This is a visually beautiful book!!! It includes a lot of baking information, high quality pictures, and delicious looking recipes. Perfect gift for a friend.

I really enjoyed reading this cookbook. The approach Anna takes to baking and to this book are really approachable and authentic without being too quotidien. I like the range of recipes and wisdom shared - it’s truly a book that would be good for a range of people’s kitchens and her experience and wisdom really do shine through. I like how she captures the wisdom and base recipes - overall the book is really well orchestrated/presented which counts for so much especially in a cookbook that’s highly visual.

The images are beautiful and I cannot wait to try some of these recipes!

Until, my friend told me about this book I'd never heard of Anna Olsen - and now I'm wondering why not. She is, from all accounts, baking royalty in Canada. Like Mary Berry or Delia Smith but younger.

To the book - to say this is comprehensive would be to undersell it. The recipes are beautifully written and photographed, but the value of this book is in the front chapters where Anna takes your hand and leads you through everything from baking tools, ingredients, oven temperatures, how-to's, ingredients (and how they react under different circumstances) and even, valuably, what to do to fix something that has gone wrong or what to do when you don't have the exact ingredient you need. Science, but not in an eye-glazing-over type of way. Recipes are accompanied by relevant "bites of wisdom" and, where appropriate, make-ahead or freeze afterwards instructions.

I've bookmarked a number of recipes to try including the Bacon, Beer and Mushroom Quiche, Lemon and Blueberry Bars, Sticky Date Loaf and the apple-cinnamon pull-apart bread. I also intend to give her method of making puff pastry a go.

You need this cookbook if:

-You're a novice baker or want to be a better baker

-You want to understand your ingredients a tad better

-You've often wondered how to save a baking disaster

-You frequently wonder about how you can substitute dairy, egg, flour and other ingredients

-You like your recipes to be accompanied by fabulous photos

-You're fascinated by the science of baking - but in a practical way

-You need a great recipe for scones...and plenty of other yummy things

I was fortunate to receive a pre-publication digital version of this book for review purposes from the publisher via Net Galley. T

A very clever, well thought out and inspiring cookbook! Anna Olson’s Baking Wisdom is the kind of book any baker will refer to again and again. It makes the perfect gift to any baker or to oneself as those recipes will never go out of style.

The recipes are varied in style and will provide inspiration for every occasion. They are beautifully photographed, well explained and I really appreciated the Bites of Wisdom where Anna shares tricks and references in every recipe. There’s even a complete section on how to fix problems when they occurred. I also enjoyed reading the history of the recipes too. As an avid cookbook collector and reader I am excited to give this cookbook a well deserved 5 stars!

Thank you NetGalley, Penguin Random House Canada and Appetite Random House for this ARC.

The must own definitive baking bible. WOW. Just packed full of everything a novice or seasoned baker could need. This is one to own and use over and over again. A big thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for the ARC.

I love this cookbook. I am a big fan of Anna Olson and this book is not to be missed. The recipes are well organized and varied. She has included step by step pictures that are very instructive.

At the beginning of the book she has included very helpful notes on ingredients and techniques.

I highly recommend this baking book!

Anna Olson's Baking Wisdom is a gorgeous collection of easily understood baking know-how. Would be a beautiful gift for a beginner or experienced baker! Will absolutely be trying some of the recipes.

Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada, Appetite by Random House and NetGalley for this ARC!

Thank you for an advanced copy of Anna’s new book. I am anxious to try many of the new recipes. Lots of info and baking techniques.

This is a luscious cookbook which will delight both the novice and experienced baker. Lots of how- to, and substitutions are included. Along with sumptuous and beautiful color photographs that accompany each recipe.
Both sweet and savory recipes entice the reader and leave them eager for new adventures in the kitchen.
Highly recommended for food lovers everywhere,

This would make a great gift for a beginning baker, or for a baker looking to increase their skills and knowledge of baking. The pictures are fabulous, and the instructions are laid out in an easy-to-follow manner. The "Bites of Wisdom" help connect knowledge from foundation recipies to the more advanced recipies. Using this book a basic baker (such as myself) would be able to advance their skills and feel confident to tackle things like puff pastery.

