Practical Baking [Hardcover]

William J. Sultan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1989

Practical Baking covers the entire field of practical bakery foods production and pastry making, bringing students up to speed on the latest bakery developments, and emphasizing the production of international yeast-raised bakery products and new practices in speed-up production.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

Practical —Baking— Fifth Edition William J. Sultan Covering the entire field of bakery foods production — from doughnuts, cookies, and pastries, to icings, pies, and breads — Practical Baking is one of the most popular and widely used books of its kind. The completely revised Fifth Edition both informs bakers of recent developments in the baking profession and provides an overview of the expansion of the methods and technology of yeast-raised goods production. Suitable for both large- and small-scale production facilities, its instructions, formulas, and illustrations help the reader to avoid the common pitfalls that may occur in bakery production. Other areas covered include:

• The importance of wheat and flour variables and their effect on production and product quality
• The growth of the no-time dough method of production
• The use of chemical additives and special blends of additives for special products

The text has been reorganized into major chapter areas: Chapter 1 focuses on basic ingredients, Chapter 2 treats general factors in production and preservation, Chapters 3 through 11 focus on particular bakery products, and Chapters 12 through 14 consider special baking needs, such as dietetic baking. New material has been integrated into the present formularies, and the information on production problems has been included in each specific area of production. This reorganization provides for quick and easy reference for all categories of reader, including trainees in commercial baking, catering, and foodservice; students in training programs at vocational and technical schools, junior and senior colleges, and culinary institutions; as well as baking personnel in supervisory positions.

About the Author

William J. Sultan is a baking consultant with U.S. Wheat Associates, an export market development organization representing the American wheat industry. He is currently involved in the research and development of bakery foods in foreign countries, and conducts seminars and practical demonstrations in various countries. He is also the author of Practical Baking Manual, The Pastry Chef, Food Products Formulary (Vol. 2), and several teaching guides, lesson plans, and training monographs on baking for the New York City Board of Education.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 832 pages
• Publisher: John Wiley & Sons; 5th edition (October 1, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471289825
• ISBN-13: 978-0471289821
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 7.7 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,610,075 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Mediocre Baking Resource, June 23, 2003

By 

jerry i h (Berkeley, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Practical Baking (Hardcover)

The "practical" in the title refers to the professional bakery, not the home kitchen. The author is a representative of the wheat industry, so the emphasis here is on bread products and the various varieties of wheat that are available. The most interesting feature are the sections diagnosing various production problems and their causes and solutions.

The dust jacket says that the book is good for both small and large baking operations, but the ingredient chapter is more relevant to a large operation rather than the neighborhood bakery. The production chapter is more suited to large scale applications and under-developed countries. The emphasis is on low per-unit cost and high through-put processes. As such, it is more apropos to the wholesale bakery operation rather than the neighborhood bake shop. The author often emphasizes quantity and convenience over quality and taste. As such, it is more suitable to wholesale bakery operations rather than the local bake shop or the bakery student, statements in the appendix not withstanding.

I do not have the necessary experience to judge the value of the recipes for either production dor learning purposes. However, the book seems to be meant as an all-purpose reference to sit on the shelf of a large, wholesale bakery rather than a study manual or a source to develope new baking procedures and recipes. For example, there is little distinction in the recipes for French, Italian, and Viennese loaf breads; they seem to assume an on-going baking procedure that needs assistance. It is more of a supplementary text to aid on-going production rather than a collection of basic techniques and procedures. As such, I am not sure of its value as learning tool for the student, statements in the Appendices not withstanding. As a learning tool, it is inadequate. As a reference book, it is, I guess, acceptable.

It is a 5th edition, but I found an unusually large number of editorial mistakes. There is "poor" rather than pour (p.445), p. 524 has "sufficient" instead of "insufficient", "fold" rather than hold, and the cakes chapter page headers are incorrect (has "common problems with fruit cakes" on top of brownie and cheescake sections). The author mistakenly states that increased acidity in the dough increases or strengthens the pH. In fact, it is the opposite: increasing acidity decreases the pH. Alkali, like baking soda, has a very high pH. In the international version of the recipes, the % of flour sometimes is and sometimes is not listed as 100%. He also states that there are "hard" cheddar cheeses versus the softer, grated "American-type", which seems to be a meaningless distinction.

The coverage of pastry and cakes is perfunctory at best. It is aimed at the professional baker, and is certainly not recommendable for the home baker. The book seems to have been designed as a textbook. As such, it is more useful as a resource rather than a tutorial, which is perfectly acceptable if this book is used along with a production manual as part of a professional course in baking. Its primary audience is experience bakers who need a reference book.

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars MY BIBLE, February 9, 2000

By 

Chef Goodman (South Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Practical Baking (Hardcover)

I have been baking for 35 years and now teach baking and culinary arts and use this book extensivley. It is the most comprehensive and accurate book on baking I have come across. Highly recommended for anyone serious about becoming a baker

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended as a reference book, April 15, 2006

By 

Alex G (Fort Lee, NJ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Practical Baking (Hardcover)

Highly recommended as a reference book, rather than a recipe

book. This book is a must for bakers or bakers-tobe who want to know

more about the technical details of baking. Although it covers

pastry, the book is definitely geared towards bread baking from a

professional baker's point of view.