Professional Baking

by Wayne Gisslen

One of the most respected cookbooks in the industry, the 2002 IACP Cookbook Award Winner for Best Technical/Reference, Professional Baking brings aspiring pastry chefs and serious home bakers the combined talent of Wayne Gisslen and the prizewinning Le Corden Bleu in one volume. The revised Fourth Edition offers complete instruction in every facet of the bakers craft, offering more than 750 recipes including 150 from Le Cordon Bleu for everything from cakes, pies, pastries, and cookies to artisan breads. Page after page of clear instruction, the hallmark of all Gisslen culinary books, will help you master the basics such as pâte brisée and puff pastry and confidently hone techniques for making spectacular desserts using spun sugar and other decorative work. More than 500 color photographs illustrate ingredients and procedures as well as dozens of stunning breads and finished desserts.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Food, Nonfiction, Reference, Culinary, Textbooks

736 pages, Hardcover

First published February 4, 1985

Reviews

[Karmologyclinic · Rating 5 out of 5]

one word to describe this book: bakegasm!

[Andy · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're into baking at all this is essential reading. One of the textbooks used at Le Cordon Bleu, this excellent instructional book goes into exhaustive detail about different flours, leavening agents, every style of bread, pastry, cakes and even custards. You probably won't have need for another baking book once you get this, because Wayne Gisslen's Professional Baking is as comprehensive as it gets.

[Rick Hunter · Rating 5 out of 5]

So far, this is the best book that I've read in Culinary School. if you have any interest in baking at all, this book shows you are of the basics. Not only does it show you all of the baking basics of everything from biscuits to creme Brule to pies, it shows you how to make pretty much anything that a batter is used for like doughnuts & crepes. There are also plenty of recipes for fillings & sauces to go along with your baked goods. This one is a must for any Culinary professional.

[Ginnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The worst problem with this textbook is how much you have to flip around to find the complete technique to the formulas. Rather impractical when in the middle of tempering chocolate or making an Italian Meuringue.

[Brady · Rating 5 out of 5]

Want to learn to bake the right way? This is a text book with clear chapters, instructions, and recipes that are easy to tweak into your own creations. This is my go to, 9 times out of 10.

Gorgeous full color illustrations really help the shelf appeal too.

[Eileen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent Reference Book

[Dusty Bookmarks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Used this in Culinary school and i still refer back to it over 10 years later. 🙃

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not a culinary or pastry student by any means, but I wanted to learn more about baking and I thought it best to find a copy of an actual textbook used in cooking schools. This one I've found is very informative, concise, and well-written. I've come across some terrible textbooks in my time at university and at school, and I was very pleased to find that this isn't one of them.

It covers a wide berth, as appropriate for a culinary textbook, and will serve as a great reference in my kitchen. I've used it so far in comparing recipes I have gotten in my cookbooks and off online to determine any adjustments. It may be a little too much for the occasional baker, though, so to those who aren't culinary or pastry students, I'd only really recommend seeking out a copy of this if you're curious about a more comprehensive, in-depth and technical look at cooking. Even with my own curiosity I already know that this book likely won't make a regular appearance out unless I'm either wanting to try a new recipe and am looking at the multitudes online and in my own cookbooks or to make up my own, new recipe.

[Syahira · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the book I frequently use and read all these years. Its a comprehensive book about the science of baking and it cover all the basic terms and steps in baking pastries, cakes and bread. Although I never actually use this book for the recipes but I find it provide wealth of information that you wouldn't find even in the wikipedia.

The recipes started with the basics to intermediate and professional. Unlike the Professional Cooking where you don't really need the precise measurement for everything, Professional Baking is a good companion to had for beginners of cooking or culinary students. Hence why the book is rather condensed with basic instructions including introductory to the commonest items used in baking like flour, water, oil but it does provide more information like the type of flour being used in recipes, the 12 steps taken for baking a bread down to the types of chocolate you can make.

It was never a replacement for the actual kitchen work with the chef but if you have a need to know the differences of Italian and Swiss Meringue or the Scottish or French method for laminated dough, this book can help you with the definition and description. Its not a must have for average bakers because of the size of the book and the overall non-specificity of the content. But if you are interested in baking, this book will help you down to the basic.

[De · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a great book for bakers. The recipes are terrific for the cakes, pies, etc. but our bread was consistently too wet because the recipes call for far too much water. We cut it back by 1/3 and would add as needed to make the proper consistency. That said there are some wonderful and exotic cakes in there that I was lucky enough that my BFF made and put my name on :)

[Alma · Rating 4 out of 5]

This text was included in my classes at LCB. I keep it around in part because of the recipes and the notes I took, but it makes a great reference volume, as well. Covers a lot of topics, and has a huge number of recipes.

[Petabyte · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll probably never use anything from this book (my sister bakes, and quite well too!) because I'm too lazy, but paging through it gives me an appetite. :)

[Kierstin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good for learning the basic chemistry of baking, but not for everyday use

[Mia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this for school, I've found that it's very informative. We're using the Fifth Edition, which Goodreads doesn't have listed.
I recommend it for serious bakers out there.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

great textbook - has a lot of information that I am constantly using for reference. Also, the formulas are really easy to use and variate and i have found some of the best recipes out of this book.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE textbook.

[Yasmeen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Great explanations of techniques, but there is no way in hell I'm going to use emulsified shortening.

[michelle c · Rating 4 out of 5]

My baking bible!

[Aaron Dalton · Rating 5 out of 5]

http://perlkonig.com/2012/07/27/profe...

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Sous chef recommended I buy this for my classes didn't need it but it came in handy

[Thanaa Khawaja · Rating 5 out of 5]

ممتاز !

[Tania · Rating 4 out of 5]

Textbook for my pastry class- a good blend of history, terminology, method, and recipes (sorry, formulas).
Super useful!

[Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a wonderful baking book. Excellent recipes. If you are in the field of cooking or baking this is what you will need.

[Juma Leah]

Baking