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Anna Olson shares her decades of baking knowledge in new book

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TORONTO March 27, 2025 – Baking disasters—suffice it to say that I’ve had a few in my time, ranging from paper thin, burnt Chocolate Chip Cookies to an unforgettable (and inedible) pumpkin pie that tasted like laundry soap. Having a copy of Anna Olson’s Baking Wisdom on hand would surely have prevented both of these exigencies!

As the title suggests, Anna Olson’s Baking Wisdom is The Complete Guide to Everything You Need to Know to Make You a Better Baker (with 150+ Recipes). Anna Olson is a professionally trained chef who is known asCanada’s Baking Sweetheart.’ She is renowned internationally as the host of Food Network Canada’s Bake with Anna Olson as well as the host of Oh Yum with Anna Olson on YouTube. Anna has written ten bestselling and award-winning cookbooks. She’s also a judge on Food Network Canada’s Great Chocolate Showdown.

Anna Olson - Baking Wisdom

Chef Anna Olson shares her years of baking experience in her new book, Baking Wisdom. This ‘Baking Encyclopedia’ is a must-have collection of recipes, baking techniques and sage advice.

“It’s geared to the beginner and the experienced baker for a number of reasons,” says Anna. “The selection of recipes really spans the scope. Just because you are an experienced baker doesn’t mean you don’t like to make a good basic scone or cookie, and conversely, just because you’re a novice, doesn’t mean you can’t take on a Macaron. It’s what the baker gleans out of the book and the reason you see two bookmarks in the book is because there’s that whole section – where the heart of the wisdom lies – and that is all the grandmotherly experience passed down from generation to generation.”

Anna says what makes us a better baker is knowing the ‘why’ behind baking. “When you understand the why and the how—when you understand the difference between Dutch process and regular cocoa powder, how baking powder works and the process when a cake bakes or a loaf of bread is in the oven, the part where you can’t see it. Once you actually read this and understand it you start to understand the science of baking. I had great fun answering some of my own questions, even after so many years of baking professionally.”

Copyright © 2023 Olson Food Concepts Inc. Photography by Janis Nicolay. Published by Appetite by Random House®, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.

Anna started writing the book during the pandemic and says it just got bigger and bigger! Asked what inspired her to write a book on Baking Wisdom, Anna answers: “With the growing power of the internet and social media, the interest in baking has increased. People are asking more questions. I love now that there are more resources, but at the same time it can be a very busy platform and it’s hard to sort out what is fact and what is fiction. I document and research everything to make sure it is true and then putting it into writing so it’s out there and I can stand by it.”

From cakes and cupcakes to cookies and bars, pastries and breads, Anna’s triple-tested recipes are grouped by commonly shared techniques or principles. She provides notes on baking wisdom for each recipe with the intention of helping the reader achieve the best results possible. “Many of the recipes are foundation recipes which you will find can be tweaked one way or another to be used in countless desserts,” adds Anna.

Anna Olson’s Rhubarb Cheesecake Tart Copyright © 2023 Olson Food Concepts Inc. Photography by Janis Nicolay. Published by Appetite by Random House®, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.

The book just released on March 16, contains helpful advice on how to avoid a disaster or if you are in one, how to get out of it. Asked if Anna has had a few flops or disasters in her many years of baking, she laughs: “Oh, so many! My baking apprenticeship professionally didn’t start by my going to pastry school. I studied to be a chef, but I did my journey working at an on-the-job apprenticeship. Quite often if you are left unattended, you have to figure something out until you get it right. You can’t go home until 24 perfect Crème brûlées are made. A lot of the wisdom comes from having professional guidance but needing to wrestle something without photos or videos but just the recipe. I have had constant disasters over the years and even now. Part of the recipe creation process is not to intentionally fail, but never accept the result because you can always do something to make it better.”

It was Anna’s grandmother who first taught her how to bake when Anna was a young girl. “It was our wonderful way to bond,” recalls Anna. “She lived in Niagara Falls, New York and was from Pennsylvania originally. Her background is Eastern European, so I grew up with a lot of the butter-rich Eastern European baking but also the Austrian influences. It started with how to crack an egg and make simple cookies then you move your way up. A lot of people have that generational connection. Now I am a grandmother and my little granddaughter just turned one and I can’t wait until she can start baking with me. It’s the love, and that special bond, but it’s also about the journey. It’s like learning a language or learning how to play golf. No one goes out and plays golf the first time and is brilliant unless your first name is Tiger! Practice and repetition—that’s what makes a good baker.”

Anna admits she has a particular fondness for pies and tarts. “They are elegant and beautiful; from a simple Apple Cranberry Pie to a more elaborate Millionaire Tart, which is a personal favourite of mine and is extra special. I’m also a real sucker for a good cookie or square; the high and the low. I like a bit of complexity and I also like simplicity. I think what you’ll find from this book is the building—you have a lot of foundation recipes that turn into many things. A little tweaking and you’ve got three different variations.”

Making Anna Olson’s Rhubarb Cheesecake Tart (See recipe below). Copyright © 2023 Olson Food Concepts Inc. Photography by Janis Nicolay. Published by Appetite by Random House®, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.

For beginner bakers who may not have tools like a stand mixer, Anna recommends; “Start with something where the method is simple like a good brownie or a drop cookie works really well because all you need in a bowl, a spoon and a baking tray.”

Anna says baking helps her relax and unwind. “It’s how I destress—it’s my Zen place. It’s a personal choice, but many people discover they really enjoy baking. It adds excitement as we create something extra for others as a treat or for a birthday or something for friends coming for dinner. What’s important is that you enjoy the time spent in the kitchen.”

Anna again mentions her beloved grandmother when she sums up her new book: “I am channeling my inner grandmother in my wish to share everything I learned about baking over the years.”

Anna Olson’s Baking Wisdom is a gorgeous, all-encompassing guide that’s like a masterclass in baking. It should come with a degree, because once you read and use this book, you’ll graduate as a better baker! Whether you love baking (or are just learning) you need to have a copy of Anna Olson’s Baking Wisdom!

Anna Olson's Rhubarb Cheesecake Tart recipe
Anna Olson's Rhubarb Cheesecake Tart Copyright © 2023 Olson Food Concepts Inc. Photography by Janis Nicolay. Published by Appetite by Random House®, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.

Recipes excerpted from Anna Olson’s Baking Wisdom: The Complete Guide: Everything You Need to Know to Make You a Better Baker (with 150+ Recipes) by Anna Olson. Copyright © 2023 Olson Food Concepts Inc. Photography by Janis Nicolay. Published by Appetite by Random House®, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.

by Laurie Wallace-Lynch

Other articles from totimes.ca – otttimes.ca – mtltimes.ca

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