Bouchon Bakery (The Thomas Keller Library)

BOTTOM LINE: One of the best baking recipe books on the market! In fact, this is my go-to book for baking. To provide a fair review, I tried multiple recipes before rating this baking cookbook. MY FAVORITE THINGS: The main reason I purchased this book is because the recipes call for weighed (grams) ingredients. Volumes are also listed in the recipes for those who do not own a scale, but I HIGHLY recommend weighing your ingredients in order to achieve more accurate and consistent results, especially when baking. (Flour tends to settle so, if 10 people scooped out 1 cup of flour from their flour bin, there would be 10 different weights from each of those cups. This is one reason why measuring in volumes produces inconsistent results. If you love to cook but you don't have a scale, I recommend investing in one -- you won't regret it!) I also love that this book provides many extras, tips, and tricks to help you achieve better baking results, which in turn makes you a better baker. Don't overlook these tidbits because they provide a lot of wisdom that can be used in other recipes. BOOK: This book is pretty heavy (almost 6 pounds!) and full of excellent recipes. Some of the recipes I made from this cookbook include a few different breads, muffins, cookies, a couple different confections, and some cakes. All of the recipes that I have tried so far have been excellent. RECIPES: Each recipe is clearly written with detailed instructions. Although not all of the recipes have pictures, most of them do include excellent, professional photographs. There are even pictures of how to do some of the more complex steps. There are some recipes that are quick and some recipes that take time (good doughs take time to prepare, but it's mostly inactive time that allows you to do other things). Don't avoid some of the more time-consuming recipes -- these can be some of the best things you'll ever bake. I love to make the more time-consuming recipes for guests (which makes them think I'm some sort of baking genius even though I'm not, lol). One thing to note: all ingredients are measured in weights (grams), even common things like whole eggs. But don't let this deter you. In the beginning of the book it explains how to accurately weigh eggs (beaten) to use in the recipes. Sometimes this means you could have some leftover beaten egg, and if you're like me you don't like to waste anything. So, you could either: cook the leftover eggs and eat them; or, if there's not a lot left over, toss the rest in the recipe. I have not had any problems doing it this way. Another thing to note: a few of the recipes call for ingredients that may not sound familiar. I'm not a chef by any means so when I see ingredients such as crème fraîche, glucose, and diastatic malt powder, my mind immediately thinks "I can't make this recipe." However, I have learned that this doesn't have to be the case in the age of the Internet. For example: crème fraîche can be found in the dairy section at the grocery store or you can improvise and make it using cream and buttermilk (or sour cream); glucose is a clear liquid sugar like corn syrup; and diastatic malt powder can be purchased or it can easily be made in your own kitchen by sprouting some barley berries (seeds), drying them, then blending them into a fine powder. Lesson: never be afraid to try new and different things.

I have been cooking from Chef Keller's books for a few years now and the results have always been extraordinary. Even though I just received the book yesterday (one day early... thank you USPS), I have already tried a couple of recipes from the preview pages on Amazon over this past weekend. Once again, the results were fantastic. The Blueberry Muffins with the Almond Streusel have an incredible depth of flavor, mostly due to resting the batter in the refrigerator overnight. The Oatmeal Raisin Cookies have a flavor profile that is nearly identical to the scrumptious boxed mix sold at Williams Sonoma. As with the other Keller books I own, the recipes are thorough, precise and often time-consuming. So, planning and moderate skills are essential when executing these culinary treats. However, you will be delighted with the end results. ***UPDATE 10/29/2012*** Over the weekend, I have completed a couple more recipes from Bouchon Bakery. First up is the Banana Muffins with Walnut Streusel topping. Since this recipe calls for crème fraîche, I started a couple of days ahead and made my own. I also went shopping for bananas that would be perfectly ripe in time to make the batter Friday afternoon. As with the Blueberry Muffins, this batter rests in the refrigerator overnight. The result is a moist and delicate crumb unlike most banana breads which can be dense and dry. The walnut streusel was a perfect crunchy compliment to the moist muffins. Another A+ recipe. Next on the list to try was the Double Chocolate Chunk and Chip Cookies. This recipe calls for chocolate and a lot of it. I used Valrhona cocoa, Scharffen Berger 62% semisweet chocolate chunks and Ghirardelli semisweet chocolate chips. They were perfect still slightly warm from the oven. This is a chocolate lover's dream cookie! I plan to move on to breads next. Will it be Brioche, Sourdough or Croissants? Decisions, decisions. ***UPDATE 11/18/2012*** I decided to tackle one of the most intimidating recipes a home baker can face. Croissants! A few years ago, I traveled to Paris for the first time. My first taste of an authentic croissant was at Ladurée, a famous parisian tea salon and patisserie. The experience of walking along the Seine, pulling apart the buttery layers and the crisp outer crust crumbling as I bit into it is now a part of who I am. As Chef Keller describes in the book, once you have had a croissant in Paris, it changes you. Now, I was somewhat skeptical that this magic could be reproduced by the home baker. Even looking at the amazing photos in the book, with all the beautiful and distinct layers, it seemed doubtful this could be achieved in a home kitchen without a professional dough sheeter. My doubts were completely flattened. This recipe for traditional croissants is a masterpiece! The aroma that fills the kitchen while these are baking is unbelievable and every buttery, golden layer of the laminated dough is visible. The crusty shell disintegrates when you bite into it and the soft, airy interior almost melts in your mouth. Perfection! ***UPDATE 4/21/2013*** Croissants Revisited. Although I was very pleased with the results of my first attempt at the traditional croissants recipe, I have spent some time thinking of ways to improve my results. The main obstacle I face is a very cold kitchen, which can make proofing difficult. Normally, I use the "raising bread" setting on my oven for breads and doughs. But at 100º F, this would melt the butter in a croissant dough. The solution I chose was to use heating pads under the storage container proofing box to provide warmth. I placed a wire rack on top of the heating pad to elevate the sheet pans of croissants and covered everything with the plastic tub. It worked perfectly, so I wanted to share this for others who may have cold kitchens. I will upload a photo of this proofing method. The second obstacle was the egg wash. I thought my results were too streaky. After reading that most bakeries use commercial sprayers to apply egg wash, I decided to try it using a cheap spray bottle. I used an immersion blender to get the eggs as smooth as possible before passing them though a fine mesh stainer and into the spray bottle. The result was a more even browning than my prior attempt. I have uploaded a photo of the results. Also, the freezing and refreshing methods in the book work perfectly. I have defrosted some of the croissants and they were as good as the day they were baked. Oatmeal Raisin Cookies Revisited. Of all the recipes in the book, I think I have made the Oatmeal Raisin Cookies more than any other. I usually make the smaller version, 72 grams, so there are more to share. I have made a few mistakes that I thought I would share that may help some. The recipe suggests soaking the raisins in hot water for 30 minutes, if they are not plump. The recipe also states they should be drained and patted dry. After I drain the raisins, I place them in a bowl lined with paper towels and press them as dry as possible without crushing them. If they are too wet, the cookies may spread too much when baking. Also, if your oven has the convection feature, use it! As written in the book, the cookies do not spread as much when baked in a convection oven. But trust me, they taste equally delicious either way. Yesterday, I decided to make the Bouchon-sized version, 145 grams. They were big and thick, crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside. Definitely my favorite way to prepare these cookies! Pictures going up now.

