The Elements of Baking - by Katarina Cermelj (Hardcover)

About the Book

"The Elements of Baking is the definitive guide to making any recipe gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, vegan or even gluten-free vegan. Armed with a PhD in Inorganic Chemistry, Katarina Cermelj lays out the science behind baking and the ingredients that make it work, so you can easily adapt your baking to your diet and lifestyle, and still make sure it tastes spectacular. With an abundance of mouth-watering recipes together with quantitative modification rules that you can use to convert any recipe into whatever version you fancy, The Elements of Baking will transform the way you think about ingredients. It will be a constant companion in the kitchen and the book you refer to every time you want to bake."--Back cover.

Book Synopsis

WINNER OF THE IACP AWARD IN HEALTH & WELLNESS

FINALIST FOR THE 2025 JAMES BEARD FOUNDATION BOOK AWARD - BAKING AND DESSERTS

'As soon as I read The Elements of Baking, I knew it would have a permanent spot on my kitchen bookshelf.' Dorie Greenspan, New York Times bestselling author of Baking with Dorie

An enthusiastically nerdy guide to making any recipe gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, vegan or even gluten-free vegan, with over 140 scientifically-grounded, mouthwatering recipes.

Armed with a PhD in Inorganic Chemistry, Katarina Cermelj lays out the science behind baking and the ingredients that make it work, so you can easily adapt your baking to your diet and lifestyle, and still make sure it tastes spectacular. With an abundance of mouth-watering recipes together with quantitative modification rules that you can use to convert any recipe into whatever version you fancy, The Elements of Baking will transform the way you think about ingredients. It will be a constant companion in the kitchen and the book you refer to every time you want to bake.

Just like the recipes of her popular baking blog The Loopy Whisk, the recipes Katarina shares in her latest book are always approachable, reliable and incredibly delicious, ranging from savoury dishes like Gluten-free Cheesy Garlic Pull-apart Bread and Vegan Veggie & Hummus Galette to sweet delicacies like Dairy-free Apple Pie Cupcakes and Egg-free Lemon Swirl Cheesecake Bars. And the gluten-free vegan chapter will delight anyone who has to avoid gluten, eggs and dairy, with recipes such as Gluten-free Vegan Cinnamon Rolls and Guten-free Vegan Lemon Meringue Cake.

With a completely novel approach to baking and modifying recipes, The Elements of Baking will demystify allergy-friendly baking once and for all.

Review Quotes

Brilliantly smart and poised to become the essential baking guide for folk who want to learn or love to bake.--Nik Sharma, James Beard Finalist and author of Veg-Table

Finally, we have a deliciously authoritative guide to creating the gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, and vegan baked treats of our dreams. Katarina takes away the guesswork of adapting our favourite recipes and gives every baker confidence in the kitchen. If you've ever needed to substitute an ingredient in a recipe, but weren't sure how, The Elements of Baking will show you the way.--Zoe Francois, author of Zoe Bakes Cookies and host of Zoe Bakes

Kat has achieved the impossible and created the most comprehensive, easy -to-understand, and visual guide to baking with dietary restrictions without sacrificing flavour or texture. Every question you've ever had about converting recipes is answered. This is so much more than a cookbook, it's a baking science bible! --Tessa Arias, creator of Handle the Heat

Kat is the master of free-from recipes! Too often free-from recipes might look appealing but they often turn out to be a fail for bakers at home. Kat's recipes are tried and tested, and as a baker with little experience in this area, I know I can trust her to deliver a great recipe that's easy to follow and looks just as good as the stunning photography!--Matt Adlard, author of Bake it Better

Many of us avoid gluten, dairy or eggs, and most of us know others who do: this brilliant book is the one to reach for when you want to bake considerately. Katarina's recipes are delicious, foolproof and you'd simply not know that they are 'without' in any way. --Mark Diacono, author of Spice: A Cook's Companion

The Elements of Baking contains everything I love about a good baking book: detailed methods, beautiful photographs, delicious recipes, and just enough of the science behind them to make anyone feel like an expert. The Elements of Baking practically and beautifully shares a wonderful message - baking is truly for everyone.--Erin Jeanne McDowell, author of The Book of Pie and host of Happy Baking

About the Author

Katarina Cermelj is a food writer, photographer and creator of the popular baking blog, The Loopy Whisk, where she shares her sumptuous allergy-friendly recipes. She has a PhD in Inorganic Chemistry from the University of Oxford. Her scientific background, a love of research and a good deal of stubbornness allowed her to develop mouth-watering recipes suitable for a wide range of dietary restrictions, including gluten-, dairy- and egg-free. Originally from Slovenia, Katarina now lives near Oxford. She is the author of Baked to Perfection, which was the winner of the Fortnum and Mason Food and Drink Awards 2022 and winner of the Guild of Food Writer's Specialist Subject Award 2022.