Convinced that modern bread did not measure up to the substantial, tasty and healthy originals developed by generations of bakers in Europe, Asia and the US, Tom Jaine constructed a traditional wood-fired brick oven and began baking loaves for his local village. This book is a distillation of his knowledge and proves that baking delicious bread is an art anyone can master. From kneading the dough to baking it, Tom Jaine first covers the essential techniques of baking, explaining what needs to be done, when and why. Then, in a round the world baking tour, he guides us through the variations in these techniques that have produced the many breads available today.