If you had to buy only one book on baking...

[pantshavenames]

Which would it be? I want a reasonably comprehensive book of baking to have to hand rather than odd cake recipes scattered throughout an unwieldy collection of cookery books. Only baking really- cakes biscuits scones etc that I could just pick up and always find something to cook.
Pastry recipes are optional as they stress me out
Recommendations please....

Peyton and Byrne "British Baking" is my favourite. Also really like the Magnolia Bakery cookbook.

Mary Berry

If you're not bothered about cake book porn ( in which case buy Hummingbird Bakery book, each recipe has a full page pic but soooo few recipes ), then the best, by far, IMO, is Leith's Baking Bible. It has an astounding variety of recipes and lots of techniques. Its the only book you'll need but not many pics, I actually find not having pics quite liberating and exciting now!

I've made at least 30 different things from the book and all have worked perfectly.

I'm glad I clicked on this link, will look into the Leiths one. My baking bible is How to be a Domestic Goddess by Nigella. It works for me.

Be-ro book! Small and yummy!

Don't laugh

this one

Honestly - easy peasy and everything we've ever made from it was a winner

Mary Berry's Ultimate Cake Book thro family cakes, continental cakes, biscuits, cheesecakes - amazing and easy.

Mary Berry. Contains the best lemon drizzle cake recipe in the world.

I have got "Making and decorating cakes in pictures" which is my baking bible.
but it's very old, and so not much use to u=you.

quite frankly, I would advise going round 2nd hand book shops and finding a lovely old book - they're always the best.

(sorry the title is "Cake Making and Decorating in pictures"

(it does have biscuits and breads etc too)

i like domestic goddess but still plunder recipes from all my books.

dottyaboutstriped i was going to recommend the usbourne apple tree farm childrens cookery book.

I have seen yours too, and they have the same recipies, except we have mrs boots chocoalte cake, sams rainy day flapjacks etc.

Its fab and has easy to follow recipies for lots of traditional cake / bakes etc. all are super easy, extreamly yummy, and written so a 3 year old can follow the instructions.

Nothing extreme in there but if you want flap jacks / brownies / cookies / chocolate cake / lemon cake / krispie cakes / shortbread etc.... ie all the "normal" typical english things then they are in there.

Saying that i love nigellas domestic godddes too!

Mary "Queen Of Baking" Berry's Baking Bible. I keep thinking I would like to cook each thing in there, one a week, till I've gone through the whole book. But I haven't, obviously! Its great though and has a good section on lining tins and other tips.

Glad I had a look at this thread too, think I will be getting the Leiths one from the library very soon.