In the universe of breads, salt rising bread stands alone. There is nothing else remotely like it, in flavor, personality and technique. It was slow food before there was slow food -- a yeast-less bread with a colorful American past going back to early pioneer days in the hills of Appalachia. (It might be the first "mountain-to-table" bread.) Over time, the knowledge was nearly lost, but now a new generation of bakers is rescuing the tradition.

For Salt Rising Bread, expert bakers Susan Brown and Jenny Bardwell set out to rediscover the secrets and the science behind the bread's "wild microbes," unique fermentation and memorable taste. Their search took them from the parlors of Appalachian bread-making elders to the laboratory of a renowned pathologist -- to the pages of rare cookbooks, bread museums and pioneer diaries. Salt Rising Bread is a richly illustrated, recipe-filled treasure of American culinary lore.