Looking for the science of Baking 'cookbook'

18 years ago

I'm not looking for a recipe type cook book so much as a descripion of the science of baking. I want to know the ins and out of all the different types of dough's and what ingrediants do what and why.

Why do some people put vinegar in their pie crust? milk? eggs? What do those ingrediants do? What are all the different types of flours and how do you figure out when to use them, how to make substitutions or modify recipe's based on their different properties. When do you want gluten? When don't you? Baking power vs. baking soda and on and on.

Any ideas?

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Comments (11)

arabellamiller
18 years ago
I have this one and really like it.

AM
The Dinner Chronicles

Here is a link that might be useful: Cookwise
prairie_love
18 years ago
This book is on my Christmas wish list. I think though that it is more the science of "cooking" not only "baking". However, I have not read it so my recommendation is based only on what I have read about it! I'm very eager to hear what others recommend as I am interested in the science of cooking as well.

On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen (Harold McGee)

Here is a link that might be useful: On Food and Cooking
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beanthere_dunthat
18 years ago
According to The Splendid Table, Shirley Corriher (author of Cookwise) is supposed to be writing one called Bakewise.
I haven't found any publication date for it, though. The geek in my is waiting with tapping foot for it to be released.

Peter Reinhardts Crust & Crumb will give you more chemistry about breakbaking than you probably ever want to know, but it's only bread and primarily yeast breads.
msafirstein
18 years ago
I have wanted this book for the longest time and have been trying to get a good price on Ebay but so far the bids are just too high.

You can always ask specific questions to the CF and you will always get a good response or maybe many good responses.

We did have several threads on Baking/Cooking questions that went on and on and on and it was so interesting and fun to read. The title of the post was something like "Silly questions you were afraid to ask" or something along those lines.

Anyone remember these threads? I did a search but came up empty.

Michelle
beanthere_dunthat
18 years ago
Which book, Michelle?
grainlady_ks
18 years ago
In no particular order, these are my go-to books for science of cooking/baking. Some are repeats of those above. -Grainlady

1. Understanding Food - Principles and Preparation
by Amy Brown (2nd Edition). This is an expensive college textbook, but holds a wealth of information.

2. The Science of Cooking - by Peter Barham

3. The Inquisitive Cook (Discover How a Pinch of Curiosity Can Improve Your Cooking) by Anne Gardiner and Sue Wilson (you can find it in paperback and it's one of my favorites) There used to be a web site by this author. This book explains how vinegar works in pastry.

4. I also like Harold McGee's works, as others mentioned, On Food And Cooking AND The Curious Cook (which is more kitchen science and lore).

5. BAKING 9-1-1 by Sarah Phillips. You can also learn a good deal from her web site http://www.baking911.com/

6. COOKWISE - by Shirley O. Corriher (another of my all-time favorites - I also love to see her when she appears on Alton Brown's show)

7. BREAD A Baker's Book of Techniques and Recipes by Jeffrey Hamelman (Director of the Bakery and Baking Education Center, King Arthur Flour) I like this book as well as Crust & Crumb by Peter Reinhart.

8. The Bread Book - A Natural, Whole-Grain Seed-to-Loaf Approach to Real Bread - by Thom Leonard
pat_t
18 years ago
Neener neener neener! I have a SIGNED copy of 'Cookwise'!
marys1000
Original Author
18 years ago
Thanks for all the recommendations. It motivated me to do some review reading on Amazon and when trying to decide which of all these books to buy I suddenly thought - Library! Then buy my fav's.
They don't seem to have the Baking 911 but do have On Food and Cooking, Cookwise, the Inquisitive Cook as well has How Baking Works by Figoni. Some other reviews mentioned
Alton Brown who has a series of 3 books out of which one vol (The second one?) is on Baking - they didn't have that either but had his vol on Equipment.
So its off to the Library and perhaps buying what's not available!
marys1000
Original Author
18 years ago
I do home one of these goes into fats, lard for example. I have been talking and researching about getting leaf lard and rendering it out myself and trying to see if I like but have not ever gotten around to doing it. I did track down a meat place that butchers pigs once a week and will save me some.
There is an excellent article by a NYT author I think Msomething Michelle? Clark I think were she experimented with the fats in pie crusts that is very interesting. She actually used grated suet in one which i thought was quite brave.
I'm not obsessive in general but do seem to have one small thing I will be obsessing about at a time. Finding the right car model, whatever and that will be my obsession till I reach the end of the research and quest. Then another will appear. Seems like pie crust is still my obsession though I'm not actively pursuing it most of the time. Oh well, TMI!
Have Great Holidays folks! Don't sweat the small stuff.
msafirstein
18 years ago
Which book, Michelle?

I looking for "How Baking Works: Exploring the Fundamentals of Baking Science" by Paula I. Figoni. I'd like it in hard cover, if possible.

I usually go the library first and check out cookbooks before I buy them. I use interlibrary loan quite a bit too and it only takes at most a few weeks to get the book.

Michelle
alku05
18 years ago
This isn't exactly what marys1000 is looking for, but for anyone who enjoys reading about cooking and science, I recommend "What Einstein Told His Cook: Kitchen Science Explained" by Bob Wolke. It discusses the science behind cooking methods, ingredients, etc with a good bit of humour thrown in. Bob Wolke is a chemist that wrote the Cooking 101 column in the Washington Post, and currently writes the humour column in chemistry's formost trade magazine. Wolke is very knowledgable and quite amusing.

Looking for the science of Baking 'cookbook'

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