I’ve been building my sourdough baking skills over the last few years. I love exploring different cookbooks and techniques. With my own kitchen and baking tools, I’ve tried many sourdough recipes online. I’ve had fun creating classic loaves and trying new things.
“Tartine Bread” by Chad Robertson caught my attention. I found this cookbook while looking for a guide that would teach me the fundamentals of artisan sourdough baking. I wanted to share my honest thoughts with you all. The best cookbooks aren’t always the ones with hundreds of recipes. The best ones give you a solid foundation and a process you can rely on.
I decided to feature this book and my experience with it here on the blog. I’ve been working through this cookbook for a while. I’ve tested recipes and learned what works (and what doesn’t). I wanted to share my honest thoughts with you all. This review mixes book review, recipe review, and my own baking experience. I hope it starts fun conversations about sourdough baking and cookbooks.
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The best bread books aren’t the ones with hundreds of recipes—they’re the ones that teach you a reliable process. Once you master the foundation, you can adapt and create your own variations.
Experienced Home Baker
The Honest Truth About This Cookbook
Let me start with what you need to know: this book is not one that has hundreds of bread recipes in it, although there are actually quite a few. What it does have is a solid foundation and a reliable process that you can use to create amazing sourdough breads.
One reviewer shared their experience: “I wanted to start baking my own bread because of how difficult it is to get a decent loaf of bread that is not loaded with chemicals and preservatives. I started out with some King Arthur Flour recipes available online. I quickly decided I wanted to try my hand at sourdough breads. I followed the instructions over at King Arthur Flour to create a starter. I received a little advice from The Fresh Loaf forum. Then I decided to buy this book.”
That’s exactly what makes this book special. It provides a detailed process that works. Chad Robertson gives a lot of detail. And quite frankly, the instructions are a bit overwhelming and could do with some serious editing. Not because they are confusing, but because they are very lengthy. There is nothing wrong with lengthy. But I encourage anybody reading this book to sit down at their computer and type up those portions of the instructions that they need to bake the basic country loaf. Then print those out. Otherwise you will find yourself needing to turn pages with sticky hands to figure out what you are supposed to do. The recipe spans many pages. The book is too beautiful and expensive to get dirty.
If you are not familiar with bread baking, but you are willing to commit the time to learning and making this “no knead” bread, you won’t be disappointed. But, I would do what I did first. Get a sourdough starter that is working nicely before buying the book. It will only be a huge frustration if you buy the book and never get the starter to work. While he gives instructions for creating a starter, I can’t say with certainty that they will work for everybody. You can always try it after you’ve created your own following the advice from King Arthur Flour or another source.
Recipes I’ve Tested (And My Honest Thoughts)
I’ve been working my way through this cookbook. I wanted to share my experiences with the recipes I’ve tried so far. I won’t be sharing Chad Robertson’s “secrets” on how to use ingredients. That doesn’t feel right to me. It’s also not important for this review. I will talk about the recipes throughout my discussions. I’ll share what worked for me.
The book is organized around a core process that you can adapt and modify. The beauty of this approach is that once you master the basic process, you can create variations. You can experiment with different flour combinations.
Basic Country Loaf
The Foundation: This is the recipe that started it all for me. The process for the basic loaf boils down to this: Take some of your starter (you can take it straight from the fridge, unfed), and build a levain with it. That just means adding water and flour to it. Then let it sit out on the counter for 12 hours or so.
My Verdict: The breads have been amazing. The instructions are detailed. While they span many pages, they provide the guidance you need to succeed. The process is clear: once the levain is ready (a spoonful of it will float in a bowl of water), you mix the rest of the flour and water and make a very sticky dough. You will “turn” it 4-6 times over the course of 4 hours.
Pro Tip: Type up the instructions you need for the basic country loaf and print them out. Otherwise you will find yourself needing to turn pages with sticky hands to figure out what you are supposed to do. The recipe spans many pages.
Basic Country Loaf with Roasted Walnuts
The Variation: This is the same basic country loaf recipe, but with roasted walnuts added. It’s a simple variation that shows how you can adapt the core process.
My Verdict: This variation is just as amazing as the basic loaf. The walnuts add texture and flavor. The process is the same. This makes it easy to master once you’ve got the basic loaf down.
What I Learned: The same dough makes fantastic pizza. This is one of those discoveries that makes the book even more valuable. You’re not just learning to make one thing. You’re learning a process that can be adapted for multiple uses.
Pizza
The Bonus: The same dough that makes the basic country loaf also makes fantastic pizza. This was a revelation for me. One process, multiple uses.
My Verdict: The pizza made from this dough is incredible. It’s the same process, just shaped differently. This makes the book even more valuable. You’re learning a versatile technique that can be used for both bread and pizza.
My Recommendation: Don’t just think of this as a bread book. Think of it as a process book. The same techniques can be applied to create different results.
Why This Book Stands Out
What sets “Tartine Bread” apart is its commitment to teaching a process rather than just providing recipes. Chad Robertson gives a lot of detail. While the instructions can be overwhelming, they provide the depth you need to truly understand what you’re doing.
The book suggests the Lodge Combo Cooker, and that is what I purchased. It is basically two cast iron pans. One acts as a lid to the other. It traps the steam generated from the wet dough as it bakes. I have never had a problem with my breads burning on top or on bottom. However, if you bake too low on the stove you may find that the bottoms burn. Baking in the middle rack as suggested has always given me beautiful loaves.
The process is clear and reliable: build a levain, mix the dough, turn it 4-6 times over 4 hours, then divide and shape into loaves. They will then “proof” in a bowl or basket, overnight in your fridge. The next morning, you can fire up the oven and get baking.
Most importantly, this book teaches you a process you can adapt. I’ve added a photo of one of my best tasting loaves yet. It does not follow any formula in the book though it is based entirely on the book’s process using the same ratio of levain to flour, etc. It is just that I altered the percentage of All Purpose, Whole Wheat and Whole Rye flours to suit what I had on hand.
Equipment Recommendations
The book suggests the Lodge Combo Cooker, and that is what I purchased. It is basically two cast iron pans. One acts as a lid to the other. It traps the steam generated from the wet dough as it bakes.
My Experience: I have never had a problem with my breads burning on top or on bottom. However, if you bake too low on the stove you may find that the bottoms burn. Baking in the middle rack as suggested has always given me beautiful loaves.
Scoring: I’ve “scored” my bread (cut it before baking) with a sharp knife or with kitchen shears. Both work well, so use what you have.
Final Thoughts
This book has become an invaluable resource in my kitchen. The breads make great grilled cheese, PB&J, toast and that is basically all I have done with them to date. They also taste great fresh out of the oven (well, after waiting a couple of hours).
Is it worth the price? Well, it was to me. It was nice to have a set of instructions to read over a bunch of times before taking the plunge into making my first Tartine loaf. The detailed instructions, while lengthy, provide the guidance you need to succeed.
If you’re looking for a book that teaches you a process rather than just providing recipes, this is the one. The same techniques can be applied to create different results. And once you master the basic process, you can experiment and adapt.
Ken Forkish’s Flour Water Salt Yeast is also an excellent book with similar baking techniques (i.e., lodge combo cooker). But it has both commercial yeast and sourdough recipes which also come out quite amazing. But if you’re specifically looking for a sourdough-focused book with a detailed process, “Tartine Bread” is an excellent choice.