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One could argue that, while cooking is an absolute necessity (everyone’s got to eat three meals a day, seven days a week), baking is an expressly unnecessary discipline. Do I really need a brownie? Not necessarily—but I want one. Since baking is designed to bring sugar-induced joy, it’s tempting to see it as a frivolity or a luxury, especially considering the steep cost of a pound of butter, a thimble-sized bottle of vanilla extract, or a countertop stand mixer. But in her new book, The Thrifty Baker, Hermine Dossou wants to change that.
You might recognize Dossou as a semi-finalist from series 11 of the Great British Bake Off, where her knack for French patisserie set her apart from the competitors. An accountant and lifelong baker, Dossou’s passion for thrifty baking blossomed when she became a single mother. “Money was tight, but I was not going to let that stop me,” she writes. “Baking helped to fill the long afternoons when my son, Steven, was sleeping and it became an important creative outlet.”
According to Dossou, being a “thrifty baker” is about resourcefulness and improvisation: repurposing leftover ingredients, using tools you already have in your kitchen, and adapting recipes based on what you have on hand. Some of Dossou’s recipes, like sardine soda bread, call for only pantry staples; others, like French meringue macarons, are designed to use up surplus egg whites. Gone are the days of buying niche extracts or flavorings you’ll use once: when Dossou tells you an item or ingredient is worth splurging on, you can trust she’ll give you plenty of ways to use it.
Who this book is for
Anyone who wants to learn to bake on a budget will appreciate The Thrifty Baker. Taking up a new hobby can be expensive—many basic baking recipes call for a stand mixer, the most popular of which costs over $300—but Dossou’s thrifty tips and tricks help home bakers get started without a hefty down payment. There’s a whole chapter of “quick and convenient” bakes, like a speculoos mug cake and canned peach cobbler.
Some of Dossou’s recipes are relatively easy (like a no-churn wild blackberry ice cream cake, which is mostly a project of assembly), but many of them will help you hone your technical skills. The “special occasions” chapter is full of GBBO-style showstoppers: a chocolate and berry meringue roulade, a tiramisu gâteau with a chocolate collar, and a Black Forest gâteau worthy of a Paul Hollywood handshake. Even experienced bakers could benefit from a lesson in Dossou’s school of thriftiness.
What we can’t wait to cook
Most homemade breads require only a few inexpensive ingredients (flour, yeast, salt), and the payoff is huge—a freshly baked loaf tastes so, so much better than any version you could’ve bought at the store. Dossou’s country bread (pain de campagne) looks like a stellar everyday boule, but I’m most compelled by her no-knead rosemary and roasted garlic bread.
I love a simple breakfast bake, so I’ll certainly be trying Dossou’s coconut, raspberry, and chocolate muffins. No need to buy muffin liners: Dossou includes step-by-step instructions (with pictures!) for how to make your own with parchment paper. Once the weather cools down, I’ll go for the warmly spiced pineapple and coconut crumble, or I’ll bake a chai butternut cake to keep on the counter for anytime snacking.
