Baking Bible Book Production Phase 2

Jun 09, 2012 | From the kitchen of Rose

I have finished my final testing of all the recipes which number 127, and Woody has about 43 he has not yet tried. Many of the recipes he will test several times in an effort to ensure that we have chosen the best possible option or variation. Each recipe he tests gives us the opportunity to fine-tune the writing and often the technique as well. I will miss the testing phase but will be remaking many of the recipes just for the shear pleasure of enjoying them again and sharing them with friends and family.

I'm now embarking on one of my favorite parts of book production: writing the headnotes. Once this is done comes the chapter intros, special techniques, equipment, and ingredients sections. This will probably take the entire summer at the end of which point we will be getting ready to engage the "heavenly bakers" to try out many of the recipes.

The most interesting thing I now have to report now is a major change in the entire writing process that has caused me to see the manuscript in an entirely new light.

A few months ago I posted a fantasy wish on the blog that I've had for many years but never thought would be realized. What I was dreaming of would make writing the recipes easier, faster, and more accurate. After giving, up one day out of the blue, there was a response on the blog that yes--it could be done.

I should start by explaining that if I were to write a recipe just for myself and Woody, it would be only the ingredients and their weight in grams (with the exception of minute ingredients such as baking powder which would be in teaspoons and tablespoons.) But since many other bakers still want to have the ounces and volume, it is necessary to go through the laborious and exacting process of calculating, rounding off, and proofing these values. My wish was to have a computer program that would enable me to enter an ingredient in a chart on a word document, enter the grams, and have it automatically fill in the volume and ounces. This would not only be easier, it would also be far less prone to error. I knew it could be done on an excel chart but then I would have to go through the process of cutting and pasting.

The person who came to my aid was Rebecca Riordan--an award winning author and gifted systems architect. She said that she learned how to bake from The Cake Bible and wanted to return the gift. So, in a leap of trust, I put my entire life on hold for 10 days and nights as she created and we tweaked the program. The miracle is that I have a Mac and she has a PC so she had to rely on me to report back the results of each of her efforts. This involved 100's of emails--in such a frenzy of typing one often crossed over another as one of us was answering a prior email while the other was issuing forth a new one. (At one point Becca wrote that I think faster than she does and I replied: "No! I only type faster than you do!") I was so fortunate that both Becca and I were able to carve out this uninterrupted space of time because programming involved a whole new language for me and I needed to hold in my mind numerous thoughts as to how I wanted things to work--how I wanted to round off numbers--which codes I wanted to give to ingredients, what is the best way to measure specific ingredients. Those 10 days were among the most intensely focused of my life and finally--tada! There was my dream macro-enabled document.

I put in 'bap' for bleached all-purpose flour, put 100 grams in the grams cell, hit my special two key stroke code, and there it all was--the ounces, and the precise cup plus tablespoon volume including (sifted into the cup and leveled off). I cannot describe adequately the joy this gave me. But the best is yet to come! Revisiting the values of the liquid ingredients such as water and milk, I realized that the way in which I expressed their volume was no longer the best. In my first book I listed it as "liquid cup" because I wanted the reader to understand that it should not be measured in a cup designed to measure solids such as flour. Next book I changed it to "fluid ounces" which I never liked because fluid ounces rarely correlate with the weight in ounces so this potentially was confusing. But I chose fluid ounces because many measuring cups had those markings. The eureka moment arrived when I realized that most measuring cups designed for liquid now have milliliter markings! Not only is this more detailed and precise than fluid ounces, it is the system of measure used by most countries around the world. So I made up a chart for myself to convert about 200 entries from fluid ounces to mL throughout the manuscript. In future, thanks to Becca's program, this will be entered automatically as well.

Eggs had to be handled in an entirely different manner. I gave Becca a chart with the values of whole eggs, yolks, and whites, up to about 16. Now when I put in 1 yolk, the volume, ounces and grams all fill in automatically. When I put in 2 yolks or any number up to say 16, I also get the precise values filled in. This is also the case for egg whites and whole eggs.

At the end of our project, as another precious gift, Becca, a born teacher, taught me how to make ingredient additions and changes so that I could now be more self-sufficient. I also loved seeing how programming was accomplished.

Our work took many hours but the blessing is that it will now save enurable more. And when we reached the end of my goal, Becca and I had our first phone conversation, which lasted for 4 hours. We discovered what we suspected all along during our emails--when little thoughts and stories crept in between our calculations--we are true kindred spirits--now friends for life.

