The King Arthur Flour Baker’s Companion

Note: This review was originally published on an old blog on June 8, 2005. It certainly betrays my affinity for baking; I am perhaps one of the few brides who actively lobbied for the bread maker. Coming up in December — Advent starts Dec. 2 — expect a ton of cookie recipes!

There was a time when I didn’t care much for baking. I had ruined enough cakes to feel like I just didn’t have that magic touch. But as The King Arthur Flour Baker’s Companion makes clear, delicious baked goods don’t require a mini-miracle; like writing, baking is something everyone can learn to do well.

This “all-purpose baking cookbook” provides extensive information on the hows and whys of baking. Each section, from pancakes to pâte feuilletée rapide, begins with a primer on what to expect, when to make it, what the basic process entails or other useful information. Chapters also are sprinkled with articles that walk you through a basic preparation technique or provide troubleshooting assistance for when your cookies resemble pancakes and your pancakes resemble bricks.

Another reason this book belongs in every aspiring bakers’ kitchen is its extensive appendices. The editors devote more than 100 pages to ingredients definitions, useful tools for the kitchen and conversion tables. Even without the recipes, it earns its spot on the bookshelf.

As for the recipes, they cover all the basics you’d expect in an all-purpose cookbook. It’s careful to cover all the steps you’ll need to take so you’ll be assured of success; out of all the recipes I’ve tried, the only one that failed me was for pie crust (but I blame my ineptness in judging the state of pastry more than the cookbook for that). Notes appended to many of them suggesting several variations on the core recipe are a nice touch. However, if you are particularly interested in cookies or cakes, you’ll probably find the selection a bit wanting.

The editors press gently for you to switch to weight-based measurements in your baking, but they’re not so arrogant as to neglect to provide the volume-based measurements that most people still use. Also, while the particular flour behind this cookbook is mentioned sporadically, brand names make no intrusion into the recipes and special ingredients or equipment from the company’s catalog are always optional.

The overall tone of this book is encouraging to the aspiring baker, and the voice of the book puts you in a state of mind to appreciate the meditative nature of kneading bread or forming cookies.

Upshot: The King Arthur Flour Baker’s Companion is an essential introduction to the art of baking and a useful reference for more experienced bakers. The recipes are well-tested and have an excellent potential for success.

Score: 5 out of 5

Note: I’ve made these rolls once, having never made a yeast dinner roll before, and they turned out absolutely perfectly. However, I did use one variation — instead of 3 cups of white flour, I used 2 cups white and 1 cup whole wheat. They had a slightly browner, more mottled appearance than I would have had with all white flour, but with so much white flour, there was no distinctive whole wheat taste (and thus, they passed muster with the brothers). These rolls are ethereally soft and light, and they’ll impress anyone with your baking prowess.

Soft Rolls
Source: The King Arthur Flour Baker’s Companion
Yield: 16 dinner rolls

• 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons instant yeast
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 4 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 1/4 cup Baker’s Special Dry Milk or nonfat dry milk
• 1/4 cup potato flour OR 1/2 cup potato flakes
• 1 1/8 to 1 1/3 cups lukewarm water*

*Use the lesser amount in summer, the greater amount in winter, and something in between the rest of the time.

Combine all of the ingredients, and mix and knead them together — by hand, mixer or bread machine — till you’ve made a soft, smooth dough. Adjust the dough’s consistency with additional flour or water as needed; but remember, the more flour you add while you’re kneading, the heavier and drier your final loaf will be. Allow the dough to rise, covered, for 1 hour, or until it’s puffy (though not necessarily doubled in bulk).

Choose the shapes you want to create, and divide the dough into 16 pieces, or roll as required. (Note: The King Arthur Flour Baker’s Companion provides several options for shaping the rolls. To make cloverleaf rolls like I did, divide each of the 16 pieces into three small balls, then place each set of three side-by-side into a well of a greased muffin tin to form a cloverleaf shape.)

After shaping, let the rolls rise until puffy and almost double in size. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until golden brown with an internal temperature of 190 degrees Fahrenheit.

Finished rolls can be brushed with butter for a delicious soft crust; a double coating of butter for a soft, satiny crust; or lightly dusted with flour, if you prefer.

Download Soft Rolls into MacGourmet.