I am a collector of bakery cookbooks. I love the thick pages, rich with color photography. I appreciate well written recipes that are methodical and simple enough for a novice or amateur home baker to figure out. Bouchon Bakery is a pretty good example of the type of cookbook I gravitate to. The food photographs tick off all the requisite boxes for "food pornography" and the recipes themselves are mouthwatering. I have made at least two of the recipes so far - the bacon cheddar scones are just divine and disappeared from the conference table in a flash. I only have two quibbles with the book, and take them as you will: I prefer my cookbooks and recipes to clearly state the time for chilling/freezing/overnighting at the beginning of the recipe, so I can prepare for the baking session beforehand, instead of getting everything prepared and reading down the recipe only to find out some finicky dough requires chilling and resting for a period of 12-24 hours. Also, there is a significant section on bread-making which is kind of wasted on me, since I am not interested in making bread. But if you are, then you will love it! When I picked this book up at the library, I was attracted by the cover and hooked by the beautiful photos I saw as I flipped through. In fact, it wasn't until I began reading it that I realized the author(s) own/work in some highly-regarded (famous?) restaurants.That said, the more I read of the recipes, the more I realized that this cookbook, unlike others I've enjoyed, would be something to aspire to - something inspirational that I hope, "one day," to cook from. Even though the authors seem to do a good job translating their professional and large-scale recipes into smaller dimensions and clear instructions, the techniques and such are just a bit more than I feel ready to try.The recipes sound (and look!) delicious, though, and it's obvious the chef authors care about their craft.
What do You think about Bouchon Bakery (2012)?
I want to buy this book. I checked it out of the library to read, and now I know I need to buy it.
—disasterrainbow
Too giant and heavy to actually use in the kitchen, but beautiful! And inspiring!
—Somebi2012
This on for Christmas - great recipes/techniques...love Thomas Keller cookbooks.
—Omarblack4
