I wanted to let you know about an upcoming baking book featuring baked goods from Polish bakers. “Dobre Dobre” comes out in October 2025 from Chronicle Books. Thanks to NetGalley for gifting me an advance copy of this cookbook.
“Dobre Dobre: Baking from Poland and Beyond” is by Laurel Kratochvila with photographs by Malgosia Minta. American-born Laurel owns the Fine Bagels bakery and cafe in Berlin. She presents 120+ recipes of her own and from Polish bakers. Many of the recipes within have Jewish roots.
“Dobre Dobre” appears to mean “Good good” or “Fine fine” in Polish!
Chapters include:
- Breads, Rolls & Bagels
- Yeasted Buns & Breads
- Slab Cakes, Layer Cakes & Bundts
- Cookies, Small-Bites & Wafers
- Choux, Meringues & Cheesecakes
- Extras: Fillings, Creams & Toppings
I enjoyed reading about how Laurel found herself moving to Prague from Boston, and then to Poland because she didn’t like the way Czech pickles tasted! She trained as a baker in Paris, got married, moved to Berlin and started her bakery.
She begins the first chapter with explanations on working with the doughs – preferments, rising, shaping, baking, checking for doneness, then cooling and storing the bread. There are step-by-step photos for the various doughs, and I really find that helpful.
Measurements are given in both grams and ounces (metric and Imperial).
The recipes that intrigue me the most in this cookbook include:
- Lithuanian Black Bread
- Plummy Yeasted Tray Cake
- Fritter-Style Apple Pancakes
- Chanterelle and Smoky Cheese Danishes
- Jewish Apple Pie
- Molded Walnut Cookies
- Krakower Raisin Cheesecake
The Jewish baking recipes in this book of course include Bialys, Challah, Hamantaschen, Babka and Lekach.
The accompanying food photographs are plentiful and beautiful.
Shop for “Dobre Dobre” on Amazon (affiliate link).
-Carrie
Cookbook Divas
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