Tartine Bread (Chronicle Books, 2010; $40), by esteemed California baker Chad Robertson, is a very personal baking book. Beginning with the story of his quest for the bread of his dreams, Robertson introduces his readers to his method of breadbaking in meticulous detail. Beautiful photographs by Eric Wolfinger illustrate the steps to the recipes and give the reader a glimpse of life in the bakery. Appealingly bound in images of Tartine’s sought-after breads, this big hardcover contains a wealth of knowledge presented by a craftsman who genuinely wants to pass on his hard-won discovery of a bread to beat all breads.

Photography by Kurt Brownell