Mark Shepard – författare

NO STARTER  --  NO WASTE  --  NO CHEAT  --  NO FAIL  100% NATURALLY FERMENTED BREAD IN JUST 24 HOURS WITH YOUR HOME PROOFER, INSTANT POT, SLOW COOKER, SOUS VIDE COOKER, OR OTHER WARMER There's sourdough, and then there's SMART sourdough -- a whole new approach to an ancient bread!  Most sourdough recipes lead you through days or even weeks of developing a starter before you can make your bread -- and then into a lifetime of maintaining that starter. But this book is based on the belief that all that rigmarole is no longer needed. With modern methods of regulating temperature, and with the easy availability of baker's yeast, honest-to-goodness naturally fermented sourdough bread can be made from start to finish in less than a day.  With all the benefits of naturally fermented sourdough, it's only the hassle of making it that has discouraged home bakers. Well, hassle no more. The age of smart sourdough has arrived.  ///////////////////////////////////////////////// Mark Shepard began baking his own sourdough bread in 1979 and went on to publish the bestselling booklet "e;Simple Sourdough."e; In 2012, he began developing a sourdough method that's even simpler and more reliable -- one that could be used by anyone, with no fear of failure. Mark now lives in Bellingham, Washington, with his wife and fellow author, Anne L. Watson.  ///////////////////////////////////////////////// "e;A guidebook that introduces a quicker, easier, and more modern method for creating homemade sourdough bread . . . His straightforward strategy is particularly notable in that it takes less than a day and doesn't use a starter. The author provides useful chapters spotlighting how bakers can customize dough formation and taste variations based on loaf size, sourness level, and flavor diversifications; methods for rye, buckwheat, tomato basil, chocolate cherry, and other loaves are included, as well as sections on bread bowls, pizza crusts, and pancakes . . . Generously illustrated with charts, illustrations, and photographs. Overall, Shepard's book will encourage home bakers of any skill level to embark on a new, quicker, and easier way to make their own bread . . . A splendid and novel approach that takes the mystery out of a formerly time-consuming process."e; -- Kirkus Reviews, April 22, 2022 "e;A fresh new look at making your own sourdough . . . I love Mark's attention to detail. No matter your setup, tools, or needs, he's got you covered . . . I questioned his use of a pinch or two of baker's yeast, but his research and experiments have me sold. His recipes combine the advantages of cultivated yeast and naturally occurring sourdough bacteria to make bread that actually rises and doesn't take days to make."e;—Holly Howe, author of "e;Fermentation Made Easy! Mouthwatering Sauerkraut"e;  "e;Mark Shepard shares how to make sourdough bread, with its characteristic flavor and health benefits, without maintaining a long-term starter. It's relevant to anyone looking to save time in the kitchen, learn a new technique, or just read a very detailed and interesting book on sourdough."e;—Emily Buehler, author of "e;Bread Science: The Chemistry and Craft of Making Bread"e;

Yogurt is the quickest and simplest of all the fermented foods you can make at home -- or it SHOULD be. More recent methods tend to complicate the process or make it less efficient. "e;Smart Yogurt"e; strips away unnecessary steps and identifies the most practical equipment, so your prep takes no more than a few minutes. But maybe you have special needs or goals for your yogurt. For those who want to go beyond basics, "e;Smart Yogurt"e; presents a wealth of possibilities: -- Improving taste and texture without adding to prep time. -- Adding natural flavors and colors before incubation, without interfering with firming. -- Making your own lactose-free yogurt to increase tolerance.  -- Boosting your yogurt's probiotic value by starting it from scratch -- without any yogurt starter, dried "e;heirloom"e; culture, or probiotic tablets.  -- Making your own non-dairy yogurt without thickeners or stabilizers. Whether you want to simplify your yogurt making, explore new options, or just understand all the ways milk can be turned into one of the world's most popular foods, "e;Smart Yogurt"e; is your guide. ///////////////////////////////////////////////// Mark Shepard is the author of two popular books on sourdough, "e;Simple Sourdough"e; and the revolutionary "e;Smart Sourdough,"e; among others. He has made fermented foods -- yogurt, sourdough, pickles, and more -- for much of half a century. Mark now lives in Bellingham, Washington, with his wife and fellow author, Anne L. Watson.  ///////////////////////////////////////////////// "e;Slim but thorough This valuable guide's explanations and examples will inspire both new and veteran yogurt makers."e; -- Kirkus Reviews, June 20, 2025 ///////////////////////////////////////////////// GETTING STARTED (excerpt) Let's handle a few basic questions up front. Why eat yogurt? It's a tasty food that's both healthful and satisfying. It has all the nutrients of regular milk and more, in a form that may be digestible even for those who cannot otherwise tolerate dairy. Most yogurt also contains live bacteria that can be beneficial to gut health. Why make your own? One reason might be saving money. The cost of homemade yogurt could be as low as a quarter of the cost of store-bought. And it's never likely to rise above half, even if you splurge on premium milk.  Another reason might be to avoid commonly added ingredients like thickeners and stabilizers. You might also want a specialized yogurt that's hard or impossible to get commercially -- a yogurt with even richer taste, or with lactose more heavily reduced, or with greatly strengthened probiotics. Why not make your own? There are good reasons here too. Most home recipes are exacting and time-consuming. And in the end, you may wind up with a product you like less than commercial yogurt, with little or no added health benefit.  I stopped making my own yogurt for years, because it didn't seem worth the effort. Eventually, though, my experiments convinced me otherwise -- and led me to write this book. Here I hope to put to rest your reasons against and strengthen your reasons for, while also exploring possibilities that might be entirely new to you.