📖 Overview
Baking with Julia presents recipes and techniques from Julia Child's PBS series of the same name. The book features contributions from 27 pastry chefs and bakers who appeared as guests on the show.
The recipes span breads, cakes, cookies, pastries and other baked goods, with step-by-step instructions and process photos. Each recipe includes background information about its origins and the featured baker's approach to the dish.
Child's voice guides readers through the technical aspects of baking, from ingredient selection to proper mixing methods and baking temperatures. The book serves as both a practical manual and a record of America's baking traditions in the 1990s.
This collection illuminates the collaborative nature of culinary knowledge, as techniques and recipes pass between professional bakers and home cooks. The book stands as a bridge between classical French pastry traditions and American baking innovations of the era.
👀 Reviews
Readers value this book as a detailed reference for serious home bakers, with tested recipes and clear instructions. Many note the step-by-step photos demonstrate proper techniques.
Likes:
- Professional-level recipes adapted for home kitchens
- Precise measurements and temperatures
- Background info on ingredients and methods
- Multiple variations for basic recipes
- PBS show companion recipes included
Dislikes:
- Recipe difficulty level too advanced for beginners
- Some ingredients hard to source
- Time-consuming multi-step processes
- Heavy focus on French pastries over basic recipes
- Book binding falls apart with regular use
Ratings:
Amazon: 4.6/5 (656 reviews)
Goodreads: 4.3/5 (4,112 ratings)
Review quotes:
"The croissant recipe alone is worth the price" - Amazon reviewer
"Not for casual bakers. These recipes require commitment." - Goodreads
"Instructions are meticulous but recipes work perfectly when followed exactly." - Goodreads
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The Professional Pastry Chef by Bo Friberg This comprehensive guide covers the fundamentals of pastry and baking through technical instructions and classical recipes used in professional kitchens.
On Food and Cooking by Harold McGee The book explains the science behind cooking processes, ingredients, and chemical reactions that occur in baking and general food preparation.
The Bread Baker's Apprentice by Peter Reinhart This book presents bread-making techniques through detailed formulas, instructions, and the underlying principles of artisan bread baking.
The Cake Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum The book breaks down the science and techniques of cake baking through precise measurements, formulas, and step-by-step methods.
The Professional Pastry Chef by Bo Friberg This comprehensive guide covers the fundamentals of pastry and baking through technical instructions and classical recipes used in professional kitchens.
On Food and Cooking by Harold McGee The book explains the science behind cooking processes, ingredients, and chemical reactions that occur in baking and general food preparation.
The Bread Baker's Apprentice by Peter Reinhart This book presents bread-making techniques through detailed formulas, instructions, and the underlying principles of artisan bread baking.
🤔 Interesting facts
🍰 Julia Child wrote "Baking with Julia" based on her PBS series of the same name, where she invited 27 guest pastry chefs and bakers to demonstrate their specialties.
🥖 The book contains over 200 recipes that were extensively tested in home kitchens to ensure they would work for amateur bakers using standard home equipment.
🎥 During the filming of the TV series that inspired the book, Julia Child was in her 80s but still maintained her characteristic enthusiasm and wit while learning new techniques from her guests.
📚 While Julia Child's name is on the cover, the book was actually written by Dorie Greenspan, who worked closely with Julia to capture the voice and spirit of the TV series in print.
🏆 "Baking with Julia" won the 1997 IACP Cookbook Award (International Association of Culinary Professionals) in the Bread, Other Baking and Sweets category.