Let's Make Bread!: A Comic Book Cookbook by Ken Forkish

Let's Make Bread!: A Comic Book Cookbook Reviews

• 
  Books_the_Magical_Fruit (Kerry)

  I adore these comic cookbooks that seem to be on the rise! They’re wonderful for imparting a lot of knowledge packed into a small amount of pages. The illustrations are especially helpful here, where you can actually see how to make the levain (sourdough starter), fold and proof the dough, etc. I will always champion this format, because I believe it makes certain subjects accessible to people that otherwise would not have picked up a “regular” book on said subject, for whatever reason (ADHD is the first one that comes to my mind, having it myself).
  
  Baking can be very intimidating, especially bread baking, but in this comic, the team of Ken Forkish (James Beard award-winning baker) and illustrator Sarah Becan break down the process into manageable steps that are easy to follow. I personally am not quite in the stage of life where I could devote a lot of time to this process (when I do a hobby, I go ALL IN, folks—think ADHD hyperfocus, so I can only have one at a time), but I really feel that I *could* bake sourdough bread after reading this, and that’s huge, since in the past I’ve immediately dismissed the idea due to being intimidated. I think that other people will feel the same, and I hope that this comic inspires a new generation of bakers! Also….bacon bread….mmmm….
  
  If you enjoy this format, Becan has also illustrated two other comics in this vein, entitled “Let’s Make Ramen!” and “Let’s Make Dumplings!”, which I will be checking out soon (my husband *loves* Asian food), Ken Forkish is well-known for his book, “Flour Water Salt Yeast”, and he also has published other books on both bread and pizza. I will be reading his “The Elements of Pizza”—I love pizza and want to gain Forkish’s insights on making it at home.
  
  My sincere thanks to Clarkson Potter, Ten Speed Press and Ten Speed Comics for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this! All opinions are my own.
  
  Please keep making more of these, Ten Speed Comics! Accessibility is so important, and what you’re doing is amazing.
• 
  hana

  I've read Let's Make Ramen! and Let's Make Dumplings! before, so my thought is still the same that reading this makes me craving for a bread!!!! This graphic cookbook is gorgeous, informative, an incredibly fun.
  
  Thank You to Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed Press, Ten Speed Graphic for this Advance Reader Copy.
• 
  Beth Cato

  I received a galley of this book via NetGalley.
  
  Straight up: I want to buy this book. I’ve read many baking books that discuss how to cultivate and utilize sourdough starters, and this is the least intimidating, most friendly of the lot. Every recipe is fully illustrated with detailed instructions led by avatars of baker Ken Forkish and comic book artist Sarah Becan. The one downside is that the book doesn’t include many recipes, but several variations are included. Really, this book provides an accessible foundation to perfect sourdough techniques and innovate from there.
  
• 
  Rosie Westlund

  I selfishly really just wanted early access to this cookbook if I’m being perfectly honest. I own both Let’s Make Ramen and Let’s Make Dumplings and love a comic book cookbook!
  
  I, along with most of America, dove hard into the sourdough craze of Covid. Flour Water Salt Yeast was one of my purchases during that period and when I saw Let’s Make Bread was written by Ken Forkish I actually squealed. If only this book existed back in 2020, it would have saved me a whole lot of internet digging. The tutorials were so precise, from maintaining your starter, to the proper folding method, to troubleshooting the bake on your bread. Before the recipes even began I felt like I completed a Masterclass, but without the hassle of replaying segments over and over. I know because I’ve already endured one.
  
  This book collectively presents everything you could possibly need to know in order to bake a loaf of bread. While other cookbooks (trust me, I probably own them all) feature merely a collection of bread recipes, Let’s Bake Bread gives you recipes specifically pertaining to your levain, with additional variations. The supplemental recipes using the levain discard further prove that the entirety of this cookbook is catered to the actual baker, rather than the admirer. Flour Water Salt Yeast was a beautiful cookbook that is perfectly fine sitting on a coffee table, but Let’s Bake Bread is one that will permanently have flour stuck on the spine.
  
  Thank you to the publisher for providing the ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
• 
  Tessa

  Let's Make Bread! is a superb visual introduction to the process of making bread from scratch, including creating and using "levain," also known as sourdough starter. As someone who has made a lot of bread, I learned a few tips, but overall didn't find it super interesting. However, I think someone very new to the process would learn a lot from this book, especially if that person was a visual learner.
  
