"Making good bread is both an art and a science--Modernist Bread is a 2,642-page celebration of that and more, including bread's future. The culmination of over four years of nonstop research, photography, experiments, writing, and baking, Modernist Bread isn't just about new recipes, though--it's about the way we think of bread from the ground up. In the space of five volumes plus a recipe manual, this groundbreaking set tells the story of one of the world's most important foods in new and different ways. Inside this book you'll discover the science, history, cultures, and personalities behind bread, along with tools you can use to shape its future. Learn what really happens when dough is mixed, new techniques for working with preferments, strategies for making bread in any kind of oven, and innovative approaches to developing flavor--all through more than 1,200 recipes and variations to master and inspire."--Publisher's web site.