New York Times Best Cookbook of 2025
"In Dobre Dobre, Laurel Kratochvila leads us down the gloriously buttery, poppy-seed-strewn path of modern and classic Polish baking. Ms. Kratochvila, who runs a bakery in Berlin, writes meticulous recipes that deliver impressive results." -New York Times
Discover the vast and varied Polish baking tradition, old and new, Jewish and diasporic, in this authoritative collection of 120+ recipes from James Beard Award finalist Laurel Kratochvila.
Poland’s distinctive baking culture is a product of its rich and complicated history, from the World Wars to the rise of Communism to the cultural exchange that inevitably happens to a country with seven neighbors and endless migration. Step into the Polish piekarnia (bakery) and be greeted by an abundance of tiny cookies and rugelach, decorative layer cakes and cheesecakes, sweet yeast buns and danishes, and hearty rye breads and sourdough loaves.
In this repertoire-expanding baking book, American-born, Berlin-based baker and 2023 James Beard Award finalist Laurel Kratochvila brings you more than 120 familiar and inventive treasures—innovative recipes of her own and from pioneering Polish bakers, including:
- Horseradish, Beet, and Summer Greens Bialys
- Sunflower Rye Loaf
- Plum Butter Carnival Donuts
- Rano Piekarnia’s Summer Bilberry Buns
- Chocolate and Whipped Cream Warsaw Cake
- Karpatka (Cream and Choux Cake)
- Soft Iced Torun Gingerbread
- Rose and Almond Jewel Rugelach
- Twisted Krakow Bagels
- Sauerkraut and Mushroom Rolls
- And much more.
Vivid storytelling and fascinating historical details illuminate each recipe’s significance:
If you want to start a fight with a French person, tell them that baba au rhum is Polish. In the eighteenth century, while exiled in France, Polish King Stanislaw I sent a dry babka back to the kitchen, spurring his pastry chef to soak it in sweetened alcohol to everyone’s delight—and thus, the emblematic French dessert was born in a Polish court.
Beautiful photography makes it feel as if you're right there beside Laurel, stepping into a warm bakery on a cold winter's day, picking baskets of wild bilberries in July, and biting into a soft yeasted bun, jammy strawberries oozing down your chin. Cheesecakes, wafer cookies, gingerbread, country loaves: These recipes aren't just for those curious about the new wave of Polish bakeries or nostalgic for the old-world treats or Jewish delights of their childhood—they're for any home baker looking to fill their cookie jars and bread boxes with inspiration.
EXPERT AUTHOR + RELIABLE RECIPES: Lauded professional baker Laurel Kratochvila is the owner of Fine Bagels bakery and café in Berlin and author of the award-nominated cookbook New European Baking. Her thoroughly tested, reliable recipes range from easy to advanced and include clear instructions and step-by-step directions for making and shaping various base doughs.
SURVEY OF POLISH BAKING: Dobre Dobre's curated selection of more than 120 recipes encapsulates the wide range and diversity of Poland's exciting baking culture. Discover contemporary spins on the classics, traditional holiday treats, desserts from the diaspora, recipes with Jewish roots, including bagels, bialys, and challah, and much more. No one book can capture a country's entire baking catalog, but Dobre Dobre comes close.
UPLIFTS PIONEERING BAKERS: In addition to Kratochvila’s work, the book spotlights ten stars on the Polish baking scene and in the diaspora by featuring their recipes.
BEAUTIFUL TRAVELOGUE: Visit Poland via these stunning photographs and delectable recipes, perfect for armchair travelers and heritage seekers.
Perfect for:
- Home bakers of all levels
- Bakers of Jewish or Eastern European heritage
- Those curious about the ongoing bakery renaissance in Eastern, Central, and Northern Europe
- Cookbook collectors
- Buyers of books like Mooncakes and Milk Bread by Kristina Cho, New World Baking by Bryan Ford, Scandinavian from Scratch by Nichole Accettola, Mamushka by Olia Hercules, and The Nordic Baking Book by Magnus Nilsson