Where to Start with Christophe Felder
Christophe Felder is one of the most respected pastry chefs in France. Born in Alsace, he trained in the rigorous tradition of French patisserie before joining the Hotel de Crillon in Paris, one of the city’s grand palace hotels, where he served as head pastry chef for fifteen years. He worked alongside some of the finest chefs in France, including those at Fauchon and Guy Savoy’s restaurants. In 2009, Felder left the hotel world to found his own pastry school in Strasbourg, devoted entirely to teaching home cooks. His bestselling book “Patisserie: Mastering the Fundamentals of French Pastry” (2013, updated edition) has become a standard reference, with 233 recipes and 3,500 step-by-step photographs. He has also published “Petite Patisserie” (2020) with Camille Lesecq, focusing on smaller pastries and confections. His teaching philosophy centers on showing rather than telling, which is why his books contain more photographs per recipe than almost any other pastry reference on the market.
Start here
Patisserie: Mastering the Fundamentals of French Pastry
Christophe Felder · 800 pages · 2013 · Moderate
Themes: French pastry, classic techniques, step-by-step photography, comprehensive reference
An 800-page masterclass from Christophe Felder, former pastry chef at the Hotel de Crillon in Paris, containing 233 recipes with 3,500 step-by-step photographs. Every recipe is broken down into individual stages, each one photographed, so you always know what your dough, cream, or batter should look like before moving on.
Why Start Here
Felder spent fifteen years at one of Paris’s grand palace hotels before founding his own pastry school in Strasbourg. That dual perspective, professional precision combined with a teacher’s instinct for where students struggle, defines this book. He covers the full range of French patisserie: tarts, choux, puff pastry, cakes, creams, meringues, chocolate work, petits fours, and an entire chapter on decoration techniques.
The sheer number of step-by-step photos sets this book apart. Where most cookbooks give you a photo of the finished product and maybe one or two process shots, Felder photographs every meaningful step. You see the exact texture of properly creamed butter, the right color for caramel at each stage, and how a properly folded puff pastry should look after each turn. For visual learners, this approach is invaluable.
What to Expect
A very large hardcover at 800 pages. The updated edition includes a chapter on sauces, syrups, and fillings that was not in the original. The writing assumes no prior pastry experience but does expect patience and willingness to follow instructions precisely. A kitchen scale is essential. The book rewards careful reading, and Felder often includes tips and warnings about common mistakes alongside the main instructions.