Sally’s Baking 101 is officially out in the world! After 3 years of work, hundreds of recipe tests, and countless flour-covered counters, I can hardly believe I get to hold this book in my hands… and that it’s finally in your hands, too.
To celebrate the release, I thought it would be fun to share the behind-the-scenes journey of how this book came to life. From building the table of contents, to cutting down an 80,000-word manuscript, to photographing recipes across all four seasons… here’s how we made Sally’s Baking 101.
Please meet the team behind Sally’s Baking 101:
- Giulietta Pinna (prop stylist) – follow Giulietta here
- Allison Pynn (hair and makeup for my author photos) – follow Allison here
- Diana Jeffra (food stylist) – follow Diana here
- Kristopher Juniel (video team) – follow Paragraphic here
- David Flores (video team) – follow Paragraphic here
- Stronz Vanderploeg (video/photograher) – follow Paragraphic here
- Stephanie (Sally’s Baking team member)
- Erin (Sally’s Baking team member)
- Beth (Sally’s Baking team member and recipe co-author)
(Not pictured: James, Lexi, Allie, and Trina, or my wardrobe stylist, Danielle Wood, and all of my recipe testers!)
Writing Sally’s Baking 101 has been the biggest project of my career. In fact, it took three years from the very first proposal draft to holding the finished book in my hands. I want to take you behind the scenes not just of the recipe development, but the countless hours, edits, photos, and decisions that went into creating a baking book of this caliber.
Why 3 Years?
When I began the proposal in 2022, I intentionally asked for a long deadline. I wanted to give this book the time and attention it deserved while still running my website, creating new content for you, and keeping up with the day-to-day. This wasn’t going to be a rush job. It was going to be the kind of book I’d be proud of decades from now. A true reference and teaching guide, not just a collection of recipes.
And let me tell you: it was more kitchen work than I’ve ever done in my career.
Building the Table of Contents
You’d think the first step would be jumping into recipe testing. But honestly? We spent almost the entire three years tweaking the table of contents.
My co-author Beth and I obsessed over the flow of the book. What skills did we want to teach? Which recipes made the most sense next to each other? How could we build a structure that took a beginner baker by the hand, while still keeping experienced bakers inspired?
I started by pulling 31 recipes straight from my website. Think: the classics that have become community favorites and that I knew had to be in this book, including pizza dough, chocolate chip cookies, sugar cookies, banana bread, and more. Those formed the foundation. From there, we built out the chapters with new and exciting recipes, flavors, and techniques. We pushed ourselves to go beyond our comfort zones—not just to learn new skills, but to translate them into teachable concepts for you.
Recipe Testing & Retesting
Each recipe was tested, retested, and in some cases cut or completely rewritten. Some came together quickly; others took dozens of rounds. Beth and I would tag-team: I’d run tests in my kitchen, she’d do the same, and then we’d compare notes and make adjustments.
Starting in 2023, I shared a few posts about the cookbook recipe testing process:
- Cookbook Recipe Testing 1 (2023)
- Cookbook Recipe Testing 2 (2023)
- Cookbook Recipe Testing 3 (2024)
- Cookbook Recipe Testing 4 (2024)
And, obviously, those posts don’t even cover a quarter of the recipes in the book! There were days when my kitchen looked like a flour explosion. We went through pounds of butter, bags of flour, mountains of chocolate, and so many cartons of eggs that I lost count. Grocery store runs 3, 4x per day because we ran out of something. And still, we never rushed the process. If something wasn’t working, we went back to the drawing board.
It wasn’t just me and Beth in the kitchen, though. My team member Lexi tested most of the recipes in the book in her home kitchen. I also hired a professional recipe tester, Amanda Yee, who lives overseas, to bake through the recipes with different ingredients and tools. Because what works in my kitchen in the U.S. might not work in another country. On top of that, we had over a dozen additional recipe testers who provided feedback, asked questions, and helped make sure every detail was clear and reliable.
Recipe testing is something I take very, very seriously. For the book, I wanted each recipe to not only taste incredible, but to also work for you the very first time you try it. That meant being obsessive about instructions, troubleshooting, and making sure nothing was left to chance.
Writing (and Cutting) the Manuscript
The manuscript ballooned to about 80,000 words. That’s a small novel! Every recipe came with detailed notes, troubleshooting tips, and step-by-step explanations. As you can imagine, it had to be pared down to fit the page count. Cutting words is painful, especially when you love to over-explain (hi, it’s me), but in the end the book is tighter, more focused, and easier to use.
Photos of test recipes:
The Photography Process
I’m the photographer behind every recipe photo in this cookbook, except for the ones where I’m actually in the shot! Those were taken by my longtime videographer, Stronz.
Photography was a project all its own. It took us 10–12 months to complete because I didn’t want to rush it. Certain ingredients needed to be in season, and I wanted the photos to reflect the freshest, most vibrant version of each bake. We shot the bulk of the book in April 2024.
