The dough and the authors
In 2007, Jeff Hertzberg and Zoë François revolutionized home bread-baking with the first edition of "Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day." Their "Master Recipe" (at right) creates a high-moisture dough that is stored in the refrigerator for up to two weeks, then cut into pieces to bake off into fresh loaves as needed. It provides the basis for dough variations such as peasant loaves, flatbreads and pizzas, and enriched breads such as whole wheat and oatmeal loaves, bagels, savory herb bread. The dough works with sweet breads, coffee cakes and pastries, as well.
Hertzberg is a physician, consultant and faculty member at the University of Minnesota Medical School. He grew up in New York City, where he became fascinated with great ethnic breads and became an ardent amateur baker. François, a pastry chef and baker, trained at the Culinary Institute of America. She teaches pastry making and baking at area cooking schools and writes for a variety of national publications.
Beth Dooley
