The Savory Side of Baking Cookbooks by AnnMarie Mattila

Have you updated your cookbook references recently? If you have, you might have noticed a recent shift in content. A new crop of books focused on savory baking has hit the shelves and front lists of publishing houses. But are the authors and social media driving the interest, or is it a larger trend in the pastry world that is responding to customer demand for newness? We’re heading into the test kitchens of authors to find out.

The realization that savory baked goods might have broader appeal hit cookbook authors Erin Jeanne McDowell and Jessie Sheehan in much the same way. “As a person who loves to bake, savory items were a consistent favorite—not only my own, but savory items were often devoured first when I gave out a selection of baked goods,” explains McDowell. And Sheehan released in her personal