Baking, with its centuries-old history, occupies a place of honor in the global diet, punctuating our holidays, celebrations, fundraisers, religious ceremonies, and daily life. It is an expression of love, often in the form of just-baked chocolate chip cookies. Increasingly, it is also a popular entrée into entrepreneurship and—if shows such as The Great British Baking Show and Food Network’s Spring Baking Championship are any indication—televised stardom.

Even in an age when shoppers halt their grocery carts mid-aisle to Google online recipes, there is still a healthy demand for library cooking collections and baking cookbooks. Ingredients are more abundant and readily available than ever, as are functional ovens and equipment for even the tiniest apartment kitchens. Similarly, libraries and readers have an unprecedented number of options when it comes to the baking genre, which of late has been dominated by trendy single-­subject and novelty titles by bloggers, celebrity chefs, and current and former bakery owners.

When it comes to selecting “the best in baking,” however, the staying power of trends gets called into question. Already the frenzy surrounding treats such as cake pops, macarons, no-bake cookies, and croissant-doughnut hybrids seems to have subsided. Reflecting on the past decade, it’s the simplest innovations that have been the most pervasive—no-knead bread, cookie dough rested for 24 to 48 hours, vodka pie crust, and salted caramel all come to mind—along with a growing awareness of the need to serve audiences with special diets. Many of the award-winning authors and books regarded as the best, such as those covered in John Charles’s excellent 2010 LJ article “Hitting the Sweet Spot,” have yet to be dethroned. And many of the best newer titles are those that subtly improve upon familiar favorites.

The following list highlights the best of in-print and available baking resources. Covering a range of topics, skill levels, and diets, these titles will meet essential baking needs, while leaving plenty of room for expansion into specific categories and forthcoming fads. They’ll also offer home bakers a print and online selection of recipes that will prove more reliable than those found on various websites. Libraries should continue to heed Charles’s advice to weed carefully, as many wonderful titles by Carole Walter, Emily Luchetti, Nick Malgieri, Claudia Fleming, and others are no longer in print.

Starred titles () are essential for most collections

A former assistant pastry chef, Lisa Campbell has reviewed cookbooks for LJ since 2009. She has baked extensively from these titles, much to the delight of her coworkers at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

General Purpose

Beranbaum, Rose Levy. The Baking Bible. Houghton Harcourt. 2014. 576p. photos. index. ISBN 9781118338612. $40; ebk. ISBN 9780544188365.

Well known for The Cake Bible and Rose’s Heavenly Cakes, Beranbaum’s recent cookbook offers a more extensive collection of cakes, pies, tarts, breads, etc. Novice bakers can start out with easy choices (blueberry buckle) and work their way up to somewhat complex recipes (prune preserves and caramel cream cake roll) that can have as many as five homemade components. (LJ 7/14)

Corriher, Shirley O. Bakewise: The Hows and Whys of Successful Baking with Over 200 Magnificent Recipes. Scribner. 2008. 544p. index. ISBN 9781416560784. $45; ebk. ISBN 9781416560838.

The current popularity of J. Kenji Lopez-Alt’s The Food Lab makes it a great time to revisit science-focused baking books, such as this one from trained chemist and award-winning author Corriher (Cookwise). With 200-plus recipes and invaluable sections on troubleshooting. (LJ 10/15/08)

Dodge, Abigail Johnson. The Weekend Baker: Irresistible Recipes, Simple Techniques, and Stress-Free Strategies for Busy People. Norton. 2008. 384p. photos. index. ISBN 9780393331394. pap. $24.95.

Dodge (The Everyday Baker) excels at writing easy recipes that yield impressive results. Ginger crackles, banana layer cake with chocolate frosting, and chocolate-chip brownie double-deckers are just a few of the many “keepers” readers will find in this must-have collection.

Greenspan, Dorie. Baking: From My Home to Yours. Houghton Harcourt. 2006. 528p. photos. index. ISBN 9780618443369. $40; ebk. ISBN 9780547348063.

An instant classic when it was published, this timeless baking book is still hugely popular. Readers familiar with Greenspan’s newer works (e.g., Baking Chez Moi; Around My French Table) will clamor for Dorie’s Cookies (Oct. 2016). Point advanced bakers toward her 1998 and 2001 collaborations with influential Parisian pastry chef Pierre Herme. (LJ 12/06)

Lebovitz, David. Ready for Dessert: My Best Recipes. Ten Speed. 2010. 304p. photos. index. ISBN 9781607743651. pap. $24.99.

