Baker's Manual (5th Edition) Review

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(More customer reviews)I started a bakery/deli in 1993 using a professional baker and this book as my foundation. In time I also learned to use advice from my customers and from other pros. Still, the whole lot of the experts, save one, gave less useful information than did this classic by Joseph Amendola.
Theories of dough fermentation and the like are of especial importance for any new baker. When something goes wrong, too, this book has a good trouble-shooting section.
I heartily recommend this book to any baker, commercial or men and women trying to please their loved ones.
Other books you should add to the shelf are Professional Baking and Quantity Cooking.

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Crucial formulas for baking success--an updated edition of the classic referenceWhat do virtually all breads and desserts have in common? They rely on baking formulas, the building block "recipes" that every serious baker must master. For example, behind every tempting napoleon lies a formula for classic puff pastry, while a truly heavenly chocolate brownie cannot exist without the knowledge of how to temper chocolate. Compiled by a veteran instructor at The Culinary Institute of America, this authoritative reference contains 200 completely up-to-date formulas using essential ingredients found in today's pastry kitchens. From American Pie Dough and P?t? Bris?e to Pastry Cream and Cr?me Anglaise, these recipes are written in small- and large-yield versions to accommodate the needs of the serious home baker as well as the pastry chef.

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The Advanced Professional Pastry Chef Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I'm going to start with one little criticism, and I only do it because I love this book: If you live in a small town like I do, many of the ingreedients in this book will be nigh-impossible to find. Things like goat's milk cheese or some specific varieties of fruits or seeds or specific types of chocolates simply aren't available where I live. So, if you're also from a small town that lacks specialty shops or whose stores lack variety, prepare to do a lot of inventive substitution.
That being said, the book provides crystal-clear, step-by-step directions that lead you to create some of the most beautiful, delicious desserts you can imagine. Plus, it doesn't skimp on the science either, and for people like me who like to know the "why" as well as the "how", you'll appreciate that.
The book is shockingly specific. First of all, all measurments are given in weight, which is much more accurate. Someone here once said that volume measurments exist to keep us stupid and professional bakers in business, and they're absolutely right. So invest in a good scale. Plus, the book gives great information about compensating for altitude, which is a huge deal where I live (nothing's ever easy in Wyoming). The written directions make even the most difficult procedure simple to follow along, and where things get even a little hazy, the author includes diagrams and photographs.
Every recipe in this book is a perfect illustration of the fine balance between art and science that fine cooking really is. Not for those without the attention span to spend an hour or two in the kitchen, but if you have a passion for pastries you cannot do without this book.

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Up-to-date, advanced techniques for the professional pastry chef and serious home baker
The Advanced Professional Pastry Chef brings up-to-date coverage of the latest baking and pastry techniques to a new generation of pastry chefs and serious home bakers. This book covers advanced material and - like chef Bo's classic The Professional Pastry Chef: Fundamentals of Baking and Pastry, Fourth Edition - contains contemporary information to meet the needs of today's pastry kitchen. This volume contains nearly 500 recipes, which emphasize the techniques and presentations offered in top restaurants and bakeshops today.
Topics covered in depth include:Decorated cakesModernist dessertsWedding cakes and holiday favoritesSugar workMarzipan figuresChocolate decorations
Illustrated step-by-step instructions demystify even the most complex techniques and preparations, while over 100 vivid color photographs bring finished dishes to life.

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