The Pastry Chef's Guide: The Secret to Successful Baking Every Time

by Ravneet Gill

'Pastry is an art but it is also food so remember to stay in touch with your ingredients, reflect the seasons in your food and, for the love of God, don’t use strawberries in December.' – Ravneet Gill. This is a book aimed at chefs and home bakers alike who FEAR baking.The pastry is easy. Written by pastry chef extraordinaire, Observer Food Monthly 50 and Code Hospitality 30 Under 30, Ravneet Gill, this is a straight-talking no-nonsense manual designed to become THE baking reference book on any cookery shelf. This is the written embodiment of Ravneet’s very special expertise as a patisserie chef filled with the natural flair and razor-sharp wit that gives her such enormous appeal. Starting with a manifesto for pastry chefs, Ravneet then swiftly moves onto The Basics where she explains the principles of patisserie, which of ingredients you just need to know (gelatine, fresh and dried yeast, flours, sugar, chocolate, cream and butter), how to line your tins, understanding fat content, what equipment you really need, oven temperatures and variables to watch out for. This section alone will give the reader enough knowledge of baking to avoid the pitfalls so many of us take when baking. Chapters are then organised by type of Sugar, Custards , Chocolate , Pastry , Biscuits , Cakes and Puddings. So whether you want to make a lighter-than-air birthday cake, flaky breakfast pastries, smooth and rich ice creams (or parfaits ‘because parfaits are for when you're in the shit’), macarons or meringues, Ravneet will offer just the right advice to make it all seem easy.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Food, Nonfiction

176 pages, Hardcover

Published September 8, 2020

Reviews

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I may only bake one or two recipes from this book, but I learned a TON about the chemistry of baking, and now understand the components and (theoretically) how to go my own way when baking, rather than just following a recipe. Gill is an engaging writer. I do wish the recipes were laid out with usability in mind—I think this book would be harder to bake from than to read.

[Jennie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great recipes.

No pictures.

[Claire Maley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is my baking bible , before this I had never really baked and every single thing I’ve baked from this book has been phenomenal!!!

I love her no nonsense style of writing and the well thought out recipes .

I cannot stop recommending this to people !

[Chandni Maroke · Rating 1 out of 5]

No photos

The Kindle version has no photos. How are you supposed to know what it is going to turn out like ? Also didn’t download properly. Overpriced. Will return.

[Laura Halls · Rating 1 out of 5]

There’s something very unlike able about the way this is written - arrogant, rude and the recipes aren’t special. Will return.

[Janet · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pretty utilitarian, no photos except for two fold-outs. Only recipe that truly grabbed me was the lemon loaf—one of the few photos.

[Nadia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good introduction for those just starting out as pastry chefs. Wish it had more photos though!

[Izzy Ellis (de Bono) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of the recipes seem worth trying, but the book is littered with mistakes and inaccurate information portrayed as fact.