Published November 5, 2019 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Joanne Chang is famous in these parts. She owns the ever-delicious Flour Bakery + Cafe empire in the Boston area, as well as Myers + Chang, a great stop for a host of Asian flavors. Her Oreos at Flour forever hold a place in my heart, and her banana bread recipe from her first Flour book is the base of my go-to home bake.
Flour is always included in my list of must-eats for those visiting Boston - I've given it to friends, family and visiting flight attendants.
Joanne is a positive force this side of the Atlantic for women in food, food writing and business.
Joanne Chang authored four other cookbooks: Flour: Spectacular Recipes from Boston's Flour Bakery + Cafe, and Flour Too, Indispensable Recipes form the Cafe's most Loved Sweets & Savories, and Baking with Less Sugar: Recipes for Desserts Using Natural Sweeteners and Little-to-No White Sugar, and Myers+Chang at Home: Recipes form the Beloved Boston Eatery, with Karen Akunowicz of Fox and Knife, famous in her own right but formerly the head Chef at Myers and Chang.
Phew! If that list makes you feel tired, her Flour group has grown to eight locations all the while she was writing and baking and baking...
But on to this book.
Most busy chefs who venture into the world of cookbooks or food writing seem to stumble upon a culmination book, a piece they really treasure as written from the heart. Julia Child had The Way to Cook. Jacques Pépin had Essential Pépin. This read as Joanne Chang's. In fact, she said her editor called it her "baking bible."
She wrote in her introduction, "Think of this book as my journal that I'm sharing with you. Jotting-in-the-sidelines, creasing-the-corners-of-my-favorites, sketching-what-I-want-it-to-look-like journal. Here are recipes that I've been developing since my first baking book, Flour, came out."
When testing this, I spent hours and hours reading and baking. So many that I had to stop myself. I didn't even have time for my page 86 (Almond Croissants), but I'll give it a whirl after Thanksgiving cooking madness.
So here you are, a book I couldn't put down.
Sections: What's for Breakfast; I Knead Bread; Afternoon Pick-Me-Ups; Easy as Pie; Let Them Eat Cake; Time to Show Off; I Made This for You; Master of Your Pastry Domain
Difficulty Level: Intermediate. Some of the recipes may work for a beginner, but the majority of recipes and techniques, like meringues and bread doughs, would better suit the intermediate baker or someone hoping to broaden their repertoire. Regardless of your skill level, read through the recipe beforehand and plan in some extra time. While the title and ingredients may appear simple, I found the recipes took longer than I initially expected.
Ingredients: All the ingredients were easy to find. You should be able to find all or most at a well-stocked grocery store. The only ingredient I couldn't find in a physical store was, oddly, super-fine sugar. I made my own by whizzing white granulated sugar in the food processor for about three minutes.
Overall: I really enjoyed this book! I loved how Joanne Chang offered up classic baking techniques, and added new but approachable spins on recipes. which might encourage timid bakers to try something new. She began each recipe with a story that was as good as the recipe itself. I remembered them, as I would a story told by a friend.
Will I keep It?: Yes! Joanne Chang knows baking and shows it in her newest baking bible. It is reliable and clearly explains techniques that trip up many early bakers.
Plus, I will be making the Funfetti Angel Food Cake with Fluffy Marshmallow Frosting, and Thin, Crispy Chocolate Chip Cookies on the regular and I will need the recipes!
The Test
Apple Cider Sticky Buns, Page 93
Sticky buns are a Flour Bakery staple, so this made the cut on my first look through the book. Plus, Joanne shared this recipe in The Boston Globe October 30, 2019, a few days before the book was released so I had to test it out.
The ingredients were easy to come by this time of year - fall!
I loved the idea of this recipe: sweet sticky buns, studded with apple and self-saucing with an apple cider glaze. The time involved of making all the components, however, moved this to the "special occasion" category. You first made the brioche dough, then the apple cider syrup, rolled, cut and proofed the buns then baked - par for the course in homemade sticky buns.
All went well, except in the ratio between bun to sticky syrup. My sticky buns ended up bobbing in the apple cider mixture like ship-wrecked seafarers. Delicious seafarers, nonetheless.
Next time, I would either reduce the apple cider even more than directed or use less liquid in the bottom of the dish.
Mushroom and Thyme Brioche, Page 49
This recipe took more time than I expected. For some reason, I assembled the ingredients before I noticed the recipe instructed you to make mushroom duxelles at the tune of prep time plus 40-50 min in the oven. This is before the shaping, assembly and baking time. My mistake, always read through the recipe before you start!
The recipe instructed the cook to make six, two by two squares and then to shape those squares into pizza-like circles. While I felt like I followed these directions well, my final product turned out to be dense, thick and nowhere near as beautiful as the example pictured in the book.
All-in-all, I wouldn't repeat this recipe unless I increased the serving size, made the pastries smaller, and left a little time to proof (not in the original recipe) before baking so the brioche wouldn't be quite as dense.
Gluten-Free Focaccia, Page 109
Classic Italian focaccia is dimpled marvel. Airy with a light chew, it holds onto olive oil and other flavors like a champion.
This recipe was my first foray into baking gluten-free bread. Could I bake this loaf without gluten, yet stay dimpled and offer the chew focaccia is known for? Not exactly.
The recipe called for just over one pound of gluten free flour - 510 grams called for vs. 454 grams in a one pound bag. I had to add 56 grams tapioca flour (the only gluten-free flour I could find in my cupboard) to make up the difference, which I found a little annoying. One pound of gluten-free flour is a standard amount to buy (like the Trader Joe's bag I used).
