Customer Reviews

About Professional Baking: The Essentials (Trade Version)

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If you've ever baked, want to learn to bake or have an interest in baking, this is the book for you. About Professional Baking: The Essentials contains over 700 detailed full-color photographs throughout of both the process and the finished product, as well as diagrams and charts.

Gail Sokol is an award-winning professional baker and baking instructor in the culinary arts industry. She definitely brings her expertise into full play in this must-have book which features 125 fully kitchen-tested recipes written in an easy-to-comprehend format and clearly stated objectives.
I consider myself to be an experienced and competent baker but I can't begin to tell you how much knowledge I've realized from this book.
About Professional Baking: The Essentials gives you the very basic principals and fundamentals of working with yeast, straight and laminated doughs, pies and tarts, quick breads, cakes, frostings, frozen desserts and dessert sauces, cookies, chocolate, and even healthy baking which will have you baking like a true professional.

Each recipe is written with explanations of how the ingredients should look at each stage of preparation. Measurements are given in U.S., Metric and Baker's percentages. There is a chapter is a troubleshooting chapter. General problems are identified and addressed, followed by reasons for the problems and, if applicable, solutions to those problems. Appendix chapters include baking tools and proper preparation of cake pans, all with explanatory photographs.

About Professional Baking: The Essentials will become your bible of baking.

This is the best book on baking I've seen. It is easy to understand and has so many glossy photos and step by step instructions. I'm a pretty bad cook, and I was able to make all of the recipes I tried -- first time! I also really like the professional profile section, and reading about the different pastry chefs. All-in-all, this is a great book. It actually rivals my favorite cookbook of all time, by none other than Julia Child herself. Her's is my favorite cookbook, and now this one is my favorite baking book. Gail Sokol must be the Julia of our generation. And I'm not exaggerating... this really is a great read, and extremely helpful. I have learned so much from it, and have learned that baking is not as scary as I used to think it was. And it actually can be fun! Now that I'm learning how to bake properly, I find it is really quite relaxing. All of the shows on TV make baking seem too sciency and complicated, but Sokol does not. I'd recommend this book to everyone!

This is a great baking book and reference. Can be a bit overwhelming for those who are not versed in baking but overall a great book.

this is the best book on baking i've ever had!! every recipe i've tried has come out delicious. the step by step instructions have made it easy for me to make amazing baked goods, and i'm the novice of all beginners. if you're interested in persuing a career or just getting better at baking this book is the one for you. i can't give it enough props!

By day I am an anatomic laboratory technologist, by night and weekend a kitchen hobbist. I have loved every page of this book and almost every recipe. Until this book, I never knew there was so many levels to baking. I only have room in the kitchen book shelf for a dozen or so cookbooks and they come and go as I get new ones but I think this one will remain for quite some time.

Michael F.

The book is in excellent condition. It is very informatve and well worth the cost.