlucks. When a dance mate brought a yeast-raised loaf still warm from her home oven and proceeded to describe how easily she’d baked it, I ran to get the book she’d gotten the recipe from.
Truly, “The New Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day,” by Jeff Hertzberg, M.D., and Zoë François, lives up to its subtitle, “The Discovery that Revolutionizes Home Baking.”
The authors didn’t inventor no-knead yeast breads. Nevertheless, they provide gourmet quality easy recipes illustrated with much glossy high color food porn. This panettone became a family favorite with my first loaf.
In my Iran-born husband’s family, one is either ‘noon-ee,’ bread loving, or ‘polo-ee.’ rice loving.’ Bread lover that I am, I’ve tried repeatedly to bake yeast breads, always failing at producing anything better than hard bricks.
Not so with these recipes!

For the panettone, instead of the fancy paper employed by the authors here, I use parchment paper to line the ceramic pot from my electric crock pot, fill it with dough, and then bake just the pot in my conventional oven. For the first half of the baking, I leave it covered. For the remainder, I take the lid off.

The yeasty fragrance of baking perfumes clear to the outdoor perimeter of my house. What a marvel it is to hear a loaf hum, whistle, and crackle a steamy tune as it cools! And what textures! Crunchy, chewy goodness!
Voila! Jacques Pepín puts it best when he states that nothing can compete with fine artisan bread slathered with pure butter.
Here’s Jacques, making his own no-knead bread.
Caveat: “…Bread in Five Minutes…” might mislead some, albeit forgivably, given how easy and delicious the recipes are. The dough takes five to ten minutes to mix. Then it must rise for a couple of hours. Baking time varies, i.e., breadsticks are understandably bake quicker than whole loaves. Dough can be frozen or it can be refrigerated for up to a week. In either case, let it warm to room temperature before baking.
What a clever idea, to use the ceramic bowl from a crock pot to bake bread. I’m on a diet and all I want to do is go buy a huge loaf of sour dough bread and toast and butter the whole thing, all for myself. Food porn indeed! Oh love, oh yum. \
Your photos are wonderful, Daal
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butter, sourdough…now you’ve got my stomach growling at midnight! these loaves get the best sourdough-ness the longer dough sits before baking. have let dough sit for as long as 14 hours with mouth watering results
*** note to all reading this – I don’t let panettone dough sit longer than recipe instructs, as it has eggs in it. none of the other recipes, as far as I recollect, include eggs
Sharon – oooh – dieting for Thanksgiving? have another bread book in mind – should I hold off till you’re done?
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You might have to wait for a year or longer! This is a change of my way to eat kind of diet – forever. I need to do this though. You may write whatever you want on your blog, of course. Please don’t ask me to taste test. Wait, please ask. No, no don’t ask, I have no control. Ack!
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hahaha – no whole grain breads allowed? would love to hear more about your new way of eating
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Nah – boring.
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ok – best of luck to you with it – & best of health!
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Food looks amazing…!m already drooling..!
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Usually i am terrible at making bread, but will try this one and see how it goes. you got me feeling hungry after a meal 🙂
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Let us know how it goes – if I can do it, surely anyone can
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Will definitely do 🙂
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I love the sound of your panettone.
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thank you – plus it makes a lovely sound when I pull it out of oven & it emits steam 🙂
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I’m glad the panettone worked out so well for you. I was very interested to discover that I’m noon-ee’ but my wife’s polo-ee. I’m looking forward to telling her later and watching her reaction.
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am curious too – you’ll have to let us know, even if its from looney bin that she sends you to 🙂
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I have only ever attempted bread once. It did not end well!! I would love to try again.
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I was always totally inept at bread before this book – strongly encourage you to try it – few smells are more delectable than that of bread rising, then baking
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I bookmarked all of this and staring at my kitchen supplies and wondering…I just might try it! My husband would LOVE it!
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fingers crossed for you – practically fool proof, however – please let us know how it goes
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Looks yummie!
I just invested in great bread backing book too. Since I’m into Paleo, I wanted a book without wheat and thus gluten-free recipes. In the near future I will write a review about it too 😉
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am looking forward to reading your review.
btw – the same authors subsequently wrote, Gluten-Free Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Baking Revolution Continues with 90 New, Delicious and Easy Recipes Made with Gluten-Free Flours.
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Thanks for the tip! First I have to start baking through the book I know have 😉
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I am gluten and wheat sensitive/intolerant/allergic; however, I love watching bread making videos, especially the no-narration versions via Kinfolk. So cool. I love a good yeasty loaf.Bread watching is a hobby. Enjoy making your favourite loaves this winter. xoxoxo
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just google kinfolk – somewhere between beautiful meditations & food porn – haha – can you bake with almond or coconut flour?
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Yes, I bake with both almond and coconut flour. I spent most of September experimenting when I had some free time. I came up with some interesting combinations. xo
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winter is my fave time to bake – when its cold out & the oven heats the house with delicious aromas 🙂
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Lovely post! I am currently working with 3 ingredient bread using wild yeast cultures. Have you heard of this?
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sounds vaguely familiar. Do you know ‘Mind of a Chef’ tv series? seem to recall was mentioned there. I’d love to hear you tell us more!
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I’m sure the panettone was yummy! I love being in the house surrounded by all that desser good smell.
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yes! the aroma of good bread is almost better than the actual taste 🙂
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Looks so appetizing😊
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so glad you like it 🙂
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Please feel free to visit our blog 😊
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