The Bread Baker's Apprentice by Peter Reinhart
This is the classic "must have" book for the serious home baker. Peter Reinhart takes you through the techniques, ingredients, and science of baking with overwhelming passion and enthusiasm and gives detailed recipes for over forty traditional and modern breads from around the world.

Bread Matters by Andrew Whitley
A passionate polemic against the nutritional and environmental damage caused by factory bread, combined with detailed instructions for making real bread at home by a British master baker. Includes very good instructions for different sourdoughs, using a variety of grains, and a section on gluten free baking.

The Handmade Loaf by Dan Lepard
Dan Lepard is head baker at Baker and Spice, one of London's most highly regarded artisan bakeries and one of the best known artisan bakers in the UK. This book outlines his philosophy and techniques in a highly accessible style. Also gives information on the historical and social context of bread making and includes the author's own beautiful photographs.

The Italian Baker by Carol Field
Ciabatta, focaccia, pizza, panettone, biscotti ... if you want authentic Italian baking recipes, this well researched book is for you. Includes techniques and recipes for all kinds of Italian sweet and savoury baked goods as well as background information about the history and culture of baking in Italy.

American Pie by Peter Reinhart
Master teacher and baker Peter Reinhart brings all the enthusiasm and expertise he showed in The Bread Baker's Apprentice to his search for the perfect pizza. He meets some of the greatest pizzaoli in Italy and the USA and shows us how to adapt their skills and techniques for use in a domestic kitchen.

Dough: Simple Contemporary Bread by Richard Bertinet
This book takes you from the basics of kneading (as demonstrated on the excellent DVD that is included) to some imaginative and beautiful breads such as fougasse and even edible bread soup bowls! Excellent section on the importance of pre-fermentation.

English Bread and Yeast Cookery by Elizabeth David
From the doyenne of English cookery writers, this book shares the history and culture of the vast variety of yeasted foods of the British Isles, with recipes for many sorts of bread, crumpets, doughnuts, pikelets, etc. Includes lots of fascinating history of grain production and milling.

Bread: A Baker's Book of Techniques and Recipes by Jeffrey Hamelman
This is not a beginner's book, but is aimed at the advanced home baker and the professional artisan baker: recipes are given in quantities for home and bakery use, with baker's percentages and imperial and metric weights included throughout. Hamelman puts more emphasis on temperature control during fermentation than many home bakers will find practical, but the book is a great source of recipes and information. Beautifully illustrated with some stunning line drawings and photographs, and recommended by the great Professor Raymond Calvel.

McGee on Food and Cooking by Harold McGee
Not just a baking book but a fascinating encyclopaedia of the science and history of food. Recommended by Heston Blumenthal and Jamie Oliver, this is the most complete and thorough food reference book available. Highly readable without sacrificing detail or accuracy, it has more information about yeast, gluten, dough, and many other topics than most bakers learn in a lifetime.