October 1, 2023
Bakery owner Culletto has a focaccia recipe for every occasion, turning the rustic bread into edible artwork through the addition of artfully arranged vegetables, fruits, herbs, and seeds. Whether bakers want to impress friends with Vincent van Gogh's Irises in bread form or show off bread-making skills on game day, Culletto has it covered. The book starts with an introduction to bread making in which Culletto describes the best techniques for baking dough, cutting edible decorations, and drafting bread art. She lists essential tools (chopsticks, cookie cutters, silicone baking mats) and defines baking terms that readers might encounter in her recipes, following up with some bread-baking tips. Readers will fall in love with Culletto's easy-to-understand focaccia recipes and appreciate the book's tantalizing images as they learn to turn simple ingredients into works of art. VERDICT Readers who want to elevate their focaccia bread-making skills will definitely want to read this, but the step-by-step instructions also make it accessible to novices.--Brittany Fechtman
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