Back in my early days as an apprentice chef, I worked at Disneyland's Club 33 with an old school chef, Rudy Stoy. Chef Rudy was all too kind to show me some of the old school cooking skills like preparing a Galantine of Chicken and how to bone out a leg of veal.
In his kitchen library, he kept a baking book that I remembered more for its title than its content. In passing, I mentioned this amusing tidbit to my friend chef James Sly. Shortly thereafter, he presented me with the baking book.
While the title is still amusing, the book is a real gem packed with great production recipes for professional bakeshops. Chef Dooven was a real master of the art and the recipes in the book are still viable today. They span the full spectrum from doughnuts to pulled sugar.
Here is an excerpt of a review.
If you are or know a baker, here is a wonderful book to add to your library titled... The Master Baker and His Work by K. Cammille Den Dooven. This hardcover book was originally published in 1928 and this copy of the 4th printing from 194o. (See all the pictures!)
Sprinkled with black and white photos showing cake decorations, samples of baked goods, sugar basket, table displays.
Filled with techniques and recipes for the commercial baker covering French, Viennese, Danish pastries, cake decoration, pound, sponge, angel cakes, jelly rolls, pies and fillings, icings and toppings, sweet doughs, breads, and rolls. This edition starts off with a recipe for a Silver Anniversary cake weighing 2500 pounds: "First a table was built, 6 x 5 feet.mounted on ball-bearing anti-friction caster wheels.."