The batter was quite runny, and I had doubts it would turn into focaccia as I knew it. The recipe used six eggs (three whole, three whites), which felt like too much liquid. Joanne described it as like pancake batter. You definitely can't dimple pancake batter. However, I hoped the crumb would still bake up like classic focaccia, with medium-airy holes provided by the yeast.
Photos from top left to right: note consistency of batter; glassy-looking pan of batter does not look promising; batter topped with olive oil, salt and pepper; baked up, things looked more promising.
When sliced, the focaccia crumb had small bubbles with a flat top, and the chew resembled more of a bread-like omelet than bread. I did like it though, as did a fully gluten-free friend I shared it with.
Next time, I would try baking this with a gluten-free bread flour, although it isn't readily available at most grocery stores and drop an egg white.
Henry's Apricot Walnut Raisin Loaf, Page 123
I'll start this by saying I did not bake this as written. I had brioche dough, but was shy of the called for 455 grams by about 90 grams. The dough also spent an extra 24 hours in the fridge beyond the normal, cold rise. I also had less apricot jam, subbed in standard raisins for the golden raisins and pecans for the walnuts.
Yet!
Despite my changes, the bread was lovely! Sometimes versatility in a recipe tells you just how great it is. Sliced up, the bread was soft, sweet and great as a nutty, fruit toast or fresh from the pan.
Garlicky Cheesy Monkey Bread, Page 126
Savory monkey bread is a wonder equal to the more familiar sweet version!
Once you've made brioche dough, this recipe comes together with only a few added ingredients: garlic, butter, fontina, salt and thyme.
This was easy to put together, but you'll want to eat it the same day it is baked, preferably while still warm from the oven. Joanne suggested doubling the recipe - I concur!
Lemon Sugar Cookies with Lemon Glaze, Page 189
Joanne wrote that this recipe is great to herald in the spring. Here I baked it in mid-November, but they were just as cheery - arguably, if not more so!
It might be November but there is light! There is lemon!
And better yet, the glaze in the recipe can be made thick or thin to your liking, and on the thicker side makes a great base for decorations.
It would be an awesome addition to your Christmas / Holiday cookie platter. Cookie Swap marvel: easy, tasty, and not a PIA to decorate. The decorations stick and the flavor would wow amongst your peppermint, chocolate, or powdered sugar covered creations.
BUT BUT BUT, I would recommend cutting back on the baking soda from 1 1/4 teaspoons to 1 teaspoon. My cookies ended up puffing more than the original photo showed and were rather zingy - characteristic of too much baking soda.
Thin, Crispy Chocolate Chip Cookies, Page 194
Please make these cookies. They are easy. They are delicious. And, if you like Tate's-style chocolate chip cookies, you'll save yourself somewhere around $5 per green bag by making them yourself.
I say this even though I am not a thin, crispy cookie lover. I need a little chew. The best part about this recipe is it can be either thin and crispy or slightly chewy! Bake for 18-19 min and you'll get a touch of chew. Bake for 21 or 22 and you'll get what's advertised.
Now, can we all agree that chocolate chip cookie dough deserves a solid 24 hour rest in the fridge before baking? It just tastes better. It just bakes up better. And you'll find it here.
Fluffy Marshmallow Frosting, Page 290
My, oh, my. This frosting is really delicious and easy to make if you've ever made a Swiss meringue buttercream (my favorite) or heated and whipped anything meringue or marshmallow-related. The recipe is spot-on and I wouldn't change a thing.
Japanese Cotton Cheesecake, Page 300
This recipe seemed simple, but was quite fiddly: whipping whites, heating over a bain-marie, folding, and baking in a water bath. These are all things I would avoid if not for testing.
But I have no plans to travel to Taiwan at the moment (although I would love to!) and this cheesecake has been all over the food news, so here we stand.
I liked how the cheesecake tasted as it wasn't overly sweet and had a nice crème fraîche tang. My layers didn't turn out as planned though, and such, fiddly turned disappointing. The top of the cake was light and fluffy as I think the entire slice was supposed to, but the bottom sunk like magic cake. Was my water bath too hot? I'm not sure. Either way – delicious but not what I baked for.
Funfetti Angel Food Cake, Page 319
Make this for birthday parties! Make this for Pride month! Make this any time you want to spread some love!
I'm not exaggerating. This was a the best Angel Food Cake I've ever made. And it was rainbow.
I'm not an elitist when it comes to cooking - but if you have a dozen eggs and a mixer, PUT DOWN THAT GD BOXED MIX! This is better!
Master Brioche Dough, Page 444
I made a double batch of this dough and it worked well! My only issue was that my dough was a bit wet. I added extra flour at the end per the instructions, but I'm afraid I didn't add enough. The culprit on reflection? My eggs. I'm fairly certain I used eggs from a rouge Jumbo dozen, rather than the called-for large size. That can be a difference of 200 grams versus 228 grams.
Joanne writes the dough should rise in the fridge up to nine hours. I used the dough as written for the Apple Cider Sticky Buns, and the dough proofed nicely. As a test, I made the Garlicky Cheesy Monkey Bread with a 24-hour cold rise, and could tell the dough didn't proof quite as well - they were still delicious and tender, but not quite as puffy as the sticky buns.
Joanne sums up her introduction with, "Share the pastry love with as many people as you can, because that is the reason we bake: to spread love and joy and deliciousness in the world."
Brava!
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