The recipes are great and the tone is very professional which might put some people of but not me. The cookies look great and it's the kind of book that makes me want to cook better, to go further, to have beauty in the plate to accompany the taste. Thomas Keller is demanding with quality and taste and as a cook, I think it's important to have this kind of inspiration too. The technique is on the spot but the recipes are beautiful and delicious. It's not an easy format for a cook book but it's a beautiful one. Enjoy and don't be scared by the "neatness" of it!

You can not just take a French baking recipe, devised and tested with French ingredients, and use it "as is" with North-American ingredients. And vice-versa. Case in point, French macarons. The icing sugar here (Canada) is different from the icing sugar in France. I've been struggling for years to have my macarons turn out as great as they used to when I made them in France. Enter this book... The recipe is adapted to the addition of starch in Canadian (and USA) icing sugar. Hurray!!!! I've baked PERFECT macarons, finally, with Canadian icing sugar. There are lots of details for each recipe. But not so much or so badly delivered that one feels overwhelmed. However, this might not be a book for a complete beginner baker.

I bought this book for my wife as she loves baking but I thought this book might help her take her baking to `the next level'. She is a very competent baker but not especially refined, having seen the Bouchon Bakery in Las Vegas she was inspired... and hence this book seemed perfect for her. Some quick things to note about the book (which I've tried to explain in more depth below): -It's a BIG book. Not too practical for the kitchen worktop -Each recipe is richly illustrated with lovely photos, really helps you know what you're working towards -Lots of information / recipe stories to read through should you want to -Perfect for passionate and confident bakers / Thomas Keller fans, perhaps not for beginners or those looking for a quick and easy baking book -All recipes have precise measurements in grams, but also American equivalents available too if using cups (although they do tell you to throw your measuring cups away!) -There are notes on the majority of recipes for `professionals' Firstly it's worth noting this book's size: it is very large and not especially practical if you wanted to use this in the kitchen and are limited on space. The book is also fairly text heavy in places, with a lot of information but my wife is very passionate about food so has devoured this information with glee. It gives a lot of context not only to the recipes but also Thomas Keller's development and training as a baker, and passes some tips on along the way. Well worth the investment of time in reading I think if you want to get the most from this book. I have uploaded a couple of images of typical recipe pages but in general they all have accompanying photos and are laid out in a very practical, easy to follow way. The images are so inspirational although they almost put my wife off doing some of them, thinking she wouldn't be able to achieve the same results. My wife's favourite recipe by far is for the TKOs, we didn't have the special coco powder but the results were so very tasty, and if you like OREOs you will adore these. All in all I would recommend this book for those with a real passion for baking / are fans of Thomas Keller and his Bouchon Bakery, perhaps not for those are looking for some basic bakery recipes.

Love the recipes and detailing that the book has. I wouldnt suggest it for amateur bakers though as each dish is a mater piece by itself.

Ultimo nato della famiglia Keller, altro librone che si caratterizza per la bellezza, la perfezione formale e la bontà delle proposte, tutte centrate sui prodotti da forno. In questo è essenziale la collaborazione di Sebastien Rouxel (pasticcere) e Matthew McDonald (panettiere), sotto la supervisione di Thomas Keller; un aspetto, quello dei prodotti da forno, a cui il grande chef americano tiene in modo particolare, un "affetto" che il libro non tradisce, anzi esalta nel coniugare tradizione francese e statunitense. Pasticceria e pani con ricette molto curate, soprattutto nella descrizione dei procedimenti e delle tecniche di lavorazione: cookies, scones e muffin, brioche, croissants e lievitati, pani rustici e baguettes, confetteria e cioccolati - e in chiusura un capitolo di ricette base. Il punto forte del libro, a mio parere, è nella panetteria, con un passo-passo fotografico che segue una manualità altrimenti incomprensibile: si va dai pani francesi a rustici ai multicereali, fino ai muffin inglesi e ai pretzels. Non solo per professionisti.