Below is a list of Joe Pastry-recommended books. I own almost all of them, and those I don’t I covet. I receive any and all recommendations with great enthusiasm.
Core Books for the Home Pastry Enthusiast:
The Cake Bible, Rose Levy Berenbaum
Dessert University, Roland Mesnier
Lenotre’s Desserts and Pastries, Gaston Lenôtre
Maida Heatter’s Book of Great Desserts, Maida Heatter
The Pie and Pastry Bible, Rose Levy Berenbaum
Core Books for the Home Bread Baking Enthusiast:
The Bread Baker’s Apprentice, Peter Reinhart
Crust and Crumb, Peter Reinhart
The Bread Bible, Rose Levy Berenbaum
Chez Panisse Cooking, Paul Bertolli
Other Excellent Books for the Home Baker
Baking: From my Home to Yours, Dorie Greenspan
The King Arthur Flour Baker’s Companion: The All-Purpose Baking Cookbook
Baking Illustrated, The Editors of Cook’s Illustrated Magazine
Baking with Julia, Julia Child & Dorie Greenspan
Bernard Clayton’s New Complete Book of Breads, Bernard Clayton
Breads from the LaBrea Bakery, Nancy Silverton
Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Herme, Dorie Greenspan
In the Sweet Kitchen, Regan Daley
Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook, Martha Stewart (for food design only)
Pastries from te LaBrea Bakery, Nancy Silverton
For the Pastry Professional (or devoted enthusiast):
The Professional Pastry Chef, Bo Friberg
Cakes to Dream On: A Master Class in Decorating, Colette Peters
Grand Finales: The Art of the Plated Dessert, Tish Boyle, Timothy Moriarty
Grand Finales: A Neoclassic View of Plated Desserts, Tish Boyle, Timothy Moriarty
Grand Finales: A Modernist View of Plated Desserts, Tish Boyle, Timothy Moriarty
The Advanced Professional Pastry Chef, Bo Friberg
Books on Food Science
On Food and Cooking, Harold McGee
BakeWise, Shirley O. Corriher
CookWise, Shirley O. Corriher
I’m Just Here for the Food, Alton Brown
I’m Just Here for More Food, Alton Brown
Molecular Gastronomy, Hervé This
Books on Food History
The Oxford Companion to Food, Alan Davidson
Larousse Gastronomique, Prosper Montagne (Editor)
English Bread and Yeast Cookery, Elizabeth David
A Mediterranean Feast, Clifford A. Wright
Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America, Andrew F. Smith (Editor)
The Artful Eater, Edward Behr
I don’t know if this list was on the old site (I never saw it) but thank you. Will be spending the next few weeks finding them. I love buying cookbooks and trying new recipes!
If you’ve recommended them, they must be good!
I actually re-worked this section, since I never paid too much attention to it, but lots of people ask me for recommendations. Now they’re more visible!
Love your website, looking forward to the updated version
Thanks Carol! It’s up!
Hey Joe, your new site is great !
Thanks Jesus! I appreciate it!
Joe, your website ROCKS! Love the clarity and photos in your recipes. I was thumbing through your topics and was wondering if you plan on discussing the subject of ‘chocolate’ and tempering. I didn’t see it. If it is here, please direct me to where I can find it. If not, would you consider discussing this topic?
Carmen
Thanks so much Carmen! I appreciate that very much!
Never mind Joe…I found the section on tempering chocolate!
Carmen
Great. Let me know if you have any questions. I’m generally around!
I’d say “Pastry in Europe” is a perfect candidate for the professional category. It’s wonderful!
Thanks Allison!
Great blog and wonderful pictures! Tons of knowledge for a newbie like me! Thanks so much Joe!
It’s my great pleasure, Emi! Please come back!
Joe – I hope you will add “Pie in the Sky” by Susan G. Purdy to your list. I live at 5,000 feet and can tell you that the baking life is very different here. I am an accomplished home baker but was never able to produce popovers at this altitude until I found this book. She has tested basic cakes, meringues, quick breads, yeast breads, souffles, cookies and pies at sea level, 3,000, 5,000, 7,000, and 10,000 feet. Using her altitude x ingredient tables as guides, I can THEN explore the other excellent baking books out there. I bought it in hardcover and am glad because it gets a lot of use!
I’ll get a copy and have a look! Thanks!
Hi, Joe, (I named our son Joey, btw…never met a Joe I didn’t like!),
Some suggestions to add to the book list:
Back in the day when I was a pastry chef (25 plus years ago, phew!), I also–in addition to some of those you mentioned—used to refer to Flo Braker’s The Simple Art of Perfect Baking. Her descriptions are precise and recipes unfalteringly accurate. Alice Medrich’s books are keepers, too.
I need to update this indeed, because there are so many great books out there. Flo Braker is a great mention — a true classic. Thanks Marsha!
- Joe
Got one for the food science section. I love this book!
‘How Baking Works’ by Paula Figoni.
This is a rather clinical treatment of the “why” questions related to baking. There are even quizzes and lab experiments that really bring home the concepts and lessons of each section. It’s not an easy read but the material is approachable and sooooo worth the effort. – Tray
Thanks, Tray! Nice addition!
- Joe