Press & Acclaim
Notable Press
“Above all, the book is a call for cooks to rethink one of the world’s oldest foods — to understand how bread is made, using more than their instinct and intuition, so they can push the craft forward.”
The New York Times
“Modernist Bread… goes where few single-subject cookbooks have dared to stir. Full props for their stunning work….it is in a league all its own.”
The Washington Post
“Modernist Bread is a robust historical and future-thinking exploration on one the oldest foods of mankind . . . this exhaustive guide is the epitome of Myhrvold: research-driven and curiosity-inspired obsession”
Forbes
“There’s no way to look at Modernist Bread and not be stunned….The contributions to bread-making here are undeniable.”
Wired
“A meticulously researched meditation on bread and the science, history, and culture behind it, it’s a fascinating read for bakers of all levels.”
Martha Stewart
“Modernist Bread is the definitive book on bread.”
NBC News
“Myhrvold is passionate about the idea of taking something so rooted in the old and finding a way to innovate”
Robb Report
“Modernist Bread is based on about 1600 experiments that Myhrvold and his team have carried out with state-of-the-art equipment. It promises to be the ultimate book on the history and science of bread.”
Physics World
“When Nathan Myhrvold tells you everything you know about bread might not be true, you listen….Modernist Bread is here to change the way you think about cooking and eating bread.”
HuffPost
“Modernist bread” might sound like an oxymoron, but baking is science, and science is technology. This five-volume boxed set behemoth covers every aspect of making bread, from starter to finish.”
Vice
“With page after page of densely packed photographs, graphics, recipes and narrative, Modernist Bread makes an epic effort to decipher and convey the wonder of bread.”
GeekWire
“Modernist Bread—if its footprint is anything like that of its sibling—will become an essential resource for both professional and amateur chefs and bakers.”
Eater
“The mammoth Modernist Bread box set…will leave you craving gluten”
Bon Appetit
“With three volumes on history, technique, and ingredients before the recipes even begin, Myhrvold and co-author Francisco Migoya clearly found plenty to write about.”
Boston Globe
“If there’s anyone who might know the secret to keeping toppings on bagels, it’s Nathan Myhrvold”
Mic
“Many of his findings turn upside down conventions of baking, especially the current cult of the artisan baker.”
Fine Dining Lovers
“The perfect gift for someone who has never even thought about baking a loaf of bread before…I baked the best loaf of bread I’ve ever baked.”
Taste
“Modernist Bread marries art and function the way Modernist Cuisine does, only better”
Amazon Book Review
Industry Acclaim
“Modernist Bread is the book you’ve been waiting for to discover bread from every angle.”
Apollonia Poilâne
“With knowledge comes the freedom to take things in new directions through the lens of different perspectives. This is what excites me the most about Modernist Bread.”
Chad Robertson
“In this great work of more than 2,600 pages, Myhrvold presents us with an itinerary through the different aspects of bread: culture, history, science, gastronomic applications, its methods of preparation, etc.; that is, everything that constitutes the world of bread from all possible perspectives. An authentic prism, an atlas of bread, a bible, an encyclopedia that leaves little to be explained”
Ferran Adrià
“The greatest, most comprehensive work to date on the history, culture and science of bread making ever written. I highly recommend Modernist Bread.”
Jim Lahey
“This is not yet another beautiful book about the bakery, but truly a Bible for lovers of good bread. A must have!”
Eric Kayser
“A new and innovative approach on baking with breathtaking pictures.”
Didier Rosada
“Modernist Bread is a breathtaking scientific and cultural exploration of ancient to modern breads with thousands of approachable no nonsense-yet revelatory-theories and formulas. The illustrations and images are both playful and beautiful. Always on point, Modernist Bread is our daily reference at Anson Mills.”
Glenn Roberts
“Modernist Bread is a monumental achievement, consolidating and also expanding all the world’s knowledge about this most beloved and complex food. It’s also beautifully designed and visually stunning.”
Peter Reinhart
“Modernist Bread aims to be disruptive, comprehensive and visually stunning –all of which it undeniably delivers!”
Michael Kalanty
“The authors of Modernist Bread not only understand, but celebrate, the delicate balance between tradition and progress that defines perfect baking. Every page of this masterwork is an object lesson in the art of bread—and the beautiful science behind it.”
Uri Scheft
“This unparalleled collection explores bread and dough from every angle, upending long-held beliefs and inspiring with a cauldron of science, history, recipes, and cutting-edge photography. A must-have resource for every serious baker.”
Maria Speck
“Science tackles myth and tells us what’s really going on in this magnum opus to bread, western civilization’s greatest, and most culturally significant food (except maybe pizza). Stunning, museum-worthy photography (scanning electron microscope, anyone?) goes inside the dough, and inside the oven too, to show what the human eye can’t see. These volumes are immediately an essential element in the canon of books on bread.”
Ken Forkish
“Nathan Myhrvold has put together what is possibly the world’s most practically useful book series on the demystification of the science of bread making. This single publication will inevitably transform the understanding of bakers in a way unprecedented. I can only imagine the advancements that will be made globally based on his team’s research, and I believe that any serious bread baker should add this series to their collection.”
Zachary Golper
“I always loved baking and I am sure it makes me stay sane. I have for years baked with creativity, feeling and intuition. Modernist Bread has been my companion into science, cultural knowledge and broader understanding, of what goes on when water, flour and salt is combined. It is a very important testimony to our history of baking, there interesting and surprising facts, that I am still debating, if it really can be right – which makes me go back and check again and again. This collection of books will follow me for the rest of my life, into any kitchen I will be in.”
