meyerbaker.com

Welcome to my Bakers Book Guide, a curated list of the books that have shaped my baking. Inside, you’ll find my go-to bread books, from sourdough basics to whole-grain favourites; a selection of cake books full of reliable, inspiring bakes; and general pastry books covering everything from cookies to laminated dough.

I’ve also included my all-time favourite cookbooks – the ones I reach for constantly and that influence how I bake and develop recipes. Some of these books have been with me for years and are truly timeless, with techniques, stories, and reliable recipes that stay relevant no matter how baking trends change.

Some of the links in this guide are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you purchase through them, at no extra cost to you.

Whether you’re a new baker or a seasoned one, I hope this guide helps you discover fresh inspiration for your kitchen!

BOOKS FOR BREAD + SOURDOUGH BAKING

Why I love each of them:

1. Richard Hart’s Intuitive Sourdough Baking is a masterclass in bold, flavour-forward loaves from one of the most creative bakers working today. His Cheese Bread should be illegal it’s so good!
2. Chad Robertson’s Bread is the modern sourdough bible that transformed home baking with its iconic method. It was one of my first sourdough books that I still reference frequently.
3. Jeffrey Hamelman’s Bread is foundational, technique-driven guide trusted by professionals and passionate home bakers alike. My mentors have consistently recommended this book!
4. Mike Russel’s Baker Bleu Bake It Till You Make It shows you to do high-hydration, Australian-style baking with big flavour and approachable recipes. His bakeries in Sydney and Melbourne are the best around!
5. Michael James’ Tivoli Road Baker is probably my most overused/barely holding itself together book. Rustic, soulful breads and pastries grounded in craft, community, and whole grains.
6. Adam Leonti’s Flour Lab was a huge inspiration for me to get into milling and guided me on my purchase of a small stone mill. It features a deep dive into milling, grain variety, and baking with fresh flour at home.
7. Chad Robertson’s Tartine Book No. 3 is a level up in sourdough baking, with inspiring, whole-grain-forward baking that celebrates seeds, ancient grains, and bold, earthy flavours.
8. Michelle Eshkeri’s Modern Sourdough — A fresh, inventive take on sourdough baking that blends tradition with creative, modern flavours. The sourdough cinnamon babka in this book was probably the most delicious thing I ever made!

BOOKS FOR CAKE MAKING AND DECORATING

Why I keep coming back to them:

1. Natasha Pickowicz‘ More Than Cake is a vibrant, creative celebration of desserts that balances technique with playful, unexpected flavour. The Crunchy Almond Cake almost undid me!
2. Zoë François‘ Zoë Bakes Cakes is a trustworthy, inspiring guide to cakes of all kinds, from simple loaf tins to striking showstoppers.
3. Bernadette Gee’s Magnolia Kitchen show’s rustic, indulgent baking with striking presentation that’s approachable with recipes that feel instantly comforting. Her chocolate cake might be your one 😉
4. Natalie Paull’s Beatrix Bakes: Another Slice is top of my list always! It’s joyful, generous baking with beautifully detailed recipes that always work and always delight.
5. Claire Ptak’s The Violet Bakery Cookbook is elegant, seasonal baking rooted in simple ingredients and Claire Ptak’s signature style.
6. Natalie Paull’s Beatrix Bakes is her first book and an equal delight to her second book. A modern classic of heartfelt, foolproof sweets full of charm, precision, and incredible flavour.

BOOKS FOR PERFECT PASTRY AND DESSERTS

What sets these fabulous books apart:

1. Rose Levy Beranbaum‘ The Baking Bible is THE ultimate technical guide for precise, reliable, and beautifully executed bakes.
2. Stella Parks’ Bravetart is full of bold, inventive, and scientifically smart baking that transforms classic desserts. Her Nutter Butters are to die for!!
3. Anna Higham’s The Last Bite takes a delectable approach to seasonal desserts with elegance and creativity in every bite.
4. Sarah Johnson’s Fruitful is a celebration of fruit in baking, from tarts to cakes, with fresh, vibrant flavours. The ginger cake with macerated strawberries is a showstopper!
5. Elisabeth Prueitt and Chad Robertson’s Tartine teaches the everyday baker iconic artisan breads and pastries rooted in craftsmanship and seasonal ingredients.
6. JR Ryall’s Ballymaloe Desserts is full of homely, comforting desserts with a timeless, approachable Irish charm from the iconic hotel and cookery school Ballymaloe in Cork, Ireland.
7. Nicola Lamb’s Sift is a beautifully written, precise, and inspiring recipes for the home baker seeking technique and flavour. It’s the perfect baking book for beginners and pro’s alike.
8. Nicole Rucker’s Fat + Flour proves why she’s the authority on pies, with recipes that are bold, generous, and utterly reliable. I trust her guidance on cookies, cakes, and brownies more than most pastry chefs, and I love how her inventive methods make you rethink the basics of baking in the best possible way.

TIMELESS FAVOURITES FOR COOKING + BAKING

Why these books stand the test of time for cooks and bakers alike:

1. Amanda Hesser’s The Essential New York Times Cookbook is a timeless collection of iconic recipes, smart technique, and food history — the kind of book you can cook from for decades and never exhaust. I always reference this book when I’m trying something new for the first time – it’s the authority!
2. Yotam Ottolenghi and Ixta Belfrage’s Ottolenghi Flavor bursts with bold vegetables, spices, and inventive combinations that inspire me to cook more creatively every time I open it. It really drives home that cooking is about flavour-flavour-flavour!
3. Samin Nosrat’s Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat is a joyful, transformative guide to understanding good food and flavour, written with warmth and amazing clarity — it’s the book that makes you a better cook before you’ve even tried a recipe. The title alone brings me clarity when I feel like something is missing or not quite right in a recipe – just go through the list: salt? fat? acid? heat?
4. Rombauer et al.’s The Joy of Cooking (Revised & Updated) is the ultimate kitchen companion – dependable, comprehensive, and endlessly useful for mastering fundamentals and classic dishes. What I love most is how looking up one simple recipe always turns into discovering two or three more inspiring ideas on the same page.

For more inspiration, check out my Thanksgiving Pie Guide — a collection of my favourite holiday pies and desserts inspired by many of these books.