Bake!: Essential Techniques for Perfect Baking

"Baking is a science" is a phrase that begins many baking books, but Malgieri (Modern Baker; Perfect Cakes) warns not to "buy into the fallacy" and claims that "Baking needn't be any more difficult than making a phone call." This approachable attitude makes this an ideal selection for beginning and intermediate bakers. In 20 chapters, basic recipes and techniques are introduced for each category including flaky pastry dough, butter cakes, and quick breads. Once home bakers master the main recipe, they can move on to variations. Recipes include numbered steps, extensive headnotes, serving and storage notes, and often step-by-step photographs. Sidebars with essential tips are placed throughout the book. Classics including New York cheesecake, tarte tatin, and an old-fashioned cornbread are offset with less familiar selections like the British Bakewell tart; ekmek, a Turkish flatbread, and a Russian punch cake. Though sweet Danish and French pastries take up their rightful number of pages, savory dishes including spinach and bacon tart; ground beef empanadas; and pizza alla campofranco are included. Comprehensive and fun. (Sept.)