  The only thing I'd say this book is missing is a bit of humor. Although it's a serious book, more cookbook than anything else, I think the expectation for graphic novels is an element of humor. The content was solid and informative, but some humor in the illustrations would have made the overall book a little more engaging.
  
  
  Thanks to Ten Speed Press and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.
• 
  Sean

  I just started making bread so this book came at the perfect time. It is an extremely easy to read, concise graphic novel about the process of bread making. It features guided tutorials, such as which direction to knead your dough, and variations on recipes. I will say, as an amateur bread baker, some of what's included can be a bit too precise. I've been making bread without weighing ingredients, for example, but at the very beginning the author lists a scale as a needed equipment. Overall, a great recommended book for bread bakers!
• 
  Rebecca

  This was one of those odd types of books that I never thought I would see around.
  A comic cookbook on bread. That is basically what it is.
  I think this could be a good tool though for people who may struggle with understanding step by step processes that are put in black and white terms like classic cookbooks. There is a flair about being able to walk with the author through the processes being described that make the idea of breadmaking a bit less daunting and more interesting.
• 
  londonfoglibrarian

  literally beyond excited to read this in may!!!!!
• 
  Ashlyn Cox

  It does have some good info, it was just a very weird concept to me to have a comic cookbook (that makes me sound old I guess). Interesting, but I'm going to stick to my regular cookbooks
• 
  Jenn Marshall

  The book had interesting history and fun recipes. The comic format made it easy to follow and a lot of fun to read. As someone who doesn't cook or bake this made it seem less intimidating
  
  4 stars
• 
  Sara Flubacher

  Thank you to NetGalley and Ten Speed Press for this ARC. This is my honest review.
  
  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars.
  
  Ken Forkish with Sarah Becan have created a beautifully made comic book cookbook! Bread can be a tricky thing to master, and since I’m a visual learner, but videos are too fast for me, this is PERFECT for me. It gives all the science and need-to-know information of bread baking in simple language and easy to follow steps while being shown what you need to do. With information from the equipment, measurements, temperatures, type of ingredients, how to make a sourdough starter and finally a good handful of bread recipes!
  The first recipe is basically the “foundational” recipe where once you get the hang of that, the other ones just build on top of that.
  
  I tried this recipe and thought I had messed it up, but it WORKED. AND TURNED OUT GREAT! I thought the first bread usually turns out bad, but this helped me so much that it turned out great!
  
  This is a great beginner’s handbook and I wish I had the physical copy! I almost want to get up and start baking bread NOW!
• 
  Bargain Sleuth Book Reviews

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  Thanks to Ten Speed Graphic Books and NetGalley for a complimentary digital ARC of this book. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
  
  I was blessed to have my mother teach me how to stay closer to my food sources in many ways including having a large garden, canning and dehydrating foods, but breadmaking wasn’t one of them. My oldest brother, who has always enjoyed cooking and baking, has an IG page called Flute Reed Ovens that showcases his incredible works with breads. I recently decided to try my hand at making sourdough and other artisan breads because we had been enjoying loaves from a grocery store’s bakery. The prices were $2.99 a loaf just over a year ago, and now they’re $5-$6.
  
  This comic book cookbook is a good introduction to breadmaking in an accessible, visual way. I appreciate that as I am definitely a more visual learner. This is the first bread book I’ve read (I have several checked out from the library to tackle), and it seems to cover the basics fairly well. I found it interesting that only one bread option uses a mixer. I mean, I’ve had my Kitchen Aid stand mixer for 26 years and have yet to use the dough hook, and I was looking forward to it. I’m not quite sure my arthritic hands can handle all the kneading that needs to be done the way the book describes, so maybe the book isn’t as accessible as I thought. YMMV.
  
  There are two different methods to making breads featured in Let’s Make Bread! In a standard loaf pan, or a Dutch Oven. I liked that both methods were featured, as some types of bread I wish to make I don’t want in rectangular loaf form. There are a few pieces of equipment I need/can’t substitute with what I have on hand, so I can’t practically say how good the recipes are as I haven’t made any, but the recipes are pretty straight-forward.
  
