Peter Reinhart: The art of baking bread

www.ted.com Batch to batch, crust to crust ... In tribute to the beloved staple food, baking master Peter Reinhart reflects on the cordial couplings (wheat and yeast, starch and heat) that give us our daily bread. Try not to eat a slice.
TEDTalks is a daily video podcast of the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world's leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes. Featured speakers have included Al Gore on climate change, Philippe Starck on design, Jill Bolte Taylor on observing her own stroke, Nicholas Negroponte on One Laptop per Child, Jane Goodall on chimpanzees, and "Lost" producer JJ Abrams on the allure of mystery. TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design, and TEDTalks cover these topics as well as science, business, development and the arts. Watch the Top 10 TEDTalks on TED.com, at www.ted.com/index.php/talks/top10

[@ryanc321]

This lecture is such an inspiration. The way Peter describes everything is intriguing, exciting and really gets you thinking.

[@happylittlemonk]

I encourage everyone to make their own bread at least once a week, because it gives you respect for food, something that has been lost by the new generation who think fruit grown in Tesco shelves and meat comes out of a magic box.

[@AwesomeCoasters]

What a brilliant speaker and teacher!

[@danmccahan1293]

I was fortunate enough to take a one day bread baking class with him at Johnson and Wales. It completely changed my outlook on cooking and gave me the confidence to bake bread. I’ve made some outstanding bread products from his teachings and my family has enjoyed some great cooking due to his influence. Bravo to Peter for his efforts towards inspiring chefs!

[@MrTwidget]

His bread baking books are great.

[@elladarney5290]

Inspirational man!! He sheds a whole new light on baking bread, and cooking in general x

[@natalies0531]

I agree😃

[@certuv]

I need to bake , bit old at 82 , will be my new hobby

[@jentiffany10]

He's really great to listen to. "Yeast burps and sweat." Love it. :)

[@mrloudogggy]

you are right to a point. There are definitely simple recipes for people that don't really care about the end product and just want something quick and easy. There are also many people that thoroughly enjoy the experience of creating some wonderful and extraordinary. The knowledge and techniques talked about in this vid are not only easy but fascinating and inspirational as well. I will continue to improve my bread and make it the way i like to make it. BS? I think not.

[@gerardlefrancois4746]

Le pain est de l'interprétation de l'esprit. Et cet esprit interprète très bien ce qu'il fait. Bravo.

[@isavin1730]

Amazing presentation about bread. Simply amazing

[@fvazquez64]

Baking bread is magic... if you haven't done it, you should... it's an incredible sensation to watch go from separated ingredients to an edible loaf...

[@2adamast]

Not cooking everyday is the best way to preserve that incredible sensation

[@stephenlutz3907]

Magical is right. As much as I love and crave the taste of good bread...REAL bread, if I was told tomorrow that I could no longer eat it, I would still mix, knead, fold, rise, rest, shape, rise again, score and bake it at every opportunity. Because the process involves all the senses, and because there is some inexplicable joy in creating loaves that can only be adequately described as art, or passion...or...magic!

[@ohcrumbs5890]

I was not bready for this but now my friends kneed to know!

[@gerardlefrancois4746]

Toute la magie du pain vient de notre imagination et de notre interprétation imaginaire. Incroyable !!!

[@joseph_b319]

Awesome. Peter Reinhart ROCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@greyhoundfriend123]

The spirituality of bread! Interesting!

[@cassaundrawashington7024]

I Respect you and your Knowledge. THANK YOU for sharing. I LOVE to bake and keep an OPEN mind for Knowledge. Bread making is Very rewarding and the gift of Homemade Bread makes others Happy. We Enjoy your books and Classes. Blessings to you!!😇

[@saylke]

This guy wrote a GREAT breadbaking book, The Bread Baker's Apprentice: Mastering the Art of Extraordinary Bread . Check it out. We've been using it for a year.

[@gringorus6780]

Perfect narator! Thank you, Master!

[@natalies0531]

yes the master has spoke his truth👩🏻‍💻

[@ketch_up]

Dude. This is a great presentation. Chill.

[@yeaheverday]

Much Love From New Orleans Mr. Pete ! U are a true artist ! -God Bless

[@natalies0531]

rocks is the word i was looking for😋

[@modostealthlife1461]

Thank you for video.

[@eloisajose-baquet1413]

Thank you so much for this enlightening, interesting talk!

