The King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion: The All-Purpose Baking Cookbook

Excellent baking reference for new and experienced home bakers. Packed full of recipes of all description. Don't expect loads of glossy photos- there are very few- but loads of line drawings. Heaps of helpful hints, how tos and background information. Ingredients in cups and ounces. A big heavy book.

A very well written book with lots of history and stuff that makes it an interesting read.A must have for serious bakers and enthusiastic learners like me.The measures are in US customary units (mostly British Imperial) and one may need a conversion table handy. There is a conversion table in the first chapter on measurements.Some very nice recipes to try.

Keeping this short and sweet since I had to return the item (let's call it a spell of baking apathy).It's dense, detailed, visual, nearly 'fool-proof' but definitely, full of inspiration. On the other hand, it's brief since it attempts to cover the world's best known bakes, and worst, for the US cup-hating baker, full of volume measures. Now, if you're online, you'll know KAF have an excellent site, full of not only their own recipes (yes, from this very book), but also seasonally updated and reader contributed recipes. Now why would I give that up for this? My shelves are already heaving...However, given its functionality, I would consider buying it again were inspiration for turning on the oven ever comes knocking again. For now, I'm more than happy to use their online resource with the handy conversion tool added to the majority of post-2008 recipes. How can you beat that?Also, for the 'loves all things American' baker, this is a must.

Stunning book, what every household should have. The only pity is that everything is in American measures...

I ordered a new item but it arived a bit damaged. The used item whole grain from KAF, I also bought, arrived in a better state.However I am keeping this book scince its a waist of time and energy to return it. As baking recipe book it's fantastic. 600+ pages a few photo's in the middel and loads of informative drawings. Plenty of recipes to keep you bakking the next 20 years or so