  With a massive influx of “homesteaders” and “preppers” appearing in my social media feeds these days, this comic book cookbook is a good introduction to the making of artisan breads that many people might not normally think they can do. Props also to illustrator Sarah Becan for her easy-to-understand graphics.
• 
  Andrea Wahle

  Don’t let the graphic novel style of this book fool you. This book is about serious (but fun) bread baking. The step-by-step approach with illustrations are helpful – sometimes I have a hard time picturing what words alone are trying to convey. The recipes in this book do require a kitchen scale – the author explains “baker’s math” and the percentages of other ingredients in relation to the amount of flour used. The science of bread baking and Mr. Forkish’s methods are covered so completely that recipes don’t start until page 63.
  
  Mr. Forkish uses levain instead of a sourdough starter. While similar to sourdough starter, a levain starter does not impart sour flavors. It is a leavening agent made from a mixture of flour and water and used to bake bread. The flour and water mixture takes on the wild yeasts in the air, and ferments.
  
  I appreciate that all the recipes include directions for both including and not including the levain. I am way too scattered to track the feeding of a starter and keep it alive. While the process is very similar from loaf to loaf, each recipe includes the step-by-step illustrations, so you don’t have to flip back to a previous page for reference. I’ve never made bread using his methods of combining the water and flour and then letting it rest for 15-20 minutes before adding the salt and yeast. There is also a very particular method for kneading that I have not encountered. I had high hopes of trying some of the recipes, but I have not gotten around to it. The directions are a little fussier than my go-to buttermilk bread recipe. Maybe I will try when I have some time off work.
  
  I don’t think this book is for everyone, but I do think it makes the process of making “artisan” loaves more approachable. Sarah Becan’s illustrations are fantastic.
  
  I received a galley of this book from NetGalley.
• 
  Karen Cohn

  The first section of this volume explains the elements of bread making, including the ingredients and how they interact. It also explains the authors' preferred method of making bread. Those who are familiar with bread-making may find the method - which is largely no-knead breads, which are turned and folded a relatively minor amount, but not actually kneaded - to be somewhat unusual, but the method is in keeping with standard bread-making practices. The rest of the volume contains a variety of recipes, starting with a basic recipe and the multiple variations on each basic recipe. Be sure to check the recipe you want to follow before you start, as not all of the equipment listed is necessary for every recipe. Likewise, be sure you follow the instructions about how to use a food scale if you're not used to it, as the recipes are all given by weight, with no reference to volume measurements.
  
  If you like step-by-step directions and are new to bread-making, this is a great introduction. If you're an experienced baker, you may find that comic-book format, while readable, to be too detailed, as recipes stretch over as much as 10 pages. A summary recipe in a more standard format at the end of each recipe, or a compilation of such at the end of the volume, would be beneficial for those who prefer a 1-2 page format; as someone who has been baking bread for over 4 decades, I prefer to be able to see the entire recipe, including the ingredients and directions, in 1-2 pages that I can keep open for reference, without needing to turn pages to complete the recipe. That's a stylistic preference rather than a comment on the quality of the recipes, which seems quite good.
  
  I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
• 
  Skye

  This is such a cool way to show the art of baking bread. It's already an intimidating idea, especially as a beginner, but seeing the comic book cookbook immediately gives a sense of whimsy. The table of contents includes: The First Rise, Basics & Methods, Levain, Recipes, and The Final Proof. Ken Forkish is the founder of Ken’s Artisan Bakery and a James Beard Award-winning cookbook author. He, and illustrator Sarah Becan, walk you through all the ingredients and equipment you will need. They assure us in the comic that with a bit of patience and effort there is no need to be intimidated about baking bread. Also it helps that no fancy equipment is needed except for one recipe.
  
  I found the breakdown of the wheat berry to be really interesting. I admit the levain parts are still intimidating, at least the patience it takes is. The recipes can all be made in either a dutch oven or a bread pan, except for Butter Bread that requires a mixer and a dough hook attachment. The guide to the recipes is a quick overview of the recipes to follow and each recipe has a sample schedule. This is where having the comic book illustrations come in handy. Sometimes you just need to see it all mapped out down to the different times of day. Sarah Becan’s illustrations were so helpful and cute at the same time. It must have taken so long to illustrate every part of the process. The planning, patience, and persistence they talk about when baking bread must have been the same process when creating this book. It’s so great.
  
