Creating the perfect loaf of bread–a challenge that has captivated bakers for centuries–is now the rage in the hippest places, from Waitsfield, Vermont, to Point Reyes Station, California.Like the new generation of beer drinkers who consciously seek out distinctive craft-brewed beers, many people find that their palates have been reawakened and re-educated by the taste of locally baked, whole-grain breads. Today’s village bakers are finding an important new role–li...

“Richard Miscovich’s descriptions and instructions are both practical and inspirationally poetic—dare I say, soulful. He ignites the fire within and compels us to want to know what he knows and to bake as well as he bakes.”—Peter Reinhart, author of The Bread Baker’s ApprenticeIn the last several years, interest in wood-fired ovens has increased dramatically in the United States and abroad, but most books focus on how to bake bread or pizza in an oven.