[@natalies0531]

FRRR😍😍😍

[@ReneSchifferAkaPantee]

For a German it´s cute to see americans trying to come up with ways to produce good and healthy bread. Like Peter correctly pointed out, there´s a strong connection of bread and beer. You know German beer, don´t you? "Liquid bread", that´s what we often call it here in Germany. And we are championing them both, beer and bread. There are 300 different sorts of bread here and about 1.200 smaller variants like rolls and pretzels. We make them not only from wheat, but also from barley, rye and spelt, sometimes a mixture of these. That´s not a new artisan movement here, that´s how it has always been done. We have bread in all shapes and shades from white , brown to even black (Schwarzbrot). And they all taste fantastic. We even a museum for bread culture here, founded back in 1955. Its in a building erected in 1592 for the storage of salt and cereals. Come visit Germany, learn about bread - and beer ;)

[@VinceIsDatBitch]

I wanna go to Germany just to see bakeries and taste bread. Do they use sourdough commonly?

[@murderincbe]

As a belgian masterbaker i always have to laugh with germans who want to 'flex' with their bread & beer culture; championing them both' .... cute :-D !

[@2adamast]

Roel Fifty years ago there were normally 2 types of bread in a Belgian bakery, the French had mainly one type in 4 thicknesses, but the Germans were doing better.

[@wisdon]

Rene Schiffer they aren't cute... Give them time, and in Germany will arrive artisanal bread baking chain claiming that they invented bread

[@petep5003]

The US has way better beer and bread than germany lol. Like WAY better

[@avtpro]

Beautiful. And thanks for the Baker's blessing. :) Very good spread as well.

[@samala51]

Who thought a talk on break would be this awesome. Oh wait this TED... no wonder

[@madman3891]

this is pretty interesting, didn't know that their was so much to know about making bread, also i like the fact that he's so into what he's talking about :P

[@mottohorn]

This wasn't a TED talk, this was a sermon!

[@beriukay]

There are plenty of design elements to his epoxy bread. And the yeast burps and sweat was funny, which is totally entertainment.

[@humblerepentpraygive5815]

How many references to bread does the Bible make? Jesus identifies himself with bread. I love this. It really sparked my curiosity to explore the spiritual meanings more. Thank you, Mr. Reinhart.

[@Mochamom5]

This mans books are amazing, I actually read them for fun. I have no idea what that says about me.....

[@Jellyimp]

I can smell the bread through my monitor!

[@themanofearth]

TED never disappoints.

[@mikedubya4427]

I can't believe he can make bread sound like a chemistry lecture. Why did I watch this? I feel like crying.

[@Sophia.]

Ragueneau from "Cyano de Bergerac"! Took me a moment to realize he came to life^^

[@akiranagao]

なるほど！

[@silvike]

Your point of view is interesting and having your comment in mind while listening to his speech made me think about the way he speaks and his metafores. I think every speaker reaches out in the best way they can. He is probably someone who is very interested in religion and has found a way to combine that with his passion for bread. It is also a way to catch your listeners attention by not just talking science. His method might not be appeal to everyone. =)

[@seasons0123]

Really neat!

[@dlions59]

@richzap His whole idea is to get the flavor from whole wheat flour, which, without adding white flour, I still have not discovered. He is developing an entire new technique, not bs.

[@ciannacoleman5125]

It is an ancient technique not a new one

[@dLimboStick]

@pachamamaRules: Exactly! It's such a joy to watch and hear someone speak who is passionate about their subject.

[@crudhousefull]

The literal, the metaphorical, the political (or ethical) and the mystical (spiritual). Cool...time to do some thinking on that

[@Crazee108]

I can't believe he made bread sound SO interesting! I was surprised that i watched that whole thing h hahahha

[@gordonsteeves9950]

yum, yum, epoxy :))) thanks Peter, you rock.

[@GOAQ]

Give us this day our daily Ted.

[@michellevanoverbeke4849]

No worries. But you should go to a wheat harvest. We do not “kill” the wheat. The wheat is mature and very dead. Dried. We take the seeds from these dried dead non growing wheat stalks. Thanks for sharing your knowledge. Great talk.

[@crudhousefull]

Wow...now that's a baker

[@scrick_asaurus]

wow. i guess now i know why i cant make bread. i had no idea it was such an art.

[@skubefamilychannel]

After listening to his presentation, he said that bread is beer and beer is bread, then when making bread, would it be safe to use beer in the wet ingredients, because it has its own sugars will that help the process along. I mean just making the loaf, not making the leaven from start. Question 2 if beer might work, must it be flat or carbonated.