Anna Olson provides plenty of useful baking wisdom in this cookbook.
Great summary on baking ingredients, tools, techniques, the science of baking and how to fix common baking mistakes. And a nice selection of recipes to test all this baking wisdom.

Thank you NetGalley for providing an advanced copy of this book for review purposes.

Where was this cookbook when I was a young mother learning to bake?? The information is well laid out and easy to read and understand and the recipes are the perfect start to putting the information to practical use.

I have already pre-ordered copies for Christmas gifts.

I really enjoyed houw this cookbook had so much information of the different techniques to learn. The recipes also seem to be ones anyone could feasibly make at home.

Anna Olsen .. the baking queen!! I loved this book and tried a few recipes - would be a fantastic book to keep in the kitchen.

My Quick Take: Everything in this cookbook worked reliably and was easy to follow. Some good eating!
***
I’ve certainly heard of Anna Olson. I feel like her name here in Canada as a chef, cookbook author and TV cooking show personality is something I’ve absorbed by osmosis. But when I actually think of her recipes, I’m not sure I’ve cooked from one of her books or watched her on TV much. I saw her new cookbook was being published this month, and was happy to get an opportunity to try some of her recipes.

The idea for this book is simple: Olson hopes to pass on some of her baking wisdom to her readers. I love how she puts little notes of this wisdom in the recipes, so you know why you’re doing something, and why it worked for her. There are chapters on basic methods, and a neat section on how to fix baking mistakes. The photography by Janis Nicolay is really beautiful and helped me visualise what I was doing.

I decided on three recipes. She rates each as Simple, More Involved or Complex.

Lemon Crunch & Cream Tray Cake

The picture for this cake looks deceptively benign. An easy tray cake, I thought. But it is marked More Involved, so I should have been suspicious. Really, this wasn’t difficult, but there were a surprising amount of steps. In preparation, I had to make one recipe of her Almond Streusel, very straightforward. Then, I had to make a batch of Tart Lemon Curd. I’m not an expert at lemon curd-making, but I was very successful! Then, finally, I made the cake. But to make the cake I had to whip egg whites and fold them in. One extra step. Then I assembled the whole thing with the cake, curd and streusel and baked it. And you know what? It was a complete success! We had company over and everyone liked it. It has frozen well too. I think next time I will make it with more lemon curd for extra deliciousness. But we did have curd left over (see Scones below).

Classic English Scones

Everyone in my house likes scones, and I had some sour milk that needed using up (always practical, that’s me!). This recipe was marked Simple, and indeed it was. Few ingredients, straightforward preparation, popped them in the oven and they were perfect. We used some of the left over Lemon Curd to top these. Yum!

Onion, Herb & Parmesan Upside-down Cake

I wanted to try something savoury and reasonably simple. This was marked as More Involved but honestly it was so very easy. I have a wonderful cast iron pan that worked beautifully here. I sliced onions, put a savoury cake batter carefully over top and popped it in the oven. That’s it. I thought that when I inverted it it might all be a mess, but the whole thing came out like a charm. I was mildly shocked I’d made it, and I was quite proud. There were a couple of pieces of onion that stuck…you can see it in the picture, but before I realised I should salvage them and carefully place them on the cake, I had eaten them. Oops. This was delicious and lasted reasonably well in the fridge for a couple of days. Paired with a salad, it was a great dinner.

I’d recommend this book for sure. I’d like to make the Salmon & Spinach Wellingtons and maybe, someday, the Pretty Lemon Meringue Tart, though it’s rated “Complex” and I have to get my nerve up. That said, I feel like I can put my trust in Anna Olson’s Baking Wisdom, so maybe I’ll tackle it!

