Bouchon Bakery (The Thomas Keller Library)

Can books be delicious? Thomas Keller’s can! I found this book perusing the cookbook section at Barnes & Noble a few years ago and fell in love with the pictures—there was something about this book that just oozed sophistication and authority and I found it irresistible. (I still do.) At the time I had no idea who Thomas Keller was. (I know!) I just knew that, as an avid baker, I wanted this book so badly. I ultimately decided not to give in to an impulse purchase and to think about it. Fast forward a few years: I found myself thinking about this book and how beautiful it was, and I knew I had to try it. So I borrowed it from the library. Twice. And I finally decided to suck it up and treat myself. It is one of my favorite recipe books. Not just for the pictures, but because the recipes are legitimately very good.I appreciate Chef Keller’s presentation and methods. There’s an emphasis on cooking clean (cleaning your workspace as you go) that really resonates with me. The recipes are often time consuming, but they’re presented in a way that is straightforward and understandable, with a little patience. The recipe measurements are presented in both weight and volume, which is helpful. Weighing is more precise, of course, but volume is helpful for people who want to try the recipes without the added expense of getting a scale. (Trust me, you’ll eventually want to get a scale; they’re life changing.) There are little tips and tricks included along the way, and I end up feeling like I’m being mentored by a good friend because you get little glimpses of what things are like working with the Keller restaurant family. The section on bread making is quite good, especially since it’s not terribly long. I appreciate the flow of the book and how it’s divided, and the fact that there are recipes for very basic things like drop cookies and brown butter to swan shaped pastries and sourdough bread.I would recommend this book for intermediate bakers. And you know what? I think a novice could make it work, but they’d probably have to read the instructions through a few times and maybe look up a few things as they went. I tend to be an overachiever, so I would have wanted to start with this book as a new baker just because that’s how I am. If you are brand new to baking and you decide to get this book, you’ll have to be very patient with yourself and the processes as you go. And have fun! That’s what making food is all about, right?I’ve made the chocolate chip cookies, banana muffins, better nutters, macarons, devil’s food cake, brioche, croissants, batards, and sourdough. All with success—not because I’m an expert by any stretch of the imagination, but because the recipes are tried and true, and they really work.

BOTTOM LINE: One of the best baking recipe books on the market! In fact, this is my go-to book for baking.To provide a fair review, I tried multiple recipes before rating this baking cookbook.MY FAVORITE THINGS:The main reason I purchased this book is because the recipes call for weighed (grams) ingredients. Volumes are also listed in the recipes for those who do not own a scale, but I HIGHLY recommend weighing your ingredients in order to achieve more accurate and consistent results, especially when baking. (Flour tends to settle so, if 10 people scooped out 1 cup of flour from their flour bin, there would be 10 different weights from each of those cups. This is one reason why measuring in volumes produces inconsistent results. If you love to cook but you don't have a scale, I recommend investing in one -- you won't regret it!)I also love that this book provides many extras, tips, and tricks to help you achieve better baking results, which in turn makes you a better baker. Don't overlook these tidbits because they provide a lot of wisdom that can be used in other recipes.BOOK:This book is pretty heavy (almost 6 pounds!) and full of excellent recipes. Some of the recipes I made from this cookbook include a few different breads, muffins, cookies, a couple different confections, and some cakes. All of the recipes that I have tried so far have been excellent.RECIPES:Each recipe is clearly written with detailed instructions. Although not all of the recipes have pictures, most of them do include excellent, professional photographs. There are even pictures of how to do some of the more complex steps.There are some recipes that are quick and some recipes that take time (good doughs take time to prepare, but it's mostly inactive time that allows you to do other things). Don't avoid some of the more time-consuming recipes -- these can be some of the best things you'll ever bake. I love to make the more time-consuming recipes for guests (which makes them think I'm some sort of baking genius even though I'm not, lol).One thing to note: all ingredients are measured in weights (grams), even common things like whole eggs. But don't let this deter you. In the beginning of the book it explains how to accurately weigh eggs (beaten) to use in the recipes. Sometimes this means you could have some leftover beaten egg, and if you're like me you don't like to waste anything. So, you could either: cook the leftover eggs and eat them; or, if there's not a lot left over, toss the rest in the recipe. I have not had any problems doing it this way.Another thing to note: a few of the recipes call for ingredients that may not sound familiar. I'm not a chef by any means so when I see ingredients such as crème fraîche, glucose, and diastatic malt powder, my mind immediately thinks "I can't make this recipe." However, I have learned that this doesn't have to be the case in the age of the Internet. For example: crème fraîche can be found in the dairy section at the grocery store or you can improvise and make it using cream and buttermilk (or sour cream); glucose is a clear liquid sugar like corn syrup; and diastatic malt powder can be purchased or it can easily be made in your own kitchen by sprouting some barley berries (seeds), drying them, then blending them into a fine powder. Lesson: never be afraid to try new and different things.

I bought this book based on reviews. Believe it or not, I didn't know Thomas. It brings such a peaceful and incredible story that you'll be graving for more. Recipes are easy to follow and tips given are great. Highly recommended. The cover is something I dislike, though. The image you see as cover is a detached paper, kinda weird. Even disliking it, you should buy it for sure, this is just a detailed.

You can not just take a French baking recipe, devised and tested with French ingredients, and use it "as is" with North-American ingredients. And vice-versa. Case in point, French macarons. The icing sugar here (Canada) is different from the icing sugar in France. I've been struggling for years to have my macarons turn out as great as they used to when I made them in France. Enter this book... The recipe is adapted to the addition of starch in Canadian (and USA) icing sugar. Hurray!!!! I've baked PERFECT macarons, finally, with Canadian icing sugar.There are lots of details for each recipe. But not so much or so badly delivered that one feels overwhelmed.However, this might not be a book for a complete beginner baker.

El mejor de los libros..todo sale perfecto muy bien expluicado con tiempos y velocidad batido.reposos. todo sale a ña perfeccion un libro muy facil de seguir instrucciones y hacer lo q t piden ...ademas explica el.pirq de cada receta...y q es lo noooo debes hacer...las recetas estan agrupadas por secciones ...COMPRALO Y GOZALO

Un básico si te gusta hacer pan

Great item, very expensive in NZ. If you can get it. Superb service.