The smell of fresh bread or pastries in the morning, a healthy homemade quiche for lunch, or cakes and desserts as an indulgence-baking is one of the most satisfying and therapeutic of culinary skills. So as everyone gets back to basics in the kitchen, cooks across the world are digging out their baking pans, rolling pins, and pastry cutters.

If you want to produce the perfect tart, bake a cake fit for a king, or serve up a souffle that won't sink, you shouldn't be without this baking bible. Illustrated Step-by-Step Baking will guide you through every single stage of 80 classic recipes with the clear, illustrated, step-by-step instructions that have proved so popular with buyers of other DK books.

A further 240 variations on these classic recipes will enable you to build on that step-by-step foundation-so master an apple tart step by step, then use those skills to enjoy a strawberry tart, cherry tart, or an apricot tart. There are also fully illustrated recipes for unique specialty treats, such as sachertorte and florentines.

Every area of baking is covered here; with recipes for a huge range of sweet and savory classics including tarts, quiches, pies, breads, large and small cakes, cookie bars and cookies, meringues, soufflés, decadent dinner party desserts-and even cakes and bakes for special occasions. There's something for everyone, from savory classics such as quiche lorraine, goat cheese souffle, and pizza to sweet treats such as shortbread, New York cheesecake, chocolate brownies, and blueberry muffins.

Packed with clear instructions; essential information on ingredients, special equipment, and storage; and 350 of the world's favorite baking recipes, here is everything you need to bake with confidence. So, whether you started baking at your mother's knee or just last week, armed with this book you can cook classic baking recipes perfectly.