Chez Panisse alum Lebovitz (The Perfect Scoop) is one of several authors known for consistent, home cook–friendly recipes. Highlights of this versatile collection include buckwheat cake with cider-poached apples, butternut squash pie, and fresh ginger cake. (LJ 4/15/10)

Sax, Richard. Classic Home Desserts: A Treasury of Heirloom and Contemporary Recipes. Houghton Harcourt. 1994. 688p. photos. index. ISBN 9780618057085. $35; ebk. ISBN 9780547504803.

Sax, who passed away in 1995, founded Food & Wine’s test kitchen and authored many acclaimed cookbooks. His James Beard Award–winning dessert collection is still indispensable, though some readers may need extra coaxing to try the recipes that aren’t photographed. (LJ 8/94)

Cakes & Pies

Boyle, Tish. The Cake Book. Houghton Harcourt. 2006. 384p. photos. index. ISBN 9780471469339. $39.95.

A decade after its publication, this book from Dessert Professional magazine editor Boyle (Flavorful) is still a go-to resource for cakes for all occasions (e.g., buttermilk peach coffee cake, banana cake with caramel espresso frosting, cherry-topped cheesecake cups). (LJ 5/15/06)

Haedrich, Ken. Pie: 300 Tried-and-True Recipes for Delicious Homemade Pie. Harvard Common. 2004. 656p. photos. index. ISBN 9781558322547. pap. $24.95; ebk. ISBN 9781558324961.

Expert baker Haedrich (Dinner Pies), founder of the online community the Pie Academy (thepieacademy.com), remains one of the country’s foremost authorities on pies. This massive collection can help bakers master hundreds of pies with varying crusts and toppings (e.g., lattice, streusel, meringue). (LJ 9/15/04)

Richardson, Julie. Vintage Cakes: Timeless Cupcakes, Flips, Rolls, Layer, Angel, Snack, Chiffon, and Icebox Cakes for Today’s Sweet Tooth. Ten Speed. 2012. 176p. photos. bibliog. index. ISBN 9781607741022. $24; ebk. ISBN 9781607741039.

Richardson’s contemporary takes on classic cakes—including such showstoppers as coffee crunch spiral, jam cake with caramel chocolate ganache, and maple pecan chiffon cake with brown butter icing—bake up perfectly every time. It’s also easy to mix and match her layers, fillings, and frostings to come up with custom creations. (LJ 5/15/12)

Breads

Forkish, Ken. Flour Water Salt Yeast: The Fundamentals of Artisan Bread and Pizza. Ten Speed. 2012. 272p. photos. index. ISBN 9781607742739. $35; ebk. ISBN 9781607742746.

In this James Beard and IACP award–winning cookbook, baker Forkish shares the secrets behind his famous breads and pizzas. (LJ 8/12)

Hertzberg, Jeff & Zoë François. The New Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery That Revolutionizes Home Baking. Thomas Dunne: St. Martin’s. 2013. 400p. photos. index. ISBN 9781250018281. $29.99; ebk. ISBN 9781250018298.

Hertzberg and François (Gluten-Free Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day) updated their best-selling bread book to include new recipes and photos, weight measurements, a better index, and a gluten-free chapter. Their easy “five minutes a day” method is extremely popular and has precipitated numerous follow-up cookbooks. (LJ 9/15/13)

Reinhart, Peter. The Bread Baker’s Apprentice: Mastering the Art of Extraordinary Bread. Ten Speed. 2001. 320p. photos. index. ISBN 9781580082686. $35; ebk. ISBN 9781607741299.

Bread expert Reinhart (The Joy of Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free Baking) provides enough technical instruction to enable even novice bakers to master challenging breads like ciabatta and baguette. Crusty artisan loaves are the highlight here, but there are also breakfast staples such as bagels, English muffins, and cinnamon rolls. (LJ 11/15/01)

Cookies

Peterson, Valerie & Janice Fryer. Cookie Craft: From Baking to Luster Dust, Designs and Techniques for Creative Cookie Occasions. Storey. 2015. 158p. photos. index. ISBN 9781612125596. pap. $12.95; ebk. ISBN 9781612126494.

