Breaking Bao

Food & Wine Best Cookbooks of 2024

From acclaimed pastry chef Clarice Lam: a visually sumptuous pan-Asian baking book exploring an umami-rich array of baked goods, confections, and savory snacks.

Breaking Bao is a culinary journey bridging gaps between Asian flavors and global techniques. It is a collection of recipes rooted in renowned chef Clarice Lam’s personal journey of self-discovery and the transformative power of embracing one’s heritage.

Here are 88 approachable recipes that are firmly rooted in classical French technique but travel far and wide. Dive into three chapters, exploring:

• Bao: the fundamentals of baked, steamed, fried, or laminated buns and breads, from golden curry-filled donuts to Rice Dumplings filled with Hong Kong Bolognese to Vietnamese Cinnamon-Raisin Babka.
• Cakes & Desserts: classics treated with a twist, such as Mango-Yakult Tres Leches Cake, Ovaltine Mochi Marjolaine, and Pandan-Lime Meringue Pie.
• Snax: savory and sweet treats, from Cantonese-Style Fig and Marzipan Mooncakes to Gochujang-Furikake Caramel Popcorn to Ramen Cheese Itz.

Featuring more than 100 stunning photographs by prominent food, lifestyle, and travel photographer Evan Sung, Breaking Bao is a visual feast as well as a go-to cookbook. For home cooks looking to expand their repertories, these projects range from simple cookies and flavored popcorn snacks to lavish mille feuille and laminated pastries. With humor, whimsy, and respect for traditions, Lam invites readers into these pages to break barriers, bread, and bao, all at the same table.

ASIAN BAKING EXPERTISE: A daughter of parents from Hong Kong, Clarice Lam has been in the New York City restaurant industry for more than a decade and has garnered an impressive resume, working in Thomas Keller’s Bouchon Bakery, Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s Spice Market, as the executive chef at The Chocolate Room in Brooklyn, and as the opening pastry chef for Kimika, named one of 2021’s best new restaurants in the world by Condé Nast Traveler and a James Beard semifinalist for Best New Restaurant in 2022. Using the nostalgic flavors of her childhood with the techniques imparted to her in culinary school, she is uniquely positioned to create the go-to book on Asian-inspired baking.

KITCHEN SUPERSTAR: With 88 foolproof, well-tested recipes, including cakes, cookies, buns, mochi, mooncakes, donuts, and savory snacks, and more than 100 gorgeous photographs, Breaking Bao is your next great recipe book for the Hall of Fame section of your cookbook corner. 

UNIQUE COOKBOOK: There are not many classically trained pastry chefs writing accessible books for use by home bakers. There are also very few baking books that meld multicultural flavors and techniques. Breaking Bao blends various cuisine staples from countries in Asia with hints of technique drawn from American, European, and traditional Asian baking.

Perfect for:

• Home bakers of all skill levels
• Asian cuisine and culture enthusiasts
• Professionally trained chefs and bakers
• Cookbook collectors and baking book browsers
• Gift-giving for food lovers’ birthday, housewarming, graduation, or any occasion