Beard on Bread was published by Alfred A. Knopf in 1973, and it is the book that convinced millions of Americans that they could bake their own bread — and that the result would be incomparably better than anything available in a supermarket.
Beard’s approach is characteristically practical: he begins with the simplest possible white bread, explaining the science of yeast, the mechanics of kneading, and the art of judging when dough is ready, then progresses through increasingly complex recipes — whole wheat, rye, sourdough, pumpernickel, brioche, challah, pizza dough, English muffins, and breads from a dozen national traditions. Each recipe is tested to destruction and written with the precision of someone who has watched thousands of loaves emerge from the oven.
The book appeared at exactly the right moment: the early 1970s saw the beginning of a reaction against processed food, and home bread-baking became both a practical skill and a political statement — a rejection of industrial food production and an assertion of self-sufficiency. Beard’s book gave this impulse a reliable guide: someone who followed his instructions could produce genuine artisan bread from the first attempt.
Collecting Beard on Bread
First edition (Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1973): Cloth binding, dust jacket.
Market values:
- First edition in dust jacket: $20–$60
- Without jacket: $5–$15
- Signed copies: $40–$100