Iced cookies are a popular gift and party favor, and thanks to this guide from Peterson and Fryer, they’re more doable than ever. Bakers of all skill levels can handle these doughs, icings, and decorating techniques.

Stewart, Martha. Martha Stewart’s Cookies: The Very Best Treats to Bake and to Share. Clarkson Potter: Crown. 2008. 352p. photos. index. ISBN 9780307394545. pap. $24.99; ebk. ISBN 9780307885692.

Stewart (Martha Stewart’s Appetizers) has long been a household name, and her collection of 175 cookie recipes provides the variety, practicality, and consistency that readers expect. Organized by texture, recipes such as coconut cream–filled macaroons, key lime bars, and chocolate strawberry thumbprints will enhance any cookie plate.

Bakeries & restaurants

Chang, Joanne with Christie Matheson. Flour: Spectacular Recipes from Boston’s Flour Bakery + Cafe. Chronicle. 2010. 320p. photos. index. ISBN 9780811869447. $35; ebk. ISBN 9781452100173.

Pastry chef Chang won the James Beard Award for Outstanding Baker in 2016, after many years of being nominated in several categories. Her debut contains stellar recipes for cookies, breads, and breakfast pastries.

DePalma, Gina. Dolce Italiano: Desserts from the Babbo Kitchen. Norton. 2007. 384p. photos. index. ISBN 9780393061000. $35.

Renowned pastry chef DePalma died in December 2015. Her collection of Italian desserts from Mario Batali’s Babbo restaurant (e.g., crustless yogurt cheesecake with pine nut brittle, fresh fig tart, lemony semolina cookies) blend authentic and unusual recipes that continue to intrigue home bakers. (LJ 11/1/07)

Keller, Thomas & Sebastien Rouxel. Bouchon Bakery. Artisan. 2012. 400p. photos. index. ISBN 9781579654351. $50.

The recipes in this guide to preparing professional pastry at home can be quite advanced, but they’re worth the effort. Keller (The French Laundry Cookbook) and Rouxel tell readers exactly what they’ll need to know to succeed, from the spherical molds used to shape cream puffs to the unorthodox equipment that generates steam for crusty breads (river rocks, metal chain link, and a Super Soaker water gun). (LJ 10/15/12)

Prueitt, Elisabeth M. & Chad Robertson. Tartine. Chronicle. 2006. 224p. photos. index. ISBN 9780811851503. $35; ebk. ISBN 9781452136103.

There are several cookbooks from Tartine bakery in San Francisco, but this is the first. It contains recipes for delicious and much- talked-about cakes, tarts, and savory treats (e.g., lemon meringue cake, savory bread pudding, soft glazed gingerbread).

Zuckerman, Kate. The Sweet Life: Desserts from Chanterelle. Bulfinch: LIttle, Brown. 2006. 224p. photos. index. ISBN 9780821257449. $35; ebk. ISBN 9780316070331.

Stunning restaurant desserts have been thoughtfully adapted for home kitchens in this beautiful volume. Intermediate to advanced home cooks will learn much from Zuckerman’s detailed recipes, which include a killer coconut rice pudding augmented with extra custard and a sinful chocolate caramel tart. (LJ 10/15/06)

SPECIAL DIETS

America’s Test Kitchen. The How Can It Be Gluten Free Cookbook. America’s Test Kitchen. 2014. 336p. photos. index. ISBN 9781936493616. pap. $26.95; ebk. ISBN 9781936493906.

Though it includes more than just baked goods and desserts, this guide to gluten-free cooking covers important staples such as sandwich bread and relays essential information about working with wheat flour alternatives. A second volume (The How Can It Be Gluten Free, Vol. 2) includes additional breads and desserts and a wider selection of dairy-free choices.

Costigan, Fran. Vegan Chocolate: Unapologetically Luscious and Decadent Dairy-Free Desserts. Running. 2013. 304p. photos. index. ISBN 9780762445912. $30; ebk. ISBN 9780762450671.

Popular desserts like eclairs and cheesecake typically contain heavy cream and other dairy products. Here, chef and cooking instructor Costigan offers decadent alternatives for vegan chocoholics.

