I almost died from joy when I saw Tartine: A Classic Revisited on NetGalley, and then I was granted my request to review it (this is an honest review). I have the original Tartine (thank you Mrs. Julien). It is the cookbook I pull out when I need baking inspiration or life inspiration. Prueitt and Robertson put some thought into this update and added in some variations and many new recipes which makes it worth owning.
Tartine is a baker’s cookbook. It is not for beginners. However, if you master the elements, you can turn out some impressive and creative bakes. Tartine: A Classic Revisited is also for experienced bakers and my one caveat about this book is that I think there are some typos in the measurements. Everything I baked turned out well, but the English Muffin dough took a lot more flour than the recipe called for, and the dimensions for rolling out the croissants were definitely written out incorrectly. I am hoping that these errors are a function of having an advanced reader copy. I didn’t try most of the recipes, so there may be other typos and problems I didn’t see.
Tartine: A Classic Revisited feels a little more informal than the original. It’s not less formal in it’s techniques, but the addition of muffins, buns, more cookies and crackers gives a broader range of options for using this cookbook from a fancy dinner party dessert to a luxurious but comfy weekend coffee. When I made the brioche dough, I made a loaf of bread and some brioche jam buns. With the croissant dough, I made morning buns and some Gruyere croissants*. I love that the recipes play around with different grains. I made the Einkorn variation of the Flakey Tart Dough and loved it. I don’t have a lot of access to non traditional flours, but as soon as I can get my hands on some teff flour, I’m trying that carrot cake. The handful of gluten free recipes are nice. I don’t have a problem with gluten, but I have enough friends who do that I appreciate the effort.
It’s a beautiful and creative cookbook. Reading a protected PDF file on my laptop isn’t the best way to interact with a visual product, but even with Copyrighted stamped on every page, I could still appreciate the beauty of the beauty of the photographs.
*The bake time of about 45 minutes listed in the book is way off. Check after 20 minutes and use your best judgment about how much longer they need.