Where to Start with FERRANDI Paris
FERRANDI Paris is one of the most respected culinary schools in the world, founded in 1920 by the Paris Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Le Monde has called it “the Harvard of gastronomy.” The school trains professional chefs, pastry chefs, bakers, and sommeliers at its campus in the 6th arrondissement of Paris, and its alumni work at Michelin-starred restaurants and top patisseries around the world. FERRANDI has published several comprehensive reference books that distill its institutional knowledge into volumes accessible to serious home cooks. Their “French Patisserie” (2017) is the most widely acclaimed of these, offering the school’s structured, technique-first approach to learning pastry in a format that works outside the classroom. The school also published “French Cuisine” (2017) and “French Baking” (2022), applying the same philosophy to savory cooking and bread making.
Start here
French Patisserie
FERRANDI Paris · 656 pages · 2017 · Moderate
Themes: French pastry, patisserie techniques, croissants, eclairs, tarts, macarons
The official pastry textbook from FERRANDI, the Paris culinary school that Le Monde once called “the Harvard of gastronomy.” This 656-page volume covers more than 130 fundamental techniques and 117 recipes, all illustrated with step-by-step photography and graded by difficulty level so you can build skills progressively.
Why Start Here
Most French pastry books fall into one of two camps: coffee-table showcases with gorgeous photos but vague instructions, or professional manuals that assume you already know how to temper chocolate. FERRANDI’s book sits in the sweet spot. It starts with the fundamental doughs, creams, and meringues that form the backbone of French patisserie, then builds toward composed desserts like Paris-Brest, Saint-Honore, and opera cake.
Every technique is photographed at each critical stage. You see what the butter should look like when you laminate croissant dough. You see how the choux paste should pull away from the pan. You see the exact consistency of a properly set creme anglaise. This visual precision makes the book unusually forgiving for home bakers, because you can compare your results against the photos and troubleshoot in real time.
The difficulty grading is genuinely useful. Level one recipes like madeleines and financiers let you build confidence before tackling level three challenges like entremets and laminated viennoiseries. This structure turns the book into a self-paced curriculum rather than a random collection of recipes.
What to Expect
A large, heavy hardcover at 656 pages with extensive photography throughout. The book is organized by category: basic doughs, creams and mousses, tarts, choux pastry, puff pastry, cakes, petits fours, chocolate work, frozen desserts, and confections. The front section on techniques is essential reading. Equipment requirements are realistic for a well-stocked home kitchen, though you will want a good stand mixer, a kitchen scale, and a reliable oven thermometer. All measurements are given in metric, which is standard for precision baking.