[@case610lp]

He may know a lot about bread, but he sure doesn't know anything about raising wheat. Wheat dies naturally after producing its berries - and after it dries down, then the farmer goes through and harvests it. If the wheat plant was killed early (or damaged from frost, etc), there would be no wheat berry to harvest.

[@not8brand]

thank you

[@lctortillas]

Excellent !!

[@dvijaraj]

im still trying to figure out the value of this comment...at all. sometimes you wonder why the commenter even typed it in the first place. are you having a wheat growing battle with peter cus he spoke about growing wheat in the most general of ways for a single 60 seconds....and if you pay attention to the talk at all the growing of the wheat and cultivating it is really just a supporting or mute point....stupid comment man learn how to think honestly.

[@mariovillanueva2442]

This man only has one outfit. Amazing

[@Contentcontinent]

UNCLE DOUG, I LOVE YOUR NEW MILD SAUCE. RICK

[@herskovicmd]

taste? he does taste it at the end of the lecture

[@JorgeDiaz-nf1vr]

great Master, helps me alot in My class the way he explain I sucked at teaching, well still learning, Bread is Magic

[@boorens18]

omg I just want to rip into a plain loaf of bread...never thought I'd say that

[@cavsnake13]

yeah 12:00, TDP, a video game. Triple Double Penetrate, the video game.

[@nogoodman]

It's not off-topic, but an on-topic opinion. I'm feeling very uneasy about religion and profession of baking being mixed. 'Brother Juniper's Bread Book' 'Peter Reinhart's Artisan Breads Fast' 'Bread Upon the Waters: A Pilgrimage Toward Self-Discovery and Spiritual Truth' are books of his.

[@lordmetroid]

Like it is hard with a TED talk to be first... Few watches them videos and even fewer comments.

[@SodaQuasar]

good speaker. next one:- about rice!

[@beausabreur1759]

John 12:24

[@SirBanon]

also, after 15 tries of a new food, you'll develope a new sense of taste. and should you neglect eating another food, you'll lose your taste affinity for that food. taste can be learned and unlearned :3

[@dvijaraj]

imagine thinking that peter reinhart is anything less than a mad bread scientist....literally jekyll and hyde mixed into one

[@Thinking4You]

I miss interesting TED talks....

[@sittingstill3578]

Thinking4You Haven’t seen a good TED Talk since 2008. Ironically from the same period when this was filmed.

[@MyChilepepper]

The art of raising "bread belly" really.

[@Joeah89]

Lmao, you guys can't really take a joke can you? ._. I am well aware that it isn't hard to be the first to comment on a TED video, hense why I wrote a sentence instead of simply saying "FIRST" shesh. You're right Metroid, more people should watch and comment on these videos.

[@kevinu.k.7042]

There is a danger in this method. Some enzymes weaken the gluten. So soaking some flour overnight can reduce loaf volume. A period of autolysis might be a better way to go. Certainly with freshly home milled flour an overnight soaker would be most deleterious. Most bought flour is 'aged' at least 6 to eight weeks old. The wheat germ has oxidised and much of its goodness and enzymes are lost. Wheat's germ is good for about 48 hours after milling. So using freshly milled flour obviates the need for this method as even autolysis has to be kept short the enzymes are so active. Tip: Starting a sourdough starter with freshly milled flour is very much the way to go. It is like lighting a firework. Don't have a mill? Use a coffee grinder. After mixing take a few steps back. :)

[@SirBanon]

keithguh, ya you can look up dr joel fuhrman. my favorite dietician :3 but i'm not too keen to the science of learning. i just know that your skin will grow thicker when you work with abrasive materials, you body can become addicted to dancing if you do it on a regular basis, your ears will learn to like/tolerate music after 15+ hearings and that all your body has a sort of intellegence where habbits are learned and unlearned. we are very impermanent and changing.

[@marlabaxter7157]

I make whole grain bread all the time and no one has ever had a problem with the taste or texture. I grind wheat berries into flour, add all sorts of other grains and everyone loves it. I don't know why he says that we need to make a healthy bread that people will like. Home baked bread is sweet and not hard to make...just takes time. If your going to take the time to bake bread, use whole wheat flour not white flour...for the nutritional value and fiber.

[@glassius85]

Marla Baxter Is it hard to make a good bread? No, not really. Most homemade breads taste fantastic. But what Reinhart is talking about here is making world class bread. Bread that is tasteful, complex and simply amazing. To accomplish this you DO need to take it to such an extreme. Using a starter/preferment that you make a day in advance etc. The enzyme processes are just to slow to be possible in a bread made in 2 hours. A no-knead dough that takes 2 hours to make will certainly make a good bread and in most cases a bread that is more than good enough. It doesn't compare though to the artisan breads that Reinhart talks about which is a different world.