  Special thanks to NetGalley and Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed Press, Ten Speed Graphic for sharing this book with me in exchange for my honest review.
• 
  Kelly W.

  I picked up this book and one other (to be reviewed later) at a local comic book store that had a display of comics focusing on food. As both an artist and a baker, I was intrigued, so I bought this one along with a comic about dumplings.
  
  Overall, I think this is an accessible book that makes bread making less intimidating. I enjoyed learning about how flour is made and the reasons behind certain techniques or chemical reactions; it meant that I understood what was happening in the recipe, not just following steps without really knowing why.
  
  Becan's art is also very helpful. It's colorful and simple, which means that it's eye-catching and exciting. But also, the art clearly illustrates all the various techniques, which means that that the reader can easily follow the instructions.
  
  In full disclosure, I haven't made any bread from the recipes in this book, but having made bread before, I don't see how any of the recipes could go awry. Forkish's instructions are clear and encouraging, motivating the reader to try different things and not to worry about messing up.
  
  TL;DR: Let's Make Bread! Is a colorful comic book that makes bread-making feel less intimidating. If you find bread recipes books to be overwhelming, you might find the simplified feeling of this comic to be more accessible.
• 
  Marinna

  Let’s Make Bread is a beautiful comic book that both educates and entertains. I was familiar with Ken Forkish’s works before picking this up and was excited to see what the Let’s Make Bread Comic Book Cookbook would be like. This feels much more digestible (pun intended!) than typical cookbooks and the illustrations allow for an easy to follow step-by-step guide. I especially love this format for teaching young children how to bake. I plan to pick-up the other comic books illustrated by Sarah Becan with my kiddos.
  
  I’ve been baking bread for about a year, and by no means consider myself an expert, but I was excited with how much there was to take in with this comic book. There are 11+ recipes and a great education related to grains and sourdough. I did not know that the French word for sourdough is ‘Levain’ and I think I like that term much better! I love the information on where to buy heirloom grains. I was excited to see a shout-out to Janie’s Mill, where I get all of my flour from.
  
  Thank you to NetGalley, Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed Press, Ten Speed Graphic, the author Ken Forkish and illustrator Sarah Becan for this highly enjoyable ARC!
• 
  Michelle Ogden

  I was so excited to see this book was coming out. I loved Let’s Make Ramen and Let’s Make Dumplings. The illustrations and explanations were easy to follow and understand. Bread making has always mystified me. You take flour and yeast, water and a pinch of salt and move your hands in a certain way and magic happens. I have never had luck making bread except in my 30 year old bread machine that you just dump in the ingredients and turn it on.
  There is nothing like the smell of fresh baking bread to lift your spirits and raise the appetite. Thanks to Forkish for his easy to follow recipes and tips on making levain, I have a sourdough starter in my fridge and we are baking a loaf of bread weekly. Becan’s illistrations are easier to understand than photographs of the process. I was able to knead my bread and feel confident I was doing it correctly for the first time ever.
  This one deserves a Beard award. Let’s Make Bread is a must have for all home kitchens.
• 
  marissa

  Thank you to Netgalley and Ten Speed Graphic for this ARC! All opinions are my own.
  
  This has been the first cookbook that I've actually managed to read through! I had never really seen the draw of cookbooks because, as a visual learner, I have always opted to click play and pause on a YouTube recipe instead. However, Let's Make Bread!'s graphic novel approach to their cookbook worked and now I'm obsessed. Everything is broken down beautifully into steps. I especially love the recommendations for when to start the breadmaking process (especially with my experience of having to wake up at 3 AM to do stretch and folds).
  
  I've always loved making bread, and making my own sourdough starter has been a dream of mine for a while, but I've always been too intimidated to give it a shot. After reading Ken's charming instructions and Sarah's wonderful illustrations, I finally feel like I can do it, and I can't wait to try out some of the recipes in this book!
• 
  Tory

  Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review this book before publication.
  
  My mom went to culinary school and I have fond memories of watching her bake in our kitchen to practice for school. We ate a lot of great things, most notably bread. While reading this book I was able to come to my mom with what I’d learned, as well as questions I had.
  
