Pray Alison - Standard Baking Co. Pastries

A life lesson that Ive taken from this experience is that one does not write a book alone, and I cannot say enough for all of those people who have made this project possible. My thanks to Tara Smith, for her enthusiasm and willingness to go the extra mile, both in working on this book and every day in the bakery. To all of our wonderful bakery staff who have allowed me the time to focus on the writing of this book. Without their talent, skill, and dedication, the bakery could never run as smoothly as it does. I am most beholden to Sara Deane, our bakery manager, who handles daily crises with equanimity, and our production manager, Tim Gosnell, who keeps everyone on task and in good spirits. I owe a special thanks to our editor Kathleen Fleury, who proposed the idea of writing a bakery cookbook. For guiding us through the process, before, during, and long after giving birth to her first child, Ella. For her great faith and confidence, and for being so remarkably open to all of our ideas, I am truly grateful. A huge thank you to Miroslaw Jurek at Down East who is responsible for making this the beautiful book it is. We were incredibly fortunate to work with such a gifted photographer as Sean Alonzo Harris, who so patiently fielded questions and ideas from at least one photography amateur during our photo shoots. Im also grateful to Martha Fenton, for both her remarkable talent in finding order in my own writing and her cool readiness to meet any deadline. To the master bakers and instructors who have guided and inspired me, including Didier Rosada, Philippe LeCorre, Jeffrey Hamelman, Craig Ponsford, among others, for so generously sharing their knowledge with me and with scores of other professional/aspiring bakers, I am deeply grateful. Thank you to Dan Edson, who generously contributed his time and considerable expertise as an editor, baker, and croissant tester. I wish to thank Abe Faber and Christy Timon for their consummate passion and professionalism as they showed me the finer points of baking. To so many bakers, Clear Flour Bread remains the quintessential neighborhood bakery. To our friends and business partners, Victor Leon and Dana Street, for taking a leap of faith and opening Standard Baking Co. with us seventeen years ago. A special thanks and appreciation to our wonderful customersboth local regulars and seasonal visitors who have been so kind and supportive of us for seventeen yearsthey make the long hours worthwhile. From the beginning, my lovely friends Kate Pullano and Jane Newkirk not only encouraged my pursuit of baking, but so kindly understood whenever my need for sleep took precedence over socializing and holiday gatherings. Above all, my husband Matt, who encouraged my sudden fascination with baking over twenty years ago. For helping in every way possible on this book while working countless hours running the bakery. Without his gentle love and support (not to mention home-cooked meals), Standard Baking Co., and this book, would never exist.

Alison

I have many people to thank for supporting me in my life and career. First and foremost, thanks to my family for the encouragement and endless enthusiasm for all my endeavors. Thanks to Matt James and Alison Pray for deciding I was a good fit for the bakery, and for all their trust in my work. I am honored to be partnered with Alison on this incredible project. I owe a debt of gratitude to all of the chefs from both the Culinary Institute of America, and Jeffrey Hamelman and the crew at King Arthur Flour. They very graciously passed on their knowledge, skills, and philosophies during my formal education. I greatly appreciate all of the tasting done by my coworkers, friends, and neighbors, who were not permitted to be on diets throughout this process. I would most especially like to thank my husband Christopher, who fearlessly risks my crabbiness with his honest critiques. His thoughtful evaluations inspire me to never settle, his ideas and contributions lead to entertaining collaborations, and creating his next favorite treat is my greatest ambition. Without his love and humor, talented editing, and tireless attentionnot to mention the continuous dishwashingthis project would not have been realized. My heartfelt thanks to all!

Tara

For ingredients or supplies that arent available in your area, contact the following suppliers:

The Bakers Catalogue
King Arthur Flour
P.O. Box 876, Norwich, VT 05055 800-827-6836, kingarthurflour.com
Baking and pastry tools and equipment, specialty flours, vanilla beans, and other specialty ingredients.

Bridge Kitchenware
17 Waverly Place, Madison, NJ 07940 973-377-3900, bridgekitchenware.com
Kitchen tools and bakeware.

Chicago Metallic Bakeware
300 Knightsbridge Parkway Suite 500, Lincolnshire, IL 60069. 1-800-238-Bake, chicagometallicbakeware.com
Specialty bakeware manufacturer including mini-popover pans.

J.B. Prince Company
36 East 31st St., New York, NY 10016, 800-473-0577, jbprince.com
Baking and pastry tools and equipment.

Kerekes Bakery & Resturant Equipment
6103 15th Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11219, 800-525-5556,
BakeDeco.com
Specialty baking molds, including stainless-steel cake rings, timbale molds, and baba cups.

LeRoux Kitchen
161 Commercial St., Portland, ME 04101, 207-553-7665,
lerouxkitchen.com
Bakeware, equipment, tools, and specialty ingredients.

Vermont Butter & Cheese Creamery
P.O. Box 95, Websterville, VT 05678, 1-800-884-6287, vermontcreamery.com
Artisanal dairy products, including cultured, high-butterfat butter. Available at many regional specialty food stores. On-line mail order available through their website.

Williams-Sonoma, Inc.
3250 Van Ness Ave., San Francisco, CA 94109, 877-812-6235, williams-sonoma.com
Kitchen equipment, bakeware, and tools.

World Wide Chocolate
643 Franklin Pierce Hwy., Barrington, NH 03825, 1-800-664-9410, worldwidechocolate.com
Imported gourmet chocolate from around the world.

T he pace is brisk in the morning hours. While the early risers begin to stream through the front doors, our bakers pull tray after tray of pastries from the ovens, filling the air with seductive aromas of butter and cinnamon. Breakfast seems to evoke the most powerful food memories. Perhaps because it recalls earlier times when the simple pleasure of homemade breakfasts was a way of life, or maybe because it serves as a delicious harbinger for the day to come. Whatever the reason, many folks treasure their morning routine of a hot cup of coffee and a buttery, flaky croissant at their neighborhood bakery.

We had hoped that as a neighborhood bakery we would become a staple in the social life of the community. Over the last eighteen years, weve found that nothing is more gratifying than being part of the early morning rituals of our customers.

Our aim as bakers is to create comforting and delicious food from the freshest ingredients available. We really dont care for sugary baked goods, and our customers often tell us they appreciate that our pastries arent overly sweet. Our breakfast pastry repertoire is small, yet each recipe lends itself to nearly unlimited variations allowing us to indulge our craving for variety. We hope youll use these recipes as a point of departure for your own favorite fillings or additions.