To bring the book to life visually, I hired two stylists: Giulietta, a prop stylist with a literal warehouse full of dishes, linens, boards, and backdrops for every mood and project you can imagine, and Diana, a brilliant food stylist. Together, they became my cookbook styling dream team. Giulietta would arrive with crates of props that made each photo feel warm and inviting, while Diana had the magical ability to make each swirl of frosting and every flake of pie crust look its absolute best.
Every single recipe has a photo. We photographed recipes in batches, waiting for berries, peaches, apples, or cranberries (etc.!) to come into season. Each photo needed to do more than look pretty—it needed to teach. You’ll notice that there are a lot of step-by-step instructional photos. That was intentional.
We loved working together so much that they now help me with photography for my website, too. They’re talented, creative, and endlessly fun to be around—and I truly could not have asked for a better team to help bring the recipes in Sally’s Baking 101 to life on the page.
The Emotional Side
I won’t sugarcoat it (pun intended): it was exhausting. Writing Sally’s Baking 101 wasn’t just a project, it was a marathon. There were plenty of joyful moments, but also plenty of times it felt impossibly hard. My kitchen turned into a revolving door of ingredients, test batches, failures, and victories. There were late nights when I was exhausted (after a long day working on the book, running my website, and parenting) but had to pull another tray of cookies from the oven. Days when a recipe failed for the tenth time in a row and I wondered if it would ever work.
It took literal blood, sweat, and tears. There were times I cried from frustration, times I was so drained I couldn’t look at another bowl of batter, and times I said, “what did I get myself into? I can’t do this.”
But then there were the breakthroughs. The moment a recipe finally clicked, the day the table of contents came together, the first time I saw a finished chapter laid out with photos and words. Those moments made every hard day worth it.
This book demanded everything from me: my time, energy, creativity, and resilience. And while it pushed me further than any project before, it also gave me my proudest professional accomplishment to date.
This is the book I’ve always wanted to write.
And while three years felt like forever at the time, it was absolutely worth it.
Now that Sally’s Baking 101 is out in the world, I look at it and think of all the hours, decisions, and teamwork that made it possible. It’s more than a collection of recipes—it’s a true guidebook for bakers at every stage. And it was a team project.
And I couldn’t have done it without you. My readers, my friends, my family, my community. For over a decade, you’ve trusted me with your kitchens, your celebrations, and your everyday bakes. Your feedback, photos, questions, and encouragement are what fueled this book from start to finish.
This cookbook is my thank you. It’s a resource built from all the lessons we’ve shared, the classics you’ve loved, and the new challenges I can’t wait for you to try. My hope is that it inspires you, teaches you, and gives you confidence every time you turn on the oven.
From the bottom of my heart: thank you for baking alongside me all these years. I can’t wait to see what you make first.
Sally’s Baking 101 is available everywhere books are sold starting today. Happy release day, friends!
Photo credit: Stronz Vanderploeg
Reader Comments and Reviews
You have impacted the lives of all of my family and friends through your recipes, and we are all so grateful! Starting with Snickerdoodles so many years ago, every recipe of yours that I tried was a hit and absolutely delicious – you made me into the baker that I am! Congratulations on your beautiful book, can’t wait for it to arrive. Thank you for pouring so much love and dedication into this book, bless you
Thank you for creating another cookbook and for all of your work over the years! I rarely make anything that is not “a Sally recipe!” I love reading about the behind the scenes.
I was so excited for this day as I ordered my copy on April 29 from Amazon and I had been waiting a long time for it’s arrival! Sadly, today,I received an email from Amazon that my order was cancelled due to availability. I just wanted to let you know because it might happen to others.
I’ll have to order my copy again and wait but it’ll be ok. just bummed today!
Congratulations!!
The exact same thing happened to me! I ordered it in April and after assuring me earlier today that it was about to ship, Amazon then unilaterally cancelled my order. Super bummed that I’ll have to wait several more days to finally get a copy (and NOT from Amazon this time), but very excited to finally have it!
Can’t wait for my copy to arrive today!
Hooray! My first Sally’s cookbook is due to arrive today!
Your recipes produce great tasting, lovely results. It is clear that you have tested and mastered each recipe. The results are wholesome, satisfying and delicious! Thank you, Sally!
I can’t wait to purchase your new cookbook, Sally, at my local bookstore in Toronto, Canada. Every recipe that I have tried from your website has turned out beautifully so I look forward to supporting all the hard work that you and your team have put into your new cookbook.
I can’t wait to hold the book in my hands and meet Sally at the Bethesda signing! I wrote a hobby book in 2013, so I can appreciate all of the time, effort, joy and tears experienced in authoring a book. I will secretly be skimming the Table of Contents for bread recipes! So excited to see your final project. Thank you for dedicating three years of your life to help bakers worldwide (and I thank your staff members as well). Ellie M
I loved reading this email about your process with all the beautiful photos! I operate a licensed home bakery in Maine and always turn to you online when I’m looking for new recipes. I have never been disappointed. I’m so happy that all of your hard work has paid off. Congratulations!!
