Rating: 
Summary: Huge Disappointment
Review: First off, I've always been a KArthur fan-- even taken one of their courses-- & expected great things from this book based on the reviews & KA's rep. Instead, I've found these recipes disaster-prone (and yes, I'm a good baker). The gingersnap recipe, for example, yielded an impossible batter & disastrous cookies, and the timing on the wheat crackers left me with burned, inedible crackers. I found myself checking Joy of Cooking or Baking with Julia to discover that KArthur had left out steps (like the apparently all-important refrigeration step for gingersnaps; also, the baking time for the crackers is twice that of other cookbooks). Now I make nothing from KArthur w/out double-checking w/another cookbook first-- and really, then, what's the point? Obviously some of the recipes work (re: the other reviewers), but who needs a cookbook this carelessly hit-or-miss?
Rating:
Summary: Fair, so far
Review: Had the book for 2 weeks.
I tried the Blueberry muffins, twice. Both times the the muffins were so heavy and stuck to the pan. It says it makes 12, (I get 10) however, of what size pan?. 2 1/2 cups of blueberries but give no weight even though the author(s) stress the importanace of a scale. I believe the amount of fruit is way too much. I also made the basic pancake...no big deal.. Fair.
I have made better on my own. Were these recipes ever tried or are they just "a guess". The book says that the best dough is made from a bread machine.
I dought any bakery in France or Italy use a bread machine to make dough.
Rating: 
Summary: This Will Be Every Baker's 'Companion'!
Review: Having loved the original King Arthur Flour 200th Anniversary Cookbook, I anxiously awaited my copy of the new Baker's Companion. And a wonderful 'companion' it is! Novice and expert bakers will enjoy the many tips, descriptions, discussions and suggestions for producing baked goods. At 640 pages, there are a LOT of them too! As a New Englander, I loved the chapter on Buckles, Cobblers and Crisps. I can attest that a warm piece of Blueberry Buckle is just the perfect start to the day.
I was pleased to see that nutritional information is provided for each recipe. Surprisingly, there are lots of recipes that don't fall in the category of 'diet buster'. To be sure, there are plenty that do, but a little hedonism once in awhile makes weight watching a little less stressful.
The recipes are simple and straightforward. These are creations that many of us grew up with or have sampled. The ingredients are easy to find and the directions are so straightforward that you may want to get the kids to help. Each chapter begins with some background on the topic and may include special tools or techniques and how to use them. This is a great gift idea for newlyweds or for the kids who have left the nest. It answers most, if not all of the questions that arise when you venture into the kitchen to prepare what many people consider the best part of the meal: dessert. But it is not merely a dessert book. Breakfast fare, yeast and quick breads, flatbreads and crackers are thoroughly discussed as well as the requisite chapters on cookies, cakes, pies and pastries.
I really appreciate cookbooks that not only provide recipes but instruct, explain and in general, broaden your knowledge of the subject. The Baker's Companion succeeds on all fronts...it is a great reference. I like it a lot...you will too!
Rating:
Summary: Not worth the cash
Review: I bought this cookbook because I am a fan of King Arthur flour. I have used a number of recipes which appear regularly in their catalog. Those recipes have been great.
This cookbook has very few bread recipes. I was expecting more. It does have various other baking recipes. I have tried two of them. Both were not very good.
I would search out other cookbooks and live this one "on the shelf."
Rating:
Summary: This Book's a Keeper
Review: I grew up with Joy of Cooking and still have my first copy. There are many books to choose from, but as a broad range pick, this volume has surpassed the Joy. It is enjoyable to read as well as being informative in a way a true beginner can use to start baking right away. I found the format to be quite user friendly and it passed my "fiasco" test..what happens when preparing a recipe without making sure all ingredients are at hand. Every time I pick it up for some armchair baking, I learn something new and I've been baking for over 40 years. I appreciate this in a cookbook. I will definitely be giving this as a gift to my mother and my daughter-in-law [when my son ever decides to settle down!] I feel this book shows a lot of time and effort on the part of King Arthur/PJ Hamel and their employee-owners and that they have succeeded in creating an excellent book for the beginner as well as the experienced baker.
