"Professional Baking has been a widely used resource and teaching tool for tens of thousands of students since it was first published. During that time, the baking industry has evolved as interest in artisan baking has blossomed, and Professional Baking has changed with each new edition to keep pace with new demands. At the same time, the art and science of teaching has also evolved rapidly as new technological resources have become available to instructors and students. Electronic media, including WileyPLUS, Wiley's online teaching and learning environment, and CulinarE-CompanionTM recipe management software, provide a wealth of resources and tools to make the latest Professional Baking the best learning and teaching text yet. This new 7th edition of the text has been reorganized to fully integrate the print book with its electronic resources. (This wealth of resources is described in more detail later in this preface.) Even with these developments, however, the focus of the text remains, as it always has, on a solid grounding in the basics, presented in a straightforward and easy-to-grasp style. The goal of Professional Baking is to provide students and working chefs with a solid theoretical and practical foundation in baking practices, including selection of ingredients, proper mixing and baking techniques, careful makeup and assembly, and skilled and imaginative decoration and presentation. It is designed as a primary text for use in colleges and culinary schools, baking courses within broader food-service curricula, and on-the-job training programs, as well as providing a solid reference for professional bakers and pastry chefs. Professional Baking focuses on both understanding and performing"-- Provided by publisher.