Rating: 
Summary: The best general baking book to own.
Review: As an avid user of baking books, I can say this book is the best for detailed instructions for every basic type of bread and pastry dough. After the chapter on basics, the book then utilizes them in a variety of great recipes. I learned to make brioche with no problem. I regularly make the french apple tart and mocha brownie cake. The boca negra is great for special occasions.
Rating:
Summary: An Atlas for Baking Techniques
Review: As other reviewers have said, this volume is one of the most frequently consulted books in my library of over 250 cookbooks. I began baking from it just because it was my latest book on baking. Then, I began toing to it when the results of baking recipies found in other books did not pan out as well as I expected. It was also directly responsible for my acquiring a heavy duty KitchenAid stand mixer, although I was able to quite successfully do recipes involving some heavy duty dough even without the mixer. But, the mixer did make it easier.One of the primary lessons I learned from my comparing recipes in this book to other books is that these recipes are fully up to professional bakers' standards. No dumbing down here. My best evidence is when I tried making cinnamon buns using two other recipies and the results were simply inferior to what one could buy from Entenmens at the supermarket I then made the same product using the Child recipe and I produced definitely superior results. Please be aware that these recipes were not developed by Julia Child and Julia Child did not write the book. This does not detract from the quality of the book, just the quality of the credit. The writer, Dorrie Greenspan, has done several other books on baking, all with a very high quality. Julia's collaborators, all major talents in baking, include such stars as Nick Malgieri, do nothing but increase the value of the volume. This book is at it's best as an introduction to all the different types of baking for a person who has time to deal with the finer points of baking things like artisnal breads and sticky buns. Yes, a stand mixer is recommended.
Rating:
Summary: This is the book for learning classic techniques in baking.
Review: Baking basic batters and doughs is the subject that is given the combination of expert skill and knowledge acquired in the culinary arts over years of experience. If you are an individual who thrives on instant gratification and does not want to take the time to learn the basic foundation techniques of quality baking then this book may not be for you. The book covers breads, cakes, and sweet and savory pastries. The instructions have carefully been written with great detail so even the novice baker can increase his or her skill level. Recipes range from the simple galette,which by the way is excellent, to a labor intensive but glorious wedding cake.A variety of techniques ranging from beginner level to accomplished baker allows anyone interested in baking to improve their skills. I have been working on my culinary skills for 30 years and own over 100 different cookbooks. This book ranks within the top 5 of my collection. It has allowed me to fine tune many classic techniques. My Brioche, biscotti,, biscuits, danish pastry and pecan sticky buns have been elevated to rival any quality baker. Culinary professionals like Flo Braker, Nancy Silverton, Marcel Desaulniers, and Marion Cunningham are just a few of the many talented and giving individuals who contribute to make this the qulaity book that it is.Dorie Greenspan's writing skills set this book apart from others in that it is the standard from which all quality instructional cookbooks should be compared. If you want to learn how the experts bake and not have to leave your own kitchen to do it, this is the book.
Rating:
Summary: baking enthusiast
Review: Baking is much more unforgiving than cooking when it comes to the quality of the recipe and the editing. There is nothing more frustrating than to read about an exciting bread or dessert only to discover that the recipe wasn't carefully tested or has typos. Not a problem here. I have yet to find a miss in this book. Every recipe comes out well, the instructions are clear but concise, and the recipes cover the range of classic baking. The use of multiple bakers from the TV series ensures that all recipes were created by experts, but it's Greenspan who should really be commended for translating what are probably large-scale, commercial recipes to those sized for the home cook and to do so in a manner that balances giving sufficient but not overdone direction. I find myself unwilling to bake out of any other cookbook these days.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent, reliable, clearly written
Review: Baking is much more unforgiving than cooking when it comes to the quality of the recipe and the editing. There is nothing more frustrating than to read about an exciting bread or dessert only to discover that the recipe wasn't carefully tested or has typos. Not a problem here. I have yet to find a miss in this book. Every recipe comes out well, the instructions are clear but concise, and the recipes cover the range of classic baking. The use of multiple bakers from the TV series ensures that all recipes were created by experts, but it's Greenspan who should really be commended for translating what are probably large-scale, commercial recipes to those sized for the home cook and to do so in a manner that balances giving sufficient but not overdone direction. I find myself unwilling to bake out of any other cookbook these days.
Rating: 
Summary: If you could only eat the pages...
Review: But you can't, you have to end up with an edible dessert from following these recipes and so far...NOTHING WORKS! Muffins refuse to come out of the pan, cakes don't cook all the way through and end up as glop...It's not my oven, because the desserts I've made from Pierre Herme's book have come out perfectly. Who'd ever think an Herme book would work better than a Julia Child book? I'm a little flummoxed since Ms. Greenspan was involved in both books. What gives?
Rating:
Summary: Please answer the doorbell!
Review: Come in Flo Braker, to teach me to make Berry Galette. And here is Nick Malgieri to teach me Sweet Ricotta Pie. Please make room for Marcel Desaulniers. From him I will learn to make Chocolate-Mint Nightcaps, eating them all I learned on my own!! That is the way this book feels to me, like all these bakers(27 in all) have come to my home for an extended stay. Oh, how I wish it were really so! This, however is the next best thing. All the bakers are the best in the field, and the recipes reflect that. I awaited this book for 6 months before it was finally released from the publisher, and I have not been disappointed. Dorie Greenspan did a fabulous job writing this book. And I will keep on doing a fabulous job of baking my way through it
Rating:
Summary: The definitive baking book.
Review: Even if you make only a few of the many recipes in this extensive volume, you will learn a great deal about the WHYS involved in baking. The instructions and the photographs are clear & easy to follow, and produce excellent results.
Rating:
Summary: Have to agree
Review: Every single thing I've made from this book has been the best of its kind I've ever made.
Rating:
Summary: Mysteries of Baking Demystified
Review: Great recipes and great teaching. Some recipes are classics, such as croissants, which require mastering certain techniques. These techniques are well explained and bakers are very much encouraged to experiment, and try again
if the results aren't perfect. Some recipes, like the galette, are lifesavers --they can be made in just a few minutes and are instantly wonderful and successful. The glossary explains various baking terms extremely clearly,
and the photos do an excellent job of illustrating. It might even be possible to have never baked a yeast bread before and be successful with this book, no small feat in my eyes. Of course, if you are looking for bread machine-type breads, or for low-fat croissant recipes, this book will not meet
your needs. But if you want to learn how to bake a wide variety of sophisticated and simple breads, make different types of crusts and doughs, pastries and other baked items, this is really an excellent choice.
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