COOKBOOK CRITIQUE

The lines that form outside popular Californian restaurant République each day are a testament of husband-and-wife duo Walter and Margarita Manzke’s excellent bakes. Destin Tay picks up a few tips from their new cookbook, Baking at République.

Baking at République

At a glance

Success hasn’t come easy for Philippinesborn Margarita Manzke. She and her husband Walter sunk most of their life savings in projects that fell apart before settling on their current location at 624 South La Brea to launch République in December 2013. République has since cemented their standing as a Californian dining institution.

Baking at République contains over 100 recipes of breads and pastries that form the bedrock of their business. Manzke categorises these by their mother recipes; the base from which all her pastries are built upon. For example, her brioche dough recipe can be made into loaves, doughnuts and savoury or sweet rolls. So if you count yourself a bread fiend, you’ll want to add this cookbook to your kitchen shelves.

Road test

The recipes are generally straightforward, with specific measurements in either grams or millilitres, eschewing the need for dozens of measuring spoons and cups. What’s useful is Manzke’s emphasis on her 12 mother recipes, with helpful hints on how to master each one.

As I was flipping through the pages, the Strawberry Pistachio Tart commanded my attention. It was time-consuming to make

- layering strawberries onto the top layer alone took half an hour, but it was well worth the effort. The tart makes for a gorgeous centerpiece to any dessert table, and slices beautifully into layers of green, red and white. The tart sweetness of strawberries is rounded out with the nutty pistachio filling. This combination is made more divine with Manzke’s rock solid pastry cream recipe.

While the brioche technically took more time than the tart as it had to be proofed, the Brioche Fruit Tarts were a breeze to make. The buttery brioche melded perfectly with the pastry cream and fruit. As for the Chocolate Hazelnut Paris-brest, getting the texture of choux pastry might take a little practice. I followed Manzke’s tip of reducing the oven temperature by about 25 degrees at the tail end of baking the choux and was rewarded with a crunch that complemented the pillowy interior. The praline cream - thanks to the addition of kappa carrageenan (a stabiliser made from seaweed) - retains its structure without being heavy on the palate. Whole hazelnuts and a dark chocolate glaze form a treat any patissier would be proud to make.

Verdict

Mastering mother recipes is so important when it comes to baking. And Baking at République gives one the confidence to pull them off. Once you’ve gotten Manzke’s down pat, you might just be able to start crafting your own recipes. You will be rewarded with warm, toasty delights for your efforts. And that is always a win-win in our books. Baking at République is available for $30 on Amazon.