Cynthia Lair is the author of several books, including Feeding the Whole Family and Feeding the Young Athlete. Herwork has appeared in many national magazines including Mothering. Formerly on the faculty at Bastyr University, Cynthia is apopular teacher of cooking classes at Sur Le Table and elsewhere. She lives in Seattle.
There have been dozens of bread-baking books published over the past few years. So why is this compact book the one that finally got me to make my first starter? It's all about the approach. This book is short, friendly, packed with helpful sidebars, and suggests that the first thing you make with your starter be pancakes (always a way into my heart). Yes, I know, sourdough is complicated, and those trendy door-stopping bread books probably have more details about how to not mess it up. But Sourdough on the Rise makes me believe I can make sourdough in a more relaxed way. Which is, frankly, the only way I'm ever going to get off my ass and do it. --Epicurious