Customer Reviews

About Professional Baking

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I am a chef educator who teaches several introduction to baking courses at a culinary school. Myself and one of my collegues at another institution were interested in using this book, and the publisher was so friendly and inviting. My peer even got to speak with the author on the phone.
The book is fantastic, by the way...by far the best baking text I have seen to date. It is clear, informative, and complete with beautiful pictures and easy-to-follow instructions.
That is compared to Wayne Gisslen's book, which I and several of my collegues use. His approach utilizes much smoke-and-mirrors, unlike Sokol's text.
This book is a great find for professionals and home chefs alike.

Gail Sokol's textbook is possibly the best book on professional baking on the market today. I, as a home chef, am extremely interested in baking, but was slightly skeptical of this book, as it is geared towards baking students and not home chefs like myself. However, I found my initial trepidation to be unfounded -- this book is amazing!!! Sokol not only dicusses baking, but delves into the chemistry behind baking, explaining why and how a process, such as gluten formation, occurs. I loved it. Also, there is a healthy baking chapter, which is certainly novel. Sokol shows baking as not only an art, but a science that is well worth the world's respect.
The writing is fluid and easily understandable. It was a joy to read, and I understood everything that Sokol discusses within the text. Not meaning to sounds crass, but Sokol is such a good teacher that she could teach a monkey to bake and he could compete in culinary competitions. This is not to poke fun at Sokol's teaching skills, but to further illustrate how good the book and DVD are.
Additionally, I also bought the accompanying DVD series which was well worth the money I paid for it. Wow. No really...WOW. The quality of the DVD is so professional that it easily could be put on the TV Food Network. Watch out, Rachel Ray! Gail Sokol is certainly a rising star in the baking field.
Now, I am certainly not a professional, but as a home chef, I LOVED this book. As a matter of fact, Sokol's text has inspired me to enroll in a local culinary school. I want to become a pastry chef. As well, having looked at culinary schools, I have realised that a baking text already is in use -- it seems to be the most frequently used text in the industry. Well, I do hope these schools take a look at "About Professional Baking," which truly deserves to be used by all begining baking students.
This textbook is a fantastic read for the baker in all of us; it can be seen as either a professional text or as a well-informed guide for the home chef. You do not have to be a culinary expert to enjoy this fantastic book, which is so beautiful (what with the hundreds of glossy photos and the elegant colors) that it might soon be deemed a "pastry bible." Well done, Chef Sokol, and here's hoping to see you on TV soon!!!

I have been looking for many years for a baking text that explains the chemistry and reasons for the exact measurements required to obtain an excellent cake or bread.
Chef Sokol has answered my questions and more! Her instructions are precise and easy to follow and the illustrations are very well done. I am especially impressed on the section on presentation and plating of her exquisite desserts.
As I was studying the various recipes my mouth was watering in contemplation of creating her wonderful cupcakes and breads.
This book fills, a here to fore, vacant niche in libraries of baking and culinary books, and should be on the shelf of anyone serious about cooking, baking or fine foods. A 5+Star Book

This is one of the best textbooks I have seen as a baking enthusiast. It is clear, informative, and concise, a set of rare qualities when dealing with baking textbooks. Many textbooks on the market right now are verbose, use complicated language, have recipes and formulas that do not work, and are generally unusable by the home chef. This is not the case here. A very nice product.

This is more for the advanced baker but has some great tips and recipes. Dry reading but you will pick up ideas and techniques along the way as well as different types of grains and additives to improve your dough.

This book is very good. It is easy to read and has nice photos. i like the ones in the sauce chapter -- very pretty. I learned alot about healthy baking and chocolate too. I am not a good baker, but this book helped me make yummy desserts and plate them nice too. If I could afford it, I'd send copies to all of my friends for christmas next year. I already bought one for my boyfriend, and he loves it, like i do.