2022 holiday gift guide for bakers
If you know or love a baker, lucky you. Perhaps you sometimes have to do the hard work of taste-testing or eating the "ugly ones." 'Tis the season to give back! Below are some fabulous gifts for the baker or wannabe baker in your life. With an eye for practicality and for things that will be used often, these little gifts are sure to bring a smile to your baker's (oft flour-dabbed) face.
My favorite new book of the season is Ken Forkish's "Evolutions in Bread." We learned about artisan bread baking in his previous bestseller, "Flour, Water, Salt, Yeast," but this new book teaches us about pan breads. As ever, Forkish realizes that working people deserve fresh bread, too, and there are many recipes presented for busy people that leverage time, rise and chilling.
You might want to pair a lidded bread pan with this bread book. It's a fun tool that gives the loaf a bit different crumb and crust while also providing a giggle because it makes perfectly square slices of toast. Your baker is unlikely to have one in the pantry but probably has always secretly wanted one. "Evolutions in Bread" recommends the Chefmade carbon steel pan measuring 8.4 x 4.8 x 4.5. Also called a Pullman Pan, this one-pound loaf size is the most useful.
Cheryl Day's "Treasury of Southern Baking" is another gem of a book and one that will be put into immediate use. A good all-purpose baking book, you'll find nostalgic recipes and updated classics. Recipes are perfectly tuned for flavor and sweetness, and the directions are carefully spelled out. With its lovely photographs and storied blurbs, this is a great book for a beginner or an accomplished baker.
Do you know a baker who doesn't have the time or kitchen space to indulge? I will never stop recommending Yossy Arefi's "Snacking Cakes." Every single cake in this book is made with one bowl and one spoon and is better than any fussy cake I've made. She brilliantly provides pan shape options and many ideas for mixing and matching flavors. Other books to take a look at include Erin Jeanne McDowell's new "Savory Baking: Recipes for Breakfast, Dinner, and Everything in Between" and "Mooncakes and Milk Bread: Sweet and Savory Recipes Inspired by Chinese Bakeries" by Kristina Cho. Both books are beautifully detailed and provide a new angle for your baker.
There are a few little luxury items your baker might enjoy. Consider the practical gift of precut parchment paper. Both sheet pan size and cake pan size are useful, providing a quick shortcut when getting down to work. I love a good bouquet of new tools for a present. Include a rubber spatula or two in fun colors — those are always dirty. Check out the reusable bowl covers from Native Northwest, which are both practical and beautiful. Organic cotton, lined and printed with indigenous art, these are just the thing for rising bread. I use them constantly. A nice, flat cake plate is always a luxury, or spring for one with a cake dome for display and storage (if your baker has the counter space.) If you really want to spoil your baker, sneak some real vanilla beans in their stocking, a pricey and generous luxury.
For the baker who needs no more stuff, you might consider a subscription to the New York Times Cooking app. It's a reliable way to keep up with new recipes, trends and current chefs. Recipes are easy to search, save and organize. It's a fun thing that's not a thing.
Spoil your favorite baker a little bit this holiday season and you just may see some tasty benefits all year-'round.
Anne Willhoit is an educator, community volunteer, and enthusiastic baker who likes to create recipes that use from-scratch techniques and are inspired by local, seasonal ingredients. Find her on Instagram at @aawillhoit or drop her an inquiry at FromScratchKS@gmail.com.
This article originally appeared on Kitsap Sun: 2022 holiday gift guide for bakers
