The Cook's Illustrated Baking Book

America's Test Kitchen is known for testing recipes again and again in its Boston-area kitchens until they work reliably at home, and this book applies that approach to baking, where small mistakes can make a big difference. It opens with an illustrated baking basics chapter that covers essential ingredients, equipment and techniques, such as measuring flour accurately, creaming butter and checking for doneness.

The recipes are organized into fifteen chapters covering the full range of baking, from cookies, cakes and cheesecakes to pies, tarts, biscuits, breads, pizza and pastry. Each recipe begins with a short explanation of the problems the testers encountered and the solutions they found, followed by precise instructions. Classic recipes such as chocolate chip cookies, yellow layer cake, apple pie, sandwich bread and pizza dough get particular attention, often with notes on how small changes in technique alter texture and flavor. Many recipes include variations, and a shopping guide at the back recommends favorite equipment and ingredients. Black-and-white photographs and drawings show key steps and finished results.

Thorough, dependable and educational, a book to keep beside the oven for years. About 518 pages in hardcover.