The Hungry Ghost Bread Book
THE HUNGRY GHOST BREAD BOOK: An Offbeat Bakery’s Guide to Crafting Sourdough Loaves, Flatbreads, Crackers, Scones, and More
WRITTEN BY
JONATHAN STEVENS
PUBLISHED BY
CHELSEA GREEN, 2024
Flour, water, yeast, and salt can yield endless results. These two new cookbooks help you choose your own baking adventure, from sourdough breads to homemade pizza crusts.
Lying south of the Vermont border in Northampton, Massachusetts, Hungry Ghost Bread celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2024. Founded by the baker/poet Jonathan Stevens and his life partner Cheryl Maffie who oversees the business, Hungry Ghost has become a beloved touchstone for a broad community of folks who appreciate baking and eating artisan sourdough breads from his wood-fired oven.
This book reflects Jonathan’s eclectic yet utterly grounded approach to baking and to life. Across the pages, he delves into history, science, poetry, ancient religions, linguistics, and mythology. Everything relates to bread and vice versa. He observes that the word companion derives from the Latin root panis, or bread, which reminds us that bread is meant to be shared. When questioned why he bakes sourdough, Jonathan explains passionately that “Sourdough is not a style of bread: it is real bread and has been for over 10,000 years. Good bread depends on a lot of things, including the wheat farmer, the miller, the oven-builder, and the baker. But without the leaven, it would not be the cornerstone of our existence.”
Richard Miscovich, his friend and fellow baking guru, shares these thoughts in his foreword: “Through the art, craft, and science of naturally leavened baking, Jonathan and Family have created Hungry Ghost Bread and helped pioneer the community bakery, which brings local grain and yeast together in an alchemical metamorphosis to educate, inspire, and compel appreciative, loyal, and knowledgeable bread lovers.”
In the first half of the book, Jonathan examines different flours, suggests tools and equipment, shares mixing techniques, and offers tips on shaping and baking. The second half reveals the bakery’s 16 standard products: loaves, flatbreads, crackers, scones, biscuits, and folds (more on those later). Each bread portrait begins with the formula, or recipe, followed by a brief foray into its backstory and what he thinks are the best ways to enjoy that particular style (with butter and jam, as a mop for tomato sauce, paired with cheese, or topped with a fried egg or mashed avocado). Then come the specific instructions in his narrative style for preparing, shaping, and baking the dough.
Jonathan Stevens proudly shows a batch of fresh and crunchy crackers inside Hungry Ghost. PHOTO: MAHESH RAMACHANDRAN
And those folds? Jonathan found a valiant way to salvage a collapsed, or over-proofed, dough. Rather than compost the glob, he flattens it, pokes small holes into its surface to prevent it from puffing up during the bake, and stuffs half of the dough with whatever suits his fancy at the moment: dried fruits, nuts, chunks of chocolate. He folds the other half over the top, seals the package, and slides it into the oven where it becomes its own delicious treat. With nothing wasted.
Whether you’re a diehard sourdough aficionado who wants to expand your repertoire or an armchair wanna-be baker, this book will delight, educate, and inspire. And make you want to hop in your car and drive to Northampton. Or your nearest wood-fired community bakery.
