Breaking Breads: Flatbreads, Stuffed Breads, Challahs, Cookies, and the Legendary Chocolate Babka

Israeli Master baker Uri Scheft delivers delicious recipes for classic and creative baked goods that take inspiration from cultures across those world, in this innovative cookbook.

Israeli baking encompasses the influences of so many regions―Morocco, Yemen, Germany, and Georgia, to name a few―and master baker Uri Scheft seamlessly marries all of these in his incredible baked goods at his Breads Bakery in New York City and Lehamim Bakery in Tel Aviv. Nutella-filled babkas, potato and shakshuka focaccia, and chocolate rugelach are pulled out of the ovens several times an hour for waiting crowds.

In Breaking Breads, Scheft takes the combined influences of his Scandinavian heritage, his European pastry training, and his Israeli and New York City homes to provide sweet and savory baking recipes that cover European, Israeli, and Middle Eastern favorites. Scheft sheds new light on classics like challah, babka, and ciabatta―and provides his creative twists on them as well, showing how bakers can do the same at home―and introduces his take on Middle Eastern daily breads like kubaneh and jachnun. The instructions are detailed and the photos explanatory so that anyone can make Scheft’s Poppy Seed Hamantaschen, Cheese Bourekas, and Jerusalem Bagels, among other recipes. With several key dough recipes and hundreds of Israeli, Middle Eastern, Eastern European, Scandinavian, and Mediterranean influenced recipes, this is truly a global baking bible.

Named one of the Best Cookbooks of the Year by Food & Wine, The Boston Globe, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, The San Francisco Chronicle, USA Today, The Washington Post, and more

Uri Scheft is the creative force and co-owner of Breads Bakery in New York City, which gained an immediate cult following when it opened in 2014. Scheft also owns Tel Aviv’s Lehamim Bakery, which has been in operation since 2001. Born in Israel to Danish parents, Scheft grew up in both Israel and Denmark and now divides his time between Israel and the United States.