“Tara’s a natural teacher, and this book reads as if she’s at the bench next to you, patiently articulating the core concepts and techniques of bread-making, as well as the joys and rhythms of the craft.”—
Claire Saffitz, bestselling author of Dessert Person, from the foreword 80 easy-to-follow recipes and loads of know-how, troubleshooting guidance, and bread science intel for baking your best naturally leavened loaves—from sourdough whisperer Tara JensenIACP AWARD FINALIST • ONE OF THE WASHINGTON POST’S TEN BEST COOKBOOKS OF THE YEARYes, you can make crusty, tender, bakery-quality sourdough bread—even if you’ve never baked before! Especially when you have a teacher like Tara Jensen (who taught both dessert guru Claire Saffitz and Southern-cooking evangelist Sean Brock) by your side. Tara’s friendly approach to technique and inspired flavors in more than eighty recipes for sourdough, rye, and whole grain bread will enrich both beginners and advanced bakers as they learn about the craft.
With Tara’s guidance and supportive voice, she shares important lessons that cover all the technical bases—from learning about flour to exploring wild yeast fermentation and developing your (doughy) intuition. From there, Tara dives deep into the worlds of sourdough, rye, and desem, showing the true diversity of bread through recipes like Miche, Chocolate Beer Bread, and Mountain Rye. There’s even an extra credit chapter on making extra-flavorful Overnight Waffles, Cheesy Cheddar Crackers, and Sourdough Chocolate-Chip Cookies. With Tara by your side, artisanal bread at home is totally achievable . . . and fun!
"A fun and empowering bread master class with 80 recipes and insights from sourdough whisperer Tara Jensen. Teacher and baker Tara Jensen introduces new and experienced bakers to approachable techniques and recipes for making sourdough, rye, and desem (hearty wheat) breads. Flour Power is divided into two parts: the workshop and the recipes. In the workshop, bakers learn all about flour and how to build strength in dough by hand, read a bread formula, and troubleshoot sluggish starters and unruly doughs. The recipes section is divided into chapters by flour and bread type. There's a chapter on sourdough using white flour (Olive Loaf; Milk Bread), whole wheat desem (Cinnamon-Raisin Desem; Aloo Paratha), and rye (Honey and Aniseed Rye; Mountain Rye). And like any good professor, Tara offers a chapter on extra credit too, with recipes like Overnight Waffles, Sourdough Pie Crust, and Cheddar Crackers to make from "discard" (the starter you discard before "feeding" it). Recipes are categorized by difficulty level and there's also a helpful "snapshot" at the top of each recipe offering a start-to-finish quick takeaway of the loaf from how much time it actually takes to the pan size you need and type of loaf the bread makes. Alongside stunning photography by Johnny Autry and playful, but informative illustrations are all the tips and tricks you'll need to become a happy and proficient baker at home"--
“I was lucky enough to attend a bread making workshop with Tara where we made the most beautiful and delicious sourdough loaves. Tara taught us about flour (we even milled our own), sourdough starter, and, of course, bread making. Reading
Flour Power is like being back in that workshop. You’ll learn so much about making magnificent bread—it’s like Tara is holding your hands throughout.”
—Klancy Miller, founder of For the Culture and author of Cooking Solo: The Joy of Cooking for Yourself
“Tara Jensen is an effortless and inspiring teacher. In
Flour Power, she not only expertly guides readers through baking science and techniques but also passes along the everyday wisdom of how to incorporate baking bread into your life. Tara’s undeniable expertise, signature creativity, and floury fingerprints are all over these beautiful pages.”
—Erin Jeanne McDowell, author of The Book on Pie
“Tara inspires me to bake. She brings together simple ingredients with integrity to bake our way through life’s hardest moments.
Flour Power has all the tools to conquer our sourdough fears in the comfort of our home kitchens. I am lucky she is one of my closest friends and writing confidante—my baked goods and life are better for it.”
—Melissa M. Martin, author of Mosquito Supper Club
