Creating the perfect loaf of bread — a challenge that has captivated centuries of bakers — is now the rage in the United States, from Waitsfield, Vermont to San Francisco, California. The resurgent village baker is at the center of this trend, leading the way to a crusty future while maintaining a firm foothold in the past.

"The Bread Builders: Hearth Loaves and Masonry Ovens" by Alan Scott and Daniel Wing profiles the people, technology, and procedures for creating world class bread. Thoughtful, informative, and spirited, this book helps the reader understand how to bake superb and healthful bread, covering everything from the consistency of the dough to the mortar in the masonry oven.

"The Bread Builders" explains grains and flours, leavens and doughs, the chemistry of bread, and the physics of baking. Unique among bread books, it includes a step-by-step guide to constructing a masonry oven. The authors also profile more than a dozen small-scale bakers around the U.S. whose businesses embody the holistic principles of community-oriented baking using whole grains and natural leavens.