Essential Baking Paperback – 1 Jun. 2011

I love this baking book. I love how easy the baking instructions are. I have made any cakes, my favourite is the lumber jack.

This book is one of the 'Essential' series by Murdoch Books. Although not an exact reprint, many of the recipes in this book have previously been published in  Baking: A Commonsense Guide  also by Murdoch Books so it's worth checking your bookshelf before you decide to buy.Having said that, visually, this book looks stunning. It's large, glossy and the photograph on the front is tempting and aspirational at the same time. The book is quite large and sturdy but still easy to use and wouldn't be a hindrance in the kitchen while trying to follow a recipe.At the beginning of the book there is the usual introduction, a history of baking, a good glossary of terminology and ingredients and a really nice section on what equipment you need (or would like to own) to be able to make all the recipes in this book.The chapters of the book include teatime, cakes, biscuits, slices, sweet pies and pastries, savoury pies and pastries and bread. In each chapter is a huge array of delicious looking baking delights and I can guarantee that everyone will find something in the book to tickle their tastebuds.Each recipe has a tempting picture (and some recipes have smaller pictures of the baking process); the time taken to prepare and time taken to cook; how many the recipe makes; a detailed list of ingredients (in grams, ounces and cups) and a list of the instructions. There aren't any nutritional statistics but that's probably not a bad thing!The beauty of this book is that there's something for everyone. You don't need to be an expert baker to find things to make from this book but equally you won't be disappointed if you regularly bake. There are plenty of lovely looking treats in the book and if you've got a sweet tooth or are just a keen baker then I would recommend this book to you. 5 stars.

An excellent summary of most of the classic baking recipes for pastries, breads, scones, biscuits, cakes, etc, is contained in this beautifully illustrated book. We've baked most of them over the last few decades, and know they work!The philosophy behind the techniques is outlined at the beginning of each section. Each recipe lists the components, carefully takes us through the method and shows us a picture of what the result should look like. Better still, "what went wrong" photos help us to correct any mistakes and refine our skills.The recipes have all three measurement systems shown, ie cups, ounces and grams, and each temperature system, Gas Mark, degrees Fahrenheit and Centigrade.I found a few points that should have been addressed, such as no mention of preferred egg size, or of making cup-cakes, or of fan-oven usage. Cup cakes are a current fashion and have interesting problems peculiar to them. Fan ovens can be a great advantage with some recipes, but disaster with others.The biggest single concern I have is about egg size. I would have quoted preferred egg weights, or suggested adjusting the quantities to correspond with the weight of the nearest whole number of eggs. For some of the recipes the number of eggs used imply using 75gm eggs while others imply 50gm eggs, and if you are using six eggs (eg in the pound cake where they should be approx 60g/2oz) this variation could be significant!I'm not too happy with the binding as I think it is somewhat brittle, already showing several creases and cracks after just a couple of hours happy browsing between us discussing different recipes, and it might not survive several years of use in our kitchen.Conclusion? The recipes and presentation are generally excellent. If you do not already have a more comprehensive work such as  Leiths Baking Bible  then you will enjoy Essential Baking, but be aware of the limitations.

Most recipes are simple and every one has taste great so far. Excellent photos although I am not too keen on the layout as the text is a little cramped for my liking and I tend to lose my place and some of the steps are just too long, actually incorporating a few steps which, in my view, beginners would do better if the steps were separated a little more. But that might just be me...I am a fairly experienced baker and this book has certainly played a part in increasing my abilities and know-how. I recommend it to beginners and masters alike.

I've made a few recipes from this book now, and my appalling baking skills aside, they've been pretty sucessful! The instructions and clear and easy to follow, and the images are attractive. I particularly like the 'what went wrong' sections - a great troubleshooting guide. It includes all those basic recipes you feel you ought to know but don't, as well as some more unusual ones. A great addition to my kitchen bookshelf.

My first impression on receiving this book was that the presentation was very impressive. I always value a good quality picture of the item I'm trying to make in a cookery book and Essential Baking certainly has this licked.Also in its favour is the wealth of different recipes on offer. We've made several of the breads to great success and the cakes and muffins all look so nice that we'll no doubt work our way through this section over the coming holiday period.The instructions are simple to follow and clearly laid out. Following them is easy while baking thanks to the format of the book and some recipes also have pictures to show you how to carry out some of the more tricky tasks.Essential Baking is really just that, a guide to making the essential items for everyday use and also an essential guide to the more extravagant cakes and treats.