I enjoy a good, detailed cookbook that breaks down the most effective way to do recipes. That said, much of this book felt... fussy to me. I'm a pretty experienced baker, and even I felt daunted by the detail and options presented. Maybe I'm not the ideal audience because I don't want my hand held quite so much. The breadth of recipes within this volume is fantastic, though--and the information in the back on techniques, ingredients, and tools, is a fantastic resource for cooks of any level. ( )

This is absolutely one of the most pretentious merchandise-flouting baking/cook books I have ever read. It is not for the beginner, nor the "Gee, I think I'll bake today" person. This is a book to read, mostly. And for the pretty much experienced baker. I bought the book because most of my cookbooks are of the older basic kinds. So I thought I would invest in a new up-to-date cookbook. If I were to follow all those instructions about essentials for this and that, I would have to be the single winner of the lottery. A bread machine? Are you kidding me? Who uses a bread machine nowadays- it makes the most tasteless ordinary bread, no matter what kind of flour you put into it. I haven't seen one of those in the stores (for home baking) since I don't know when. Silicone? What! I wouldn't go near any kind of silicone baking item. Yes, I use spatulas and like but no way will I put food into a silicone dish and place it in a hot oven. And I am absolutely horrified at all this enthusiasm over baking spray. But then again, I am not enthusiastic about anything that sprays stuff around food, including whipped cream. However, if you do actually read this book, it will provide you with a true understanding of the different kinds of flours, sugars, et al. The book also gives the good advice- and explains why- it is always better to weigh than measure. It also provides the grams and Centigrade alternatives. But the book is basically useless re the size of pans (always in inches), which is essential for recipes to be successful; and it provides the exact brands of flours, sugars, etc which are not available outside the US. So in order to accurately use the recipes you, as an experienced baker, must be able to adapt the type of flours, etc. to what is available in your country. I bake in Sweden with both American and Swedish recipe measurements. Swedish Apricot Walnut Bread- a very typical type of sourdough bread which I bake in a swish- do I really measure the slashes? Give me a break. I find the photos engaging and helpful along with the ingredients section. It is, however, not a book that lends itself to easy handling- very heavy. Would I recommend this book? Yes, I would: to someone who enjoys reading about baking. ( )

Great library sale find. Winner, winner, chicken dinner...and baked goods. ( )

Fall is the time I really get into cooking, so I've been experimenting with Rose Levy Beranbaum's new version of The Baking Bible -- mostly with good results. She has a scientist's approach to method that makes her instructions precise and her rationale for each step clear. It can be a little intimidating, especially when she says things like "only use Gold Medal bread flour and spoon the flour gently into the measure before leveling" but on the other hand, her recipes rarely go wrong for me. And when they do, it is usually my fault for taking a short cut.

My favorite thing so far is an apricot-walnut made with regular flour, but a rye-based starter. I left the starter to sit for several days before I used it, and it got very tangy. The bread itself has no sugar, the only sweetness comes from the dried fruit. (It called for golden raisins as well as apricots, but I used dried currents). It's great with a side of sharp cheddar, or some marmalade.

But the thing I really like about the book is that because she explains the "why" of each step, you can use any recipe as a guide to creating your own version. I'm already wondering if I couldn't create a variation that uses a slightly different starter, pecans and sour cherries. Or hazelnuts and cranberries.

I love to bake, and Beranbaum's cookbooks have been standards for me for years: I've tried every recipe in her "Rose's Christmas Cookies" with the exception of the Notre Dame Cathedral gingerbread house, and more than a few of them have become Christmas standards. (I'm on my third copy of the book, because it gets so much use. And I've attempted pretty much every recipe in her Cake Bible and Pies & Pastries book. So I have no doubt The Baking Bible will get the same treatment, with the same generally good outcome.