All Categories > Cooking > Methods
jacket image for The Baking Answer Book

The Baking Answer Book

Solutions to Every Problem You'll Ever Face; Answers to Every Question You'll Ever Ask

By Lauren Chattman
Paperback , 384 pages
ISBN: 9781603424394 (1603424393)
Published by Storey Publishing
$14.95(US)

about The Baking Answer Book

Every baker has pondered the wisdom of substituting one ingredient for another ("I don’t have any cake flour. Can I use all-purpose flour?"), using a square baking dish instead of the rectangular pan the recipe requires, or constructing a fancy dessert with frozen puff pastry rather than homemade.

Baking recipes require precision and attention — exact measurements, correct ingredients, and a confident hand — to mix, cream, froth, and whip. But surely there is some leeway? And if there really is no room for error or substitution, then the curious baker wants to know why.

Answering every question about common and specialty ingredients, finicky ovens, the best equipment for every recipe, the science behind the magic of baking, and the unique properties, quirks, and flavors of every kind of baked good, author Lauren Chattman reassures readers with commonsense solutions, foolproof, substitutions, and fun-to-know facts about the history and evolution of favorite baked goods. She even includes recipes that allow readers to practice new techniques and experiment with unfamiliar ingredients. Spelt Brownies, anyone?

Portable, browseable, and easy to use, The Baking Answer Book earns a place beside the recipe collections in bakers’ libraries, explaining the techniques that don’t make sense and solving the mysteries of soggy zucchini bread and cracked cheesecakes.

about Lauren Chattman

Lauren Chattman is a cookbook author and former professional pastry chef who has written 10 books, including most recently Dessert Express. She collaborated with
former White House Pastry Chef Roland Mesnier on Dessert University and with Daniel Leader on Local Breads, which won an IACP award. She has appeared on The Today Show and has sold over 50,000 books on QVC. She can be seen demonstrating baking techniques for Pillsbury on www.howdini.com.
More about the author
Coming Soon