Canadian Heritage Bread Making

Eileen Goltz is Public Documents Librarian at Laurentian University.

The bread recipes in this book remind the reader that most Canadians are
either immigrants or the descendants of immigrants. Rebryna compiled 26
traditional bread recipes significant to cultures represented in Canada,
and with each recipe she has provided historical and cultural
information. Her book introduces the “novice bread maker to the world
of bread”—a world that includes such breads as pita from the Middle
East, chappatis from India, Canadian bannock, and Jewish challah.

Rebryna writes in a clear, concise style that is easy to follow. Her
book begins with an explanation of the ingredients, utensils, and
techniques normally used in bread making, follows this with the
culturally based recipes, and ends with a section entitled
“Troubleshooting,” which offers the would-be baker remedies for the
troublesome situations he or she might encounter.

To find such varied bread-making recipes in one volume is a bonus worth
pursuing, and the book will benefit either the novice or the experienced
bread maker. However, although this is a most useful cookbook, and
Rebryna’s anecdotal style is refreshing, its real value lies in the
link she makes between recipe and culture.