Crust: Essential Sweets and Savories from Victoria's Beloved Bakery

by Tom Moore, Rebecca Wellman (Editor)

Overview

A GLOBE & MAIL BESTSELLER.

From the go-to boutique bakery in Victoria, BC, this cookbook—with over 85 recipes—satisfies every sweet, savory, and in-between craving you might have, all while making you a better baker.

Every morning, for over a decade, locals and visitors alike have lined up outside Crust Bakery, eager to taste its delicious, rustic baking. It’s the kind of baking you dream of filling your home with. And now, you can! Within the pages of this debut cookbook, Crust founding chef Tom Moore shares recipes for the bakery’s most popular menu items, breaking them down into manageable steps and peppering in hints and tips to help you achieve success at home. You’ll have no trouble making the perfect baked good, whether you’re craving:

• Pies and Tarts: Impress with Crust’s famous Lemon Passion Fruit Slice, the genius Vanilla Crème Brûlée Tarts to go, or the breakfast/lunch barrier-breaking Bacon, Tomato, and Smoked Cheddar Quiche.
• Muffins, Scones, and Squares: Explore Tom’s Australian-inspired Banana and Macadamia Muffins, or the simple yet scrumptious treat from his daughter: Abby’s Favorite Chocolate Rice Krispie Squares.
• Cakes: Indulge in the multi-season celebration of Zucchini Marmalade Cake or the multi-tiered decadence of Mr. Rich Birthday Cake.
• Cookies: Share Tom’s cheeky take on a Down Under favorite with Tom Tams or the “little black dress of cookies,” the Pecan and Dark Chocolate Chunk Cookies.
• Breads: Nurture a surefire Sourdough Starter day by day (to use for a number of recipes) or enjoy Cinnamon Brioche Scrolls and Aussie Crunch Rolls.

After years teaching at his own culinary school, Tom has anticipated every baker’s question (and woe) with a helpful troubleshooting section. Because sometimes your dough just won’t rise—and Crust will tell you why! These are bakery-quality recipes that every home baker can make with confidence.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780525612384
Publisher:	Appetite by Random House
Publication date:	09/24/2024
Pages:	272
Product dimensions:	8.32(w) x 10.30(h) x 0.98(d)

About the Author

TOM MOORE is an award-winning chef, baker, restaurateur, and culinary teacher from Tamworth, Australia. As well as cooking in a multitude of restaurants and teaching cookery in his own private school, Tom was the owner and chef of the restaurant Grazing and his first bakery, Knead, where he was awarded the title of Australian Young Restaurateur of the year. Tom opened Crust Bakery in Victoria in 2013 and continues to enjoy Vancouver Island’s fresh offerings, both at work and at home, where some of his favorite days are spent in the kitchen with his kids, his wife Pennye, and her two teenagers. His most recent culinary adventure has been opening the aptly named Victoria eatery, Tombo Eats.
REBECCA WELLMAN is a food stylist and photographer, recipe developer, and writer, specializing in food and culinary lifestyle. She was a longtime contributor to Victoria’s EAT Magazine until its closure in early 2024. Rebecca has cooked for and photographed several cookbooks, including the Outlander Kitchen series, based on the bestselling novels by Diana Gabaldon. She is the author and photographer of First, We Brunch, a cookbook with photos and stories from Victoria’s best-loved breakfast joints, and the co-author and photographer of Bisous and Brioche.

Read an Excerpt

How to Get the Most out of a Baking Book
First and foremost, before you start on any baking projects, I highly encourage you to read this entire book—like a novel. I might be joking a little, but really, you will get so much out of reading all my tips and guidelines, the recipes themselves, and the kitchen notes accompanying many of the recipes.
            Check out the Equipment and Ingredients sections to best know how to stock your supply cupboards (which tools do you really need, and which ones can you skip?) and your pantry (spoiler: good quality is always preferred, but what makes a product good quality?).
            The Baking Fundamentals chapter is like a mini master class, taking all the experience of a commercial bakery and modifying it to fit your home kitchen. For example, what is blind-baking? Why do we sift flour? And how many times have you read “don’t overmix!”—what does it actually mean? Baking Fundamentals is where you’ll find all the answers.
            Then on to the recipes! We wanted to fill this book with all kinds, some that are a bit on the easier side and others that offer more of a challenge for those who enjoy that sort of thing. This is a book of essentials: muffins, cookies, brûlées, cheesecakes, breads, and other basics that are wonderful to have in your repertoire, ready to whip up at any time. We often hear that baking is a science, and that measurements must be exact and precise to prevent horrible disasters. But I believe baking doesn’t need to be stuffy and uptight. While it is important to measure and weigh as accurately as you can, don’t get too fussed about it. Feel free to play and experiment. Go into baking with an open heart and a relaxed attitude. We learn the best things when we play.
            Finally, it’s great to know what can go wrong and how to fix it. The Troubleshooting guide can help you anticipate and avoid common mishaps before you’ve wasted those dozen egg whites or the carefully sourced passion fruit. But if you find yourself running into trouble while baking, check the guide, learn from your mistakes, and try again!
            I genuinely hope that everything you bake turns out magnificently, but there is no way I can account for the variables that exist in my kitchen versus yours, including the altitude, humidity, and temperature where you live, your oven and baking vessels, the brand of products you use, and, of course, your personal taste. Be sure to experiment to see what works best for you.
            I want this to be your journey, and I am excited to introduce you to all the Crust recipes in this book. Make them your own. Have fun, take pride, and please, no matter what happens, be sure to eat it anyway!

Editorial Reviews

Just as the aroma of freshly baked bread draws you into the door of a bakery, this cookbook invites you to marvel at the impressive yet approachable array of recipes that will have you pulling out your mixing bowls and preheating your oven in excitement to bake.”
—ANNA OLSON

“Every neighborhood needs a Crust Bakery, but if you’re not lucky enough to have one, now you’ve got the next best thing—Chef Tom Moore’s beautiful book!”
—ROSIE DAYKIN, author of Butter Baked Goods and The Side Gardener

“Baking books can feel intimidating by how unattainable the final product seems, but the rustic realism within Crust gives the confidence to reproduce countless irresistible recipes. Lemon Curd Poppy Seed Syrup Cakes, here I come.”
—LISA AHIER, author of The SoBo Cookbook and Together at SoBo

“Tom really has done it all—from running his own farm-to-table restaurant to establishing Crust Bakery,  famed for its beautiful pastries and tarts, fruity pies, and sourdough breads. This artful cookbook imparts his  stories, wisdom, and the kind of homey recipes that will send you straight to the kitchen to bake. You won’t be  able to resist making those crème brûlée tarts!”
—CINDA CHAVICH, cookbook author, food journalist, and creator of TasteReport.com

“Tom has gifted us with beautiful recipes for Crust’s renowned treats. An instant classic, Crust will not only warm your heart, but will also have you reaching for  your apron over and over again.”
—GISELLE COURTEAU, author of Duchess Bake Shop and Duchess at Home

From the Publisher