  I can’t say that I’m a baking monster after reading this book because I have yet to wade into the pile of baking supplies in my pantry, but I feel more confident in my ability to give this bread making thing a shot. I have never seen clearer directions in a how-to book. There was a lot going on with the back and forth of prepping the dough, but through the art in the graphic novel the different steps began to make sense. I’m clearly a visual learner when it comes to baking. None of this would’ve made sense to me in only text. I can’t wait to order this book and try out the recipes.
• 
  Sarah

  3.5 stars. Readers who loved
  Let's Make Dumplings!: A Comic Book Cookbook and
  Let's Make Ramen!: A Comic Book Cookbook will be excited to pick up this new book. The illustrations are adorable as always.
  
  I didn't get a ton out of this book, as I've read a fair few bread/baking/sourdough books, so there wasn't a lot of new info for me. If I did decide to get into sourdough, this would be a top contender for the book I'd buy, though!
  
  eARC from NetGalley.
• 
  Christine

  This was my first look into the comic cookbook series and what a cool book it is!
  
  I’m absolutely a visual learner, meaning if I see something explained visually, the information stays with me more clearly than if given verbal directions. A comic cookbook is a perfect crossover and the directions are clear and concise. Lots of different recipes, techniques, and ingredients are shown and explained through comic-style drawings. Lots of cookbooks have photos of the finished product, but this book includes drawings of mixing, kneading, and shaping techniques, which is a great help to a novice (or nervous, like me) bread baker!
  
  I received a free ebook copy from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.
• 
  Mary

  A very entertaining book! Love the comic book format. But besides all that, the author wrote how to make bread in excruciating details. You can’t miss making bread from this book, your bread will come out perfectly by following the instructions. The cartoon people reinforce that bread making is for every person of all ages. The only downside is the author uses grams as a measurement. Not a problem if you’re comfortable with that. There’s a handy sidebar converting grams to cups but it’s not enough for me.
  I love to bake bread and have over the years made regular, sourdough, milk bread, raisin bread, and more. It’s a wonderful pastime and hope more people bake up a loaf of their own.
  I received a free copy from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.
• 
  Jacque M

  This is a really cute cookbook. I'm not normally a fan of comic book style books, but because it's about bread making and it's detailing all the steps, this format really works.
  
  Let's Make Bread has a good number of bread loaves to make and variations to those recipies to expand even further.
  
  I think this is a great book for beginners, but also for more experienced bread bakers as there is equipment mentioned that I've personally never used that could prove useful instead of "making it work" with what I have.
  
  I highly recommend checking out this book if you want to try your hand at bread making. It's really fun and full of great information.
• 
  Kara

  
  Thank you Netgalley for an advanced copy!
  
  A brilliant concept to fully illustrate the baking process. Here baker Forkish and graphic artist Bacen work together to show you, step by step, the process of baking bread, when the physical acts of the kneading is so, so important to the process, and so handy here to see exactly what the instructions means. It also gets into the science of what is happening as bread is made, and everything is broken down in easy to follow pieces so that absolutely anyone could use this to make a delicious loaf of bread.
• 
  tals

  I’m currently in my ✨ bread baking ✨ era and I loved the concept of this, it’s fun, it’s engaging, it’s educational and it’s very well put together. I am a visual learner so I found the comic book style of this recipe book genius, all the steps are easy to follow especially having the matching pictures. I think it is something regardless of age would enjoy and I cannot wait to bake the bacon bread because that sounds delicious!
  ———————
  Thank you NetGalley and Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed Press for the opportunity to review this book.
• 
  Casey Halvorsen

  Thabk you NetGalley, Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed Press, and Ten Speed Graphic for this fun arc!
  
  5/5 stars
  
  I've loved this series of comic book style cookbooks, and this new one about bread is a great addition! The images are clear and have easy to follow instructions, and the recipes sound very yummy, easy enough for a beginner like me! This was also super informative in a way that felt easy to absorb, and like it wasn't talking down to the reader at all. I really enjoyed this, and want to make some bread now haha
• 
  Mitzi Mack

  An instant like, this delightful read is colorful, informative, and quite thorough. The authors illustrations are key to understanding and enjoying the text. They are visually appealing, a great size for the information being given and also, provides an array of types to ensure the cook to be will have a good solid understanding of what it looks like to be a bread maker. This content also crosses many borders as bread is a universal food, and can be an opportunity for many in any culture.