Modernist Bread

"Modernist Bread" is a five-volume boxed set spanning over 2,300 pages, published in 2017 by The Cooking Lab. The set also includes a separate spiral-bound kitchen manual designed for practical use alongside the encyclopedic main volumes.

The lead author is Nathan Myhrvold, former Chief Technology Officer at Microsoft and founder of The Cooking Lab, with Francisco Migoya serving as head chef and co-author. The team previously produced "Modernist Cuisine" (2011), a six-volume encyclopedia of modern cooking techniques.

The five-volume set retails for approximately $625. This places it among the most expensive bread books ever published, a price reflecting its laboratory-grade photography, extensive scientific testing, and the cost of the physical production.

Yes, one of the project's central goals was to scientifically test long-held assumptions about bread, and the authors challenge several conventional practices. For example, they argue against some common beliefs about dough hydration, bulk fermentation durations, and the necessity of certain kneading techniques, presenting evidence from controlled kitchen-laboratory experiments.