Trine Hahnemann
“Bread is part art and part science. Modernist Cuisine has brought together some of the industry’s top artisans to share their skills and unravel the technical aspects of what is really happening in bread fermentation and baking. Through this incredibly detailed book, Modernist Cuisine bonds us together to celebrate and explain our craft and how things work the way they do.”
Don Guerra
“Modernist Bread is the most comprehensive collection of bread knowledge out there. A must have for anyone exploring our profession.”
Nicky Giusto
“Modernist bread is from far the most complete and reliable baking book. From beginner to advanced bakers, it will help all of us to change our way to bake bread and understand the fermentation’s secrets. Highly recommended!”
Kamel Saci
“Modernist Bread relentless pursuit to disentangle and demystify the Art, Science and Microbiology of Bread Baking opens up a colorful alleyway to grasp the concept of “How does Baking work” and an opportunity for inspiration and new ideas for accomplished professionals and exited beginners alike.”
Harry Peemoeller
“These books, they are really the first and last word on bread and baking. This is an incredible collaborative effort that will forever be one of the most important books for bakers.”
José Andrés
“Modernist Bread is such a brilliant and functional kitchen tool. The book is a comprehensive yet approachable baking guide for all aspects of the professional and home kitchen. It has become a staple in our kitchen for a baseline reference to all things baked.”
Dave Beran
“When my copies of Modernist Bread arrived I was stunned by the volume and the weight of the books! The text and photographs and researches that must have been put into it is unbelievable! It’s worth it’s weight in Dough to every bakers in the world and a must to understand our baking world.”
Richard Bertinet
“I love Modernist Bread. I think it is one of the best books on the international food and wine scene.”
Gabriele Bonci
“How did I live without it? This book is a visionary achievement that has changed the way cooks operate in the kitchen. Forever.”
Cristina Bowerman
“An unparalleled deep dive.”
David Chang
“Science and art perfectly baked in one book. Modernist Bread is balanced and beautiful like a well-made loaf.”
Sharon Burns-Leader
“Usually the bigger a book is the less useful it is, but not in this case. Modernist Bread has become my go-to reference book for bread: it’s the why, it’s the how, and it’s recipes that work time and time again.”
Amanda Cohen
“This book will awake your curiosity and bring so much knowledge to your life…The ultimate encyclopedia.”
Dominique Crenn
“The Alchemy of Bread Is now an Open Crumb thanks to Modernist Bread”
Justin Gellatly
“This is a remarkable resource and beautiful addition to any bookshelf. Nathan and his team approach cooking and cookbooks in a way unlike anything I’ve ever seen before and I can’t recommend their work enough.”
Daniel Humm
“Modernist Bread is the defining story of bread and it has proudly become a reference guide for our bakery teams. Its historical perspective, analysis of ingredients, techniques with in-depth explanations provide the tools for better baking. Nathan Myhrvold and his team have done it again.”
Thomas Keller
“Nathan and his team in the Modernist kitchens continue to inspire with their ground-breaking work, photography and research with Modernist Bread. It will remain on the shelves and relevant for a generation to come.”
David Kinch
“Modernist Bread is my go-to resource for questions I have about advanced
Daniel Leader
techniques, complex science, and the detailed history of baking. It’s the only book that my team and I consult daily.”
“Bread and bread-like-foods have been the cornerstone of civilization for millennia, and like the very best bread, Modernist Bread combines a deep knowledge of traditional technique with modern scientific understanding in a way that will completely change the way you think about flour, water, and yeast.”
Kenji Lopez-Alt
“Myrhvold and Migoya’s Modernist Bread is a landmark treatise, sure to enlighten and fascinate anyone with any level of interest in this wonderfully diverse mainstay of human nourishment.”
Harold McGee
“The most comprehensive work ever made on modern breadmaking! a useful tool and inspiration for the passionate baker with facts, insights and technique, all combined in a beautifully illustrated five-volume book.”
Lars Peterson
“Modernist Bread is a gorgeous treasure trove for both bread geeks and professionals alike. It demystifies untold aspects of bread-making history, science and fads, shedding light on the most curious and hidden areas of baking craft and lore. It is a massive undertaking, flush with large magnified photos of bread cell structures, as well as photos of art and artifacts. We look forward to the Spanish language version which should find a huge audience in American bakeries and beyond.”
Paula Oland
“This book is an essential read for anyone who cares to understand one of the world’s most fundamental foods — bread.”
Rene Redzepi
“An incredible masterpiece from Nathan Myhrvold at Modernist Cuisine.”
Eric Ripert
“Bread speaks the universal language of simplicity: water, flour and yeast are available from the night of the times. Modernist Bread edition is a feasty celebration of the most important food humanity has ever had: it’s a biography of us all! Buona lettura!”
Pierluigi Roscioli
“At a time when bakers are rediscovering the complexities of their base ingredient; wheat, Modernist Bread takes a deep dive and shines a light on the alchemy that is bread.”
June Russell
“Modernist Bread provides a whole new way to look at bread. From the interesting research and the formulas, to the incredible photographs that take you inside fermentation on a fascinating visual journey. It’s fantastic!”
Amy Scherber
“The most detailed and comprehensive work ever wrote on bread. A must have.”
Christophe Vasseur