Bake!: Essential Techniques for Perfect Baking

I love to cook savory more than bake sweets, but I bought BAKE! as my maiden voyage into Nick Malgierri's world. I started with a savory focaccia recipe, and it is great, and easy. I have 2 other focaccia recipes I used to use, but I always like to test new ones. This will be in my KEEPER file as the easiest of the three. So crunchy outside, tender inside, using simple and available ingredients. I made it all the same day and it was ready for our dinner. I will use this recipe for panini next time bc slicing through the middle gives a nice skinny but artisan bread perfect for such a purpose. The recipe did not use grams in measurement as I am partial to, so I assumed that was because this was not a dedicated bread book. However none of the recipes use gram measurements at all, sweets and baked cakes, etc,.. That's just me, I like to weigh my flour. If you are into that frame of mind, too, I thought I'd mention it. When I made the focaccia, I made a notation in the book what the gram weight of the flour was so next time I can make it w/the same reliable result. On the upside, there are many beautiful photos of finished products as well as many procedural photos of techniques (as the cover of BAKE! mentions) showing, when needed, how to form it correctly. I like Nick's user-friendly attention to his listing the type and size pan to use for the recipe, shown at the end of the ingredient list. There are times I want to take the 'quick route' and use a loaf pan rather than handling and forming the dough. I can see at a moment's glance if that recipe is a contender for me on any given day based upon time constrictions or my mood.This book contains a nice assortment of both breads (savory) and sweets, and for someone not knowing where their passion rests between those two things, this book might just help you figure it out. I just bought Nick's new book, BREAD. I've got pages tagged to try out those recipes and will look forward to using that this season--(in that bread book by the way, he DOES use gram measurements. :)

This is the essential book for all of your baking needs. There is something you want to make on every page!I'm glad there are photos of some of the crucial steps because some of the ingredient measurements are off. For example, the brioche recipe indicates less flour than you actually need. Seeing the photo of a ball of dough (vs. the sticky soup in the bowl using ACTUAL ingredient measurements) made me realize that some of the proportions were a little off. That same recipe doesn't say how long to bake the loaf of brioche, so I kept monitoring it until I thought it might be done.As a side note, the photo of the scones should have been more closely scrutinized because there is a hair on the nut scone.If it weren't for these few errors/omissions, I would give this book 5 stars for technique and interesting recipes.

This is my to go book for everything pastry and bread making. Malgieri really made me fall in love with his recipes and I bought a second copy of this book for my sister - she loves it too! Since I first bought the book I have made his bread loafs regularly and never bought another at the bakery. His pies are easy to replicate - and I really started from 0. I moved to the US a few years back and I wasn't familiar with the American measurements and/or ingredients. Even the flour texture is so different. Malgieri's book made me accustomed with transitioning my European baking style to the American kitchen. Great buy!

Beautifully designed book and a new favorite for me! I have several of his other books and can’t wait to finish working my way through this one.

Nothing

This is a very well-organized book that covers the useful gamut of baking. The author also has a section where he discusses the properties of various ingredients and which ones mush NOT be substituted. Very clear & well done.I have a slight criticism in that his 'One-Step' Bread Recipe is not really one step and also maybe written too carefully and misses out on the fundamental step of properly kneading the bread. Needs a bit of modification.Very good pictures/illustrations!

I rarely buy cookbooks anymore but after watching Nick Malgieri on Martha Stewart I knew he had something to teach me. I wasn't disappointed. Everything I have made so far as been a success. Great explanations of not just how but why.

I purchased this for a niece who is interested in baking. It is just what I was hoping for. It has a good range of recipes and provides specific instructions without being intimidating. I think it will be a good "intro" baking book. It has lots of photos which is helpful when doing something for the first time. The instructions seem clear. Since I haven't used it myself, I can't comment on the quality or accuracy of the recipes, but they looked so good I am thinking of getting a copy for myself.

Having recently purchased a KitchenAid, I wanted to see if this book would help with some bread and cake mixes suitable for use with the machine. I felt recipes from some of my older cookery books i.e. Mrs Beaton's, were not quite up to the mark of automated kitchens!My choice was right, some basic and continental recipes from 'Bake' have now been used and proved very successful with the machine and also handmade mixes are sound. The book is laid out well and recipes are clear, with good photographs and easy to read script.

This book is amazing, easy to read, beautiful pictures and the recipes come out wonderfully.I find that with some recipe books the author takes it for granted what you do and do not know, this is fine for me as I am a professional but annoying for others.It's a wonderful book i'd highly recommend

Brilliant book, great addition to my collection

I collect baking books and this one seems to be a basic baking book. But nothing is is less true. Unless his other baking books, this one has pictures of every recipe. Every step is clearly explained what to do and why it should be done this way. Troubleshooter guidelines are also available, the book is complete.He dares to do things differently, and it still works, f.E. the 7 minute frosting. Why whip it 7 minutes, when it can be done in less time due to modern mixers? If you want the answer, buy this book, I really love it. For me this is his best book and one of the best of 2011 (and 2012)...

Perfect excellent cookbook