William Alexander is determined to bake the Perfect loaf of bread.
An original take on the six-thousand-year-old staple of life, 52 Loaves explores the nature of obsession, the meditative quality of ritual, the futility of trying to re-create something perfect, our deep connection to the earth, and the mysterious instinct that makes all of us respond to the aroma of baking bread..
And because Alexander is nothing if not thorough, he really means from scratch: growing, harvesting, winnowing, threshing, and milling his own wheat.
He bakes his loaf from scratch.
Now, on the theory that practice makes perfect, he sets out to bake peasant bread every week until he gets it right.
Without success.
He tasted it long ago, in a restaurant, and has been trying to reproduce it ever since.
William Alexander is determined to bake the Perfect loaf of bread
