In Search of the Perfect Loaf

In Search of the Perfect Loaf: A Home Baker's Odyssey

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“In Search of the Perfect Loaf is really the best kind of read—a quest for true bread enriched by research, knowledge and pleasure. The passion Sam Fromartz brings to this journey is incredible and infectious. Fromartz is generous in sharing his baking intel, but the real recipe for delicious bread, we learn, begins long before the kitchen. This book will change the way you look at bread.”
– Dan Barber, co-owner/executive chef of Blue Hill and Blue Hill at Stone Barns and author of The Third Plate.

In 2009, journalist Samuel Fromartz was offered the assignment of a lifetime: to travel to France to work in a boulangerie. So began his quest to hone not just his homemade baguette—which later beat out professional bakeries to win the “Best Baguette of D.C.”—but his knowledge of bread, from seed to table.

For the next four years, Fromartz traveled across the United States and Europe, perfecting his sourdough in California, his whole grain rye in Berlin, and his country wheat in the South of France. Along the way, he met historians, millers, farmers, wheat geneticists, sourdough biochemists, and everyone in between, learning about the history of breadmaking, the science of fermentation, and more. The result is an informative yet personal account of bread and breadbaking, complete with detailed recipes, tips, and beautiful photographs.

Entertaining and inspiring, this book will be a touchstone for a new generation of bakers and a must-read for anyone who wants to take a deeper look at this deceptively ordinary, exceptionally delicious staple: handmade bread.

Reviews & Interviews

"Brilliant memoir/bread baking book" - Washington Post, 9/9/14

Interview with Midday Edition KPBS San Diego - 9/10/14

One man's journey toward a perfect loaf of bread - Review, KQED's Bay Area Bites - 9/11/14

"...Already causing a stir," Interview with Slow Food USA - 9/16/14

Interview with Boston Globe - 9/16/14

"I hope his book leads others to go on their own search for the perfect loaf," Wall Street Journal 9/20/14

"An engaging and informative book ... Part of me wishes that Fromartz would abandon his journalistic endeavors and open up his own bakery." - Review, Washington Post, 9/26/14

Interview on The Leonard Lopate Show, WNYC, 10/3/14

"Fromartz’s “Odyssey” is just that; he has stoked every coal when it comes to bread," Kansas City Star, 10/3/14

"With engaging stories and occasional diversions..., he helps readers understand why man could have lived by bread alone," Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 10/5/14

"Terrific ... He is showing us the world through a slice of bread," Los Angeles Times, 10/6/14

Interview with Edible Radio, featuring the story of a French farmer/baker growing ancient wheat, Underground Airwaves 10/9/14

Journalist Samuel Fromartz said two things motivated him to start baking.

"This impressive work falls somewhere between a cookbook, an exploration of bread-baking techniques, and a history of bread. It’s thoroughly researched and engagingly written, and his dedication is inspiring. He uses careful description to impart to the reader something of a craft that can truly only be learned through practice."
- Library Journal, 7/14

"Fun and informative" - Publishers Weekly, 7/14

"Reserve a weekend and read ... In Search of the Perfect Loaf" - Kirkus, 9/4/14

Breadmaking demo on TV, Let's Talk Live, WJLA Washington, 9/5/14

ADVANCE PRAISE

“In this lovely book, Sam Fromartz offers a signature mix of baking insights and wonderful storytelling as he hits the road to find his perfect loaf. If you make bread—or ever intend to—you need to read this book.”
–Ruth Reichl, former editor-in-chief of Gourmet and author of Delicious!

“Sam Fromartz’s odyssey teaches us that being a great baker takes more than simply following recipes–it is a relentless quest. His conversations with bakers and then his reinterpretation of their lessons at home is a double education. I love this book.”
–Nancy Silverton, founder of La Brea bakery and author of The Mozza Cookbook

"This fascinating, beautifully written memoir reveals Sam Fromartz as that rare breed of cook: craftsman, historian and scientist all in one, following his senses and questing after what is delicious, authentic, and pure."
- Alice Waters, vice president of Slow Food International, owner of Chez Panisse, and author of The Art of Simple Food

“In his search for the holy grail of baguettes, Sam Fromartz has beautifully captured the joys, loneliness, frustrations, and rewards of his bread making journey. And, wonderfully for us, he shares both the life and baking lessons learned from the many amazing people he met along the way. You will want to bake from this book.”
–Peter Reinhart, author of The Bread Baker’s Apprentice and Bread Revolution

“This book makes the reader reexamine a subject truly overlooked: the culture of the baker and, in particular, of bread. Through his quixotic quest to find and learn how to make the perfect bread, Sam Fromartz brings us into the bakery and illustrates and captures the essence of what bread culture is. It is an exquisite work, written with passion and expertise. With many of the stories, Fromartz helps the reader understand the mind of the baker. He himself is truly obsessed, and this book is ideal for anyone wishing to further their knowledge of the subject of what craft or artisan baking is and ought to be. He presents, through the lives and stories of other practitioners of the craft, a future for bread which is both meaningful and dignified.”
–Jim Lahey, owner/founder of Sullivan Street Bakery and author of My Bread

“If you love great bread, you will love this book! Inside, Sam shares his journey in search for the perfect loaf, baking with some of the most inspirational and leading bakers of our time. From Paris, to Berlin, to Marienthal, Kansas, we follow Sam on his quest as he shares his love for great bread and the ‘baking secrets’ he learned along the way. I read this book with my favorite music in the background, in my most comfortable chair, a glass of wine in hand, and a rustic loaf of bread.”
–Daniel Leader, founder of Bread Alone Bakery and author of Bread Alone: Bold Fresh Loaves from Your Own Hands

“Great bread is one of life’s simple pleasures, and this book captures so much of what is inspiring in the realm of bread baking right now. From California to Berlin, we meet passionate, committed bakers, and see how Sam translates their craft to the home kitchen. Bread geeks will love it, but so too will those wondering about all we’ve lost in our daily bread—and what we might recapture.”
–Heidi Swanson, author of Super Natural Every Day

“Fromartz is a passionate, deeply serious home baker who writes eloquently and gracefully about what it takes in skill and ingredients to produce a delicious baguette or country loaf. His account of the history and comeback of heritage wheat grains is a revelation that will send even the most gluten-phobic reader to search for breads made from them. In Search of the Perfect Loaf is a lovely book—a perfect read for anyone who cares about good food.”
–Marion Nestle, professor of nutrition, food studies, and public health at New York University and author of Eat, Drink, Vote: An Illustrated Guide to Food Politics

“Fromartz has managed to elevate the humble loaf of bread into a riveting tale of history, passion and practical technique along with a rare glimpse into the workings of early morning bakeries from Paris to Berlin to San Francisco. You won’t look at bread the same way again.”
–Kathleen Flinn, author of The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry and Burnt Toast Makes You Sing Good

“[A] fun and informative memoir [that] provides a fascinating miniature course on the techniques involved in making different [breads]…and even a little history on grains and practices dating back to the Fertile Crescent.”
–Publishers Weekly

“A consummate celebration of the deceptively simple loaf of bread … Richly detailed [and] lively.”
–Kirkus Reviews