If you want Irish oatmeal bread, Italian bread sticks, French or Alsatian sourdough bread, Jewish honey cakes, Swedish limpa, German buttermilk rye or the more exotic German farmer’s herb-parmesan bread, you’ll find it all here – and much, much more. John Braué has lovingly collected priceless recipes which have been handed down family to family, baker to baker, friend to friend, for generations.  But this book is more than that; it’s also an entertaining primer of fascinating bread lore covering the different properties of flours, the vast differences in recipe results due to climate, altitude and ovens; and the little known techniques of baking perfection. Tucked between the recipes are dozens of wise hints on the good life, good baking, good humor – and good eating.