I preordered through Amazon as soon as that was available. I got an email from Amazon that my order is cancelled due to lack of availability. How is that possible when it was a preorder? I was looking forward to receiving this book and receiving that email was very disappointing. I’m sure the fault lies with Amazon but wanted to bring awareness to this.
Hi Dani, We are SO sorry this happened. The publisher spent all day trying to get to the bottom of why it happened. It sounds like what happened was an issue with a duplicate listing on Amazon, so some preorders that went through that duplicate listing were canceled. Amazon assured the publisher that they have plenty of stock available, so if you place a new order, they will have no problem filling it (and you should never have been charged, as they don’t charge your credit card until your book ships). Again, we are really, really sorry, and cannot thank you enough for your support in preordering, and for your patience and understanding!
Congratulations!!! Excited to purchase your cookbook. I enjoy receiving your recipe emails.
Congratulations on this accomplishment – Your commitment to excellence is truly inspiring, and your expertise is so appreciated! I cannot wait to check the mail today!
Have loved your site for years! The new book is arriving today and I’m so excited! 🙂 Thank you for all the great recipes. All the best from Canada.
Love this post. After reading it and being super excited about my preordered book to arrive today, I went on to finish my emails and one from Amazon telling me my order had been cancelled due to no stock. Completely deflated. Hopefully I’ll find one somewhere else but back to the emails.
Congratulations I’m surethis is an excellent bookand I hope to find outsoo er rather than later. Long time fan.
Hi Betty, thank you for all of your kind words. And thank you for flagging the issue about Amazon canceling some preorders. We are so SO sorry this happened. I’m so, so upset about this and the publisher has spent all day trying to get to the bottom of why it happened. We believe what may have happened was an issue with a duplicate listing on Amazon, so SOME preorders that went through that duplicate listing were canceled. Amazon assured the publisher that they do have plenty of stock available, so if you place a new order, they will have no problem filling it (and you should never have been charged). Again, we are really, really sorry, and we cannot thank you enough for your support in preordering!! I truly want you to be baking out of this book ASAP!
I am a high school culinary teacher and I enjoy your recipes, tips, and suggestions. You are truly an inspiration to me and my students. Thank you so very much.
I am SO excited about this new cookbook. I pleaded by parents to take me too your event until they finally agreed. I can’t wait to go! Been following your blog for about 2 years now. Thank you for all your hard work you put into your new cookbook.
Incredible!
Is it weird to have tears in my eyes reading through your journey on your newest book. I have been following you since the beginning have every book you have written. My book arrives today and I can’t wait to deep dive through it. Your recipes bring so much joy to me and my family. My baking confidence as grown 10 fold thanks to and all your hard work. You are an amazing woman. You and your team should be very proud. Thank you Sally
Thank you for taking the time to do this. I have gone to your website so many times and have told numerous people about you. We appreciate all of the time you spent preparing this book and we especially love the behind the scenes pics. Much love!
Wow! Simply, wow! Thank you for this labor of love. I have enjoyed your recipes over the past few years and appreciate your dedication to the fine tuning of each and every one of them! Congratulations on this beautiful new book!
Congrats! Waiting impatiently for my copy. I love your recipes and I am very excited for you. Felicidades!
Congratulations! Mine is out for delivery. I know what I will be doing tomorrow all day:))
Looking at all the recipes I want to make and running as fast as I can to the store to stock up.
:))
Thank you for all of your blood, sweat and tears.
Congratulations on a beautifully finished product!!! I recognize the joy and pride you must feel after seeing that first printed copy! I had that same feeling when i published my first (and only!!!) book more than 20 years ago. Your photography is great, but not as good as your recipes! I enjoyed reading about your journey, and I am looking forward to seeing your book in person! Thanks for sharing the journey …. Blessings on your day!
Cindy In GA
I’m impatiently waiting for my copy to arrive. Your recipes are my go-to ones for baking!
I’m looking forward to receiving your cookbook today! Thank you Sally for all the hard work you and your team put in to it!
There are few endeavors as exhausting and rewarding as writing a cookbook. And even fewer people who have done it with the integrity and pure talent possessed as you. I am so thrilled to add this to my library! Thanks for sharing the behind the scenes. It made me a little emotional!
My book is arriving today and I cannot wait! Thank you for all your hard work and dedication to this project and for your tried and true recipes that make us novice makers look like real pros.
Congratulations, Sally!! What an accomplishment!! The hours of work you’ve dedicated for all bakers to enjoy was so worth it! The book is truly spectacular! If only I could decide where to start!!
Can’t wait! Love your recipes.
Congrats! So happy for you! I can’t wait for my copy to arrive! I’m excited to add it to my sally cookbook collection
Congratulations! Happy book release day! I can’t wait for my book to be delivered today, I know I will bookmark so many pages and read it like a novel! I have been reading your website for so long now, I can’t remember what brought me here, maybe donut holes? So 2013? You have been apart of so many moments in my home and have been my go to resource for all things baking.
Follow u faithfully and will be getting your book asap!!
Best of luck!!!
Can’t wait to buy your cookbook from kinokuniya in Singapore and your cookbook came out today 17 days before my birthday