[@jonahb52]

He can't help it. He's a former monk.

[@Devilsnightforlife]

Hmm.... *slowly starts to get hungry* .. Damnit....

[@herskovicmd]

ah I see

[@pault477]

Just say it - sourdough!

[@dorotwhy]

Feeling uneasy...??? Hmm...about religion and profession of baking being mixed Hmmm. Why would this cause you to feel uneasy. If you are religious, enjoy the religious references. If you aren't religious, dismiss them. If PR's approach bothers you, and you want to watch videos about baking, tune into something else. There is plenty out there. Try to enjoy yourself it makes life easier and a lot more fun :O)

[@frostbitbubbles6501]

So I am a Baking & Pastry major at my culinary school... and this guy was my chef for my breads class. WTF????

[@lancecorporal7605]

13:21 you are so wrong, sir Rice is the symbol for life

[@duronboy2]

I thought rice was the symbol for 4-cylinder cars with large spoilers?

[@Joeah89]

Could I really be "FIRST"!?

[@1schwererziehbar1]

wow that's a lot of big talking. i wonder if the bread actually tastes good.

[@peternash1676]

Watch this Stand As A Loaf Not A Slice (SAALNAS)

[@overratedname]

Nice english.

[@fanycorona2515]

Reinhart calls bread a transformational food. Where is the logic behind his reasoning for this statement?

[@KrikitKaos]

*yawn*

[@dorotwhy]

nogoodman! 12 to bakers>>> think about it, HELLO...hint... eggs, donuts.Pff fer crying out loud (or should I have said for Christ's sake), take your off-subject hoopla elsewhere. I'm going to break bread OOOHHHH NOOOO! It's everywhere. Oh yes, you forgot to mention the last word of this video. RISE, another Christian reference perhaps...LOL

[@zainebhameed1738]

It’s actually the Sumerians who invented the beer and bread not the Egyptians.

[@roy121280]

clay in Hebrew is not Adam, is Himar

[@OlgierdKostanowicz]

Wholemeal is not healthier. White bread is healthier.

[@cassaundrawashington7024]

Surowy Szef Sorry sir, It’s been proven. White bread has Been striped of its earthly health valve by breaking down the grain. Eat more WHOLE Grain. 😊

[@danieloliver6300]

If you liked high school chemistry class you might like this talk.

[@OhItsOkay]

4 minutes waffling on about what? Something a real baker would use 15 seconds for and then get on with it. But I do understand the "challenge" of a public speaker. What i don't understand is that something, know for thousands of years, need to be presented like it would be THE invention of the 21st century. Goodness me. What people do for fame, huh. Someone else said it - torture. I extent this to Mind torture.

[@varsam]

Try making bread, to be better from the local bakery then you will understand. :) This is multimilion busnes from the whole world. Its the same as your folowing on Paul Sellers, a whole chanel about working of wood. ''What i don't understand is that something, know for thousands of years, need to be presented like it would be THE invention of the 21st century. Goodness me. What people do for fame, huh. Someone else said it - torture. I extent this to Mind torture.''

[@donnamarshall3784]

what what kind of what kind of sicko cannot have a discussion about baking without killing dead and Slaughter this guy needs a psychological help

[@duronboy2]

What what kind of what kind? Are are you having having a stroke stroke?

[@nogoodman]

Why is this baker's speech and presentation laden with Christian symbols? It irritates me. The twelve stages of bread making? That's an arbitrary number for bread production, no other baker uses exactly twelve stages. (The twelve apostles?) Then he ambitiously breaks the bread in front of the crowd (same bread he had handled). Preacher or baker, I don't know. His books also have a tendency to be long-winded and very chatty. His techniques are not new, of course, 'epoxy' is an unnecessary label

[@xXJeReMiAhXx99]

cry me a river

[@duronboy2]

rumor has it he may have even had his fingers in the DOUGH.

[@imbushiido]

This dude is way too concerned about bread. My god this was like torture.

[@halfknots]

no one is making you watch bro

[@silva69ers]

I’m happy you wasted part of your life being tortured enough to watch this.

[@Love2TravelAway]

bla bla bla bla to learn the art of bread baking go to France......

[@2adamast]

50 years ago France was only good for one type of bread, they have learned a lot since then, but

[@Love4pizza.]

wow...!!! :D

[@veggieshiba6943]

If you came for pro bread tips this isn’t the place. 2 out of 5 breadsticks.