Moskowitz, Isa Chandra & Terry Hope Romero. Vegan Pie in the Sky: 75 Out-of-This-World Recipes for Pies, Tarts, Cobblers, and More. Da Capo. 2011. 224p. photos. index. ISBN 9780738212746. pap. $17; ebk. ISBN 9780738215358.

Today’s baking collections should have at least one competent vegan title. Those by popular vegan chefs Moskowitz and Romero (Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World; Vegan Cookies) are good choices, but this sassy guide to pies is particularly good. (LJ 11/15/11)

new & notable

Donroe Inman, Tammy. Wintersweet: Seasonal Desserts To Warm the Home. Running. 2013. 240p. photos. index. ISBN 9780762445370. $30; ebk. ISBN 9780762450688. In a genre that often favors spring and summer fruit desserts, food writer Donroe Inman dared to explore the bounty of winter. From a pear cardamom crostada with a shatteringly crisp crust to a puckery rosemary Meyer lemon tart, this debut offers flavor-focused recipes that will satisfy most readers. (LJ 11/15/13) Medrich, Alice. Flavor Flours: A New Way To Bake with Teff, Buckwheat, Sorghum, Other Whole & Ancient Grains, Nuts & Non-Wheat Flours. Artisan. 2014. 368p. photos. index. ISBN 9781579655136. $35; ebk. ISBN 9781579656423. Medrich, frequently credited with introducing America to chocolate truffles in the 1970s, reaffirmed her relevance with this standout guide to baking with nonwheat flours. Where other books labeled these flours as inferior and difficult to work with, Medrich innovated, delivering memorable recipes such as corn flour chiffon cake and buckwheat sour cream souffles with honey. All her books are worth having, but note that some recent titles (e.g., Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy Melt-in-Your-Mouth Cookies; Seriously ­Bitter Sweet) are revised earlier works. Seneviratne, Samantha. The New Sugar & Spice: A Recipe for Bolder Baking. Ten Speed. 2015. 240p. photos. index. ISBN 9781607747468. $27.50; ebk. ISBN 9781607747475. Eighty spice-infused desserts—from fragrant Sri Lankan love cakes to cardamom-scented Swedish cream buns—fill this engaging debut from food writer and recipe developer Seneviratne (lovecommacake.com). (LJ 11/15/15) Shooter, Anne. Sesame & Spice: Baking from the East End to the Middle East. Headline. 2015. 256p. photos. index. ISBN 9781472223609. $39.99. Shooter may be unfamiliar to U.S. audiences, but her debut collection of Middle Eastern–influenced and traditional Jewish desserts is worth owning. Grab a kitchen scale for the metric measurements, and curl up in a chair to enjoy the beautiful ­photographs.

DVDS

Baking with Julia. 200 min. A La Carte Communications. 2009. DVD UPC 829028001291. $19.98.

In this acclaimed television series, Julia Child bakes with influential chefs Marion Cunningham, Steve Sullivan, Gale Gand, and others. Seek the remaining episodes on two follow-up DVDs, as well as the award-winning companion cookbook written by Dorie Greenspan.

Kings of Pastry. 84 min. Chris Hegedus & D.A. Pennebaker, dist. by First Run Features. 2011. DVD UPC 720229914505. $27.99.

To win the prestigious title of Meilleur ­Ouvrier de France, master French pastry chefs must conquer a grueling competition with a three-day final round. Watching this engrossing documentary, viewers will witness unbelievable feats of pastry perfection. Jacquy Pfeiffer, author of the excellent The Art of French Pastry, is featured prominently. (LJ 6/15/11)

WEBSITES

Cook’s Illustrated

For a $39.95 annual membership, bakers can access foolproof recipes (e.g., strawberry cream cake, baked Alaska) from 20-plus years of Cook’s Illustrated magazine, as well as equipment and ingredient reviews. A $69.95 multisite membership includes additional access to America's Test Kitchen and Cooks Country.

Leite’s Culinaria

David Leite’s (The New Portuguese Table) James Beard Award–winning website brings together recipes from many sources and subjects them to rigorous testing. The tester comments alongside recipes (e.g., pumpkin seven layer bars, blueberry tea cake) will inspire confidence.