Rating:
Summary: So good, it's lip-smacking
Review: I have a huge cookbook collection and this book is so good I gave it for Christmas to 4 of my family who bake. Having baked for many years, I enjoyed the tips about yeast - wild and not, ingredients as a factor in rising times and how to incorporate additions into various flour types. These tips gave credence to my own experiences. I found the book through the King Arthur Flour baking catalog and was impressed to see that they did not advertise in the book. Nice touch. Development of new baking products, which are available from the company, have made my baking more efficient and healthful. I recommend this to new and experienced bakers alike.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent baking book
Review: I have been baking for many years, and I recently got this baking book. I love it for the explanations of how baking works, and how minor changes can affect outcomes. The information accompanying each recipe is very helpful. If you are new to baking, or an old pro, I truly think you will like this book if only for the information about how ingredients work.
Rating:
Summary: Baking Essential Companion
Review: I identify with this innovative title: "Baker's Companion."
And it truly is, organized into thirteen chapters: breakfasts; fried doughs; quick breads; buckles, cobblers and crisps; crackers and flatbreads; yeast breads; sourdough; cookies and bars; cakes; pies, tarts and quiches; pastry and viennoiseries; ingredients; and tools. In addition, there are essential notes on measuring, and high-altitude baking. This being a renown ingredients supplier, one is especially pleased at the outstanding "ingredients" chapter, filled with great history and practical hints on not only flours, but fats and leavens and spices, et al. There is just a plethora of fine recipes here for exploration: especially am I attracted to such as "Croissants de Boulanger"; Strawberry-Lemon Chess Pie; Panzanella; Apple and Walnut-Maple Cobbler; besides all the wonderful breads. Should be invaluable aid to all who enjoy baking, either the serious baker as well as the gourmet chef who dabble in baking once in a while as well. Truly well done and worthy on cooks shelves.
Rating:
Summary: Needs a 10 star rating
Review: I just received my copy of this cookbook last night. It truely will be the definitive classic on all forms of baking. I have about 15 baking cookbooks (that is after I weeded out the ones that I didn't like). This single volume could replace most of the ones that I have on my shelf. There on sections on breads, cookies, quiches, brioche, on and on. The shear length of the book allows it to be comprehensive on all categories of baking. One strength of the book is that every recipe has nutritional information. There is also a lengthy section on different grains, how they are processed, and how they are used in baking. There is a lot of technical information in the book,(a big plus for me) but it is set up so that if you don't want to read all the technical information, you can just go straight to the recipe and follow it. You don't have to read a lot of technical information to get at the list of ingredients. This is a small thing, but most of the recipes are printed one to a page. I like this. This helps me keep track of what I am doing without having to search on the page. The color photographs are good, but there are not a lot of them. I'm sure more photos would have driven the cost way up and the thickness of the book would have been unmanageable. Hence, this is not a 'coffee table picture cookbook'. I did think that the black and white line drawings were quite good. Thanks King Arthur!!!! P.S. The recipes themselves look delicious. I've only had time to try a couple and they were great!!!
Rating:
Summary: Delightful Cookbook
Review: I love this cookbook! I cook quite a bit and have over 100 cookbooks, but this is one I use frequently.
I used the waffle recipe in the cookbook with my Belgium Waffle iron and they were terrific! They are tender (not crisp), with a delicate taste. Anyone who stays at my house overnight gets them for breakfast and they're always a hit! I make a blueberry sauce (cook frozen blueberries in a saucepan with a little water and a bit of lemon juice - then add some sugar to taste). These are my favorite breakfast item.
My husband took it upon himself to make me the carrot cake from this cookbook for my birthday. I was absolutely stunned! It was fantastic - but he has never baked ANYTHING from scratch! (In fact, I've never known him to bake anything at all...) It was really impressive - you would have thought he'd been baking for years!
I just really enjoy this cookbook. I also like the extra info they provide (for example - why they use buttermilk for waffles instead of regular milk). It's very informative.
If you like to bake, you will love this one!
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