The King Arthur Baking School

Starred review from September 19, 2022
The regal grain brand is back with another resource for flour fans in this thorough guide to the hows, whys, science, and art of baking. Commonly asked questions, such as how to tell when a sourdough starter is “ripe,” and pro tip callouts simulate the classroom experience of the baking classes King Arthur offers (and which are attended by 10,000 bakers annually), with pointers such as using weight over volume in measurements, adding eggs one at a time to a batter (for better emulsification), or including a touch of cake flour in a puff pastry recipe (for enhanced moisture absorption). In the recipes, divided across bread categories and an assortment of desserts, each section ends with a Master Class recipe from a guest expert. Baking instructor Gesine Bullock-Prado’s Gâteau St. Honoré puff pastry rounds out the laminated pastries section, whereas a recipe for “the holy grail of bakers,” the macaron, contributed by World Pastry Cup winner En-Ming Hsu, explains how using Italian meringue produces a more stable batter, which leads to more consistent results. This is a compendium that bakers who want to get better and better will refer to over and over.

Starred review from October 1, 2022
Bakers, both professional and amateur, have long respected the King Arthur Baking Company for its carefully manufactured flours that are the basis for every imaginable kind of bread, cake, cookie, and pastry. For the past several decades, the company has conducted classes at its headquarters in Norwich, Vermont, its branch in Washington State, and online. Because this cookbook originates from professional bakers who teach a full range of students, from commercial bakers through amateurs and even children, its instructions are designed to be as absolutely clear as possible. In keeping with contemporary baking practice, these recipes advocate for measurement by weight, not volume, for consistent results. Despite such demand for precision, recipes often suggest ingredient substitutions to produce variations that can personalize results. All sorts of breads, cakes, cookies, pastries, pies both savory and sweet, and more make this book a virtual baking encyclopedia. Instructions for sourdough breads so thoroughly document the mystery of creating and maintaining a starter that even the most reticent may be encouraged to give demanding sourdough a try. Color photographs and "penciled-in" hints throughout the text make recipes accessible. Special sections share master bakers' techniques for crafting show-stopping baked goods like kouign amann, sticky toffee pudding, and macarons.

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