Anna Olson is THE QUEEN OF BAKING in Canada 🇨🇦👩🏻‍🍳

I love watching her on tv. She has so much enthusiasm and creativity. I really feel like she, "ups the ante" for me when baking.

This cookbook is rightly titled. It really is full of baking wisdom. It's the cookbook you need to get started AND push yourself to the next level.

It's full of info on all the types of baking ingredients, tools and terminology. It goes a step further about explaining the science of baking. I found that part especially helpful. Most especially about whipping up egg whites and forming proper soft peaks and how to properly melt chocolate. It is described in step-by step form that is easy to follow.

Then the recipes are broken into sections: pies and tarts, pastries, cakes, custards and creams, confections, cookies and bars and lastly breads.

These recipes are easy to follow but do require a bit more work for an enthusiastic baker.

I'm really excited about her classic pie dough recipe. That's something I haven't managed to master so I will try with her step-by-step pictures and instructions. Perhaps I'll make it into a quiche with her wonderful, Bacon, Beer and Mushroom Quiche Recipe. I can't wait to try it this weekend! Another recipe I'm curious about is The Millionaire's Tart and of course I will have to make her Classic English Scones 😋

I'd like to kindly thank NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for granting me access to this Advance Reader Copy.

Available March 14, 2023

This is the book we have been waiting for: essential baking skills, explained in detail, and illustrated with clear photographs. If you have ever been interested in the science of baking, and wanting to understand the purpose of those complicated instructions, this is a great book. The recipies in here cover the most common areas of baking such as bread and pastries. It would be useful to both a new baker and a more experienced one as well. If you ever wanted to learn the insider's tricks, and which steps are the mosst crucial, this book is helpful. The recipes are broken down to make it easy for a home baker to follow. This book is especially helpful for Canadians; there are subtle differences to how we bake, and how we have access to equipment and access to ingredients. This book allows us to feel confident that the information we are reading is relevant to us. Anna Olson always has great advice, and this is her best book yet!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for an e-arc.

I always enjoyed Anna Olson on the Food Network so when the opportinity to review Baking Wisdom came up I jumped in. The book is really setup as a teaching cookbook. The introductory section goes over basic tools techniques, and ingredients - I consider myself a competent baker and found this section to have lots of useful information. The substitutes are great. I know I can google this, but I trust this book more than the random thing popping up on search. Similarly the section on high fat butter for baking is something I had never heard. I want her madeleines pan - I have one not nearly as pretty. Great photos throughout.

I like the small images of the finished dish at the beginning of each section. I have no idea if this is typical of baking books but none of my cookbooks have this. Super handy when you're scanning for something. In some cases, I think more photos for different stages could help.

So far I have made the spiced plums and poached pears (I just ate them on ice cream). I also made the Classic English Scones (on the sweet side for me but what a scone should be) and the Ricotta, Dill & Onion Buns. Like very annoying recipe reviewer I made a change - I skipped the dill because I loathe dill - the buns were fantastic. As soon as I remember to get some Earl Grey tea I will be making the London Fog scones.

I look forward to trying the confecctions (outside my comfort zone).

Beautifully designed and illustrated, Baking Wisdom answers every baking question in a detailed and informative format.

This really is a complete guide to baking. It goes over basic baking equipment, ingredients, procedures, and how to fix common mistakes. But it also bring in some more advanced skills to expand and challenge your baking repertoire. A really nice feature is the “recipes at a glance” before each section. It allows you to quickly peruse which recipes are in that section along with a photo. Each recipe shows you the complexity level, size and servings, prep and cook time, and “bites of wisdom”. This is particularly useful because it gives you the page numbers of certain baking techniques you’ll need for that recipe. The book itself is very well aid out and organized and I can’t wait to try out the recipes!

I was given a free eARC copy of this book on NetGalley from Penguin Random House Canada in exchange for an honest review.