Woody Wolston in reply to comment from Joan Wade
08/19/2012 02:12 AM

Hi Joan,
We appreciate those who have asked to be on the next Heavenly Bakers testing team. At this point, we have the maximum number of requests for bakers to be on the team. Bakers who were on the Heavenly Bakers headed by Marie Wolf for Rose's Heavenly Cakes will be given the first opportunity to participate. Testing will begin in the fall. The testing will not be a bake thru of all the recipes. We will be choosing around 25 recipes, which we are interested in feedback. We thank all who have asked to be in the team and will post a notice in September if there are any openings.
Rose and Woody

Joan Wade
08/18/2012 06:52 PM

It seems providential that I checked in today to see what was happening with the new book. I am so delighted at the possibility to re-join our Heavenly Bakers, doesn't it sound like fun to test the recipes first. It is like coming back home to a cool breeze, coupled with dancing leaves! I wonder how to become a 'chosen one' to help test these delectable recipes?
Thanks all,
joan

Monica
07/03/2012 09:59 PM

Hi Rose..
I cannot wait to join up the Heavenly Bakers again for this new book! And I love the story behind the use of technology to make things easier..

I use an apps when I was trying to halve your HCB recipes that worked wonders, so I know how difficult it is to get it just right.. glad to know that such huge effort went in to perfect round two!

Woody Wolston in reply to comment from Tom
06/23/2012 01:02 AM

Hi Tom,
We intend to have a photo of virtually every recipe in the book as we had for Rose's Heavenly Cakes. The 4 color portrait shot of any recipe will show the cake, pie, cookie, or bread in its best style, whether a slice or whole or cutaway.
If you are looking for bread photos, do a search on the blog site for The Complete Bread Bible with photos taken by Matthew Boyer.
Rose & Woody

Tom
06/22/2012 04:29 PM

Hello Rose,

I'm currently enjoying your baking bible.
For any future book or upgrade to this one, I'd like to have a picture of each bread (and if possible of their inside). To see its shape and colour works so much better as an invitation to bake them.
Also what a end result is supposed to be ;-)

Regards,

Tom

Laura in reply to comment from Woody Wolston
06/21/2012 05:52 PM

Thank you very much for your quick reply, Woody. I really appreciate it. I will try that next time I make the Caramel Sauce. One of our favorite ways to use it is when I make the Ice Cream Cake from "Rose's Heavenly Cakes." I make a homemade vanilla ice cream with roasted almonds or walnuts and swirl in the caramel sauce at the end. I can't tell you how much I appreciate you and Rose and all your hard work to enable home cooks like us to make such *delicious* foods. Thanks again, Laura

Woody Wolston in reply to comment from Laura
06/21/2012 01:02 PM

Hi Laura,
We suggest that you can try adding from 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of the cream of tartar per 1 cup of sugar. You will have to experiment to see if there is any taste contributed by the cream of tartar.
We also suggest that you could try adding glucose instead of the cream of tartar to help prevent crystallization 1 tablespoon per 1 cup of sugar.
Rose & Woody

Laura
06/21/2012 03:21 AM

Hi Rose. My entire family (and friends!) love your Caramel Sauce Recipe from "Rose's Celebrations." I was just reading in your book "Rose's Heavenly Cakes" that sometimes you use cream of tartar as an interfering agent when making syrups to prevent crystallization. Since I still find that caramel recipe challenging, though I make it at least once a month, I was wondering if you could share how much cream of tartar you would use for that recipe and at what stage you would add it. Thanks so much! Laura

Bill
06/14/2012 01:04 PM

Rose:
Hi! Haven't been posting much, but just wanted to say that I'm thrilled for you. This posting was fascinating, and I'm sure it will make your life soooooo much easier. I'm waiting with bated breath for each post you make regarding the progress of the book. Keep them coming!
Bill xoxo

Woody Wolston in reply to comment from Cindy Brown
06/13/2012 05:14 PM

Hi Cindy,
We will be posting Production Phase articles as different parts of the production that become noteworthy to generate a posting. We are still both testing and revising recipes and Rose is working on the headnotes and other sections of the book.
Rose & Woody

Cindy Brown
06/13/2012 03:56 PM

I am interested in the new project and would like to hear more. Have and still enjoy the Cake Bible and Rose's Heavenly cakes .......... wow, Rose, you have opened a whole new world to me..........

SamCyn
06/13/2012 07:34 AM

Hi Rose, I completely appreciate the love you put into the details involved in developing delicious and beautiful desserts and sharing them with us...I would love the opportunity to be part of the next round of The Heavenly Bakers baking through your new book. ;)

Vicki B
06/12/2012 10:51 PM

Could she program Weight Watcher points as well?!!!

Hanaa
06/11/2012 02:42 PM

Thanks for the update, Rose. And congratulations on your new tool. As a software engineer, I can appreciate the increased efficiency of letting the computer do the mundane and repetitive tasks :) Looking forward to testing (and tasting) your new recipes!!

Anne in NC
06/11/2012 12:39 PM

I would love to joini the Heavenly Bakers for the next book -- can you please advise how this is done? Many, many thanks!!

Katya
06/11/2012 01:37 AM

I feel the same way, EvilCakeLady...hoarding the last few. Very much looking forward to the possibility of doing some testing. Nothing like a task of perfect precision and sugar.

Beth
06/10/2012 03:08 PM

How sweet, and wonderful. I'm so looking forward to the new book.I really miss the Heavenly Bakers blog. Sometimes I revisit for a bit of nostalgia. Marie's post always made me smile.

Julie
06/10/2012 07:54 AM

Rose, what a fascinating read, and a great insight into your production process. I'm so looking forward to the new book!

evilcakelady in reply to comment from Mendy
06/10/2012 01:35 AM

I miss the Heavenly Bakers, too! I still am dragging my feet on finishing the two cakes I have left in Rose's Heavenly Cakes, I think for this reason :)

Fascinating post, Rose!

Flour Girl in reply to comment from Woody Wolston
06/10/2012 01:04 AM

Wonderful! I'm so glad to hear that as I scale everything. Thank you Woody!

Woody Wolston in reply to comment from Flour Girl
06/10/2012 12:50 AM

Hi Flour Girl,
Yes. We will include gram weights of liquid ingredients as Rose has shown in previous books.

Janis
06/09/2012 10:45 PM

I cannot wait to get my hands on this book! I'm sure there will be a new baking group forming with the quest to bake through this baking bible and I'm surely going to be a part of that one! I completely missed out on joining The Heavenly Cake bakers which is more of a shame now as they will be getting early access to your baking bible recipes!

Eduardo
06/09/2012 10:32 PM

Hello Rose, ever since you announced The Baking Bible, I've been looking forward to it's publication. It sounds like you're really far along. How exciting! I have all your books, and like other readers of this blog, I learned to bake by following your exceptionally clear instructions. The really important thing, though, is the many hours of joy I've been able to share with family and friends by making your recipes--all delicious, not one has ever turned out to be a disappointment. Thank you!

Mendy
06/09/2012 10:18 PM

ב''ה

Great post. As a programmer myself I really appreciate this. Way to go!

Really looking forward to being part of the Heavenly Bakers again.

Flour Girl
06/09/2012 09:06 PM

I'm so excited to hear about the progress of your new book. Thank you for sharing with us the side of being an author most people do not know about. I do have one question, though; will you still be indicating the gram weight of liquids as well as the ml? Good luck Rose! We are all rooting for you!

Cynthia Renee
06/09/2012 11:40 AM

This is great to read. Thank you for sharing. I am getting so excited for tne new book. I love that you have this app, and that the book will still have the ounces and volume. (I use your calcs as a starting point for recipes that only give).

Sherrie
06/09/2012 11:07 AM

I love it all, Rose! The learning of a new skill, the sharing, the technical approach to baking! I would love an app that I could use to look up the mass of a specific ingredient so I could convert all of the "not so well written" recipes to mass measurement! (Much like table at the front of PPB)

When I was baked a few wedding cakes, my hubby (an electrical engineer and comp sci guy) set up a fabulous spread sheet that would take the cake sizes I want, calculate number of portions, quantity of all required ingredients, and also a cost (provided I entered the cost of each ingredient per unit). It was a great tool and I can completely understand your desire to get this working for you! Congratulations on another accomplishment!

Zach townsend
06/09/2012 10:04 AM

Fantastic, Rose! both the progress you are making on the book and about the program. I can't imagine how great it must be to have that program in hand. Also, I will love the ML for liquids....

Shawna
06/09/2012 09:59 AM

Putting mL sounds fantastic. I can't wait to see it!

I'm surprised, by the way, that you haven't done a nice big book with Shirley O'Corriher. Your publishers probably encourage you to write to a broad audience, but I'd love to see a totally geeky, super-technical baking book to come out.

Sally
06/09/2012 09:50 AM

Fascinating post! I don't know anyone else who puts so much work into testing their recipes, Rose!

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Welcome to Real Baking with Rose, the personal blog of author Rose Levy Beranbaum.

Spend A Moment with Rose, in this video portrait by Ben Fink.

Heavenly Cake Bake Along

Hector's Take on Rose's Cakes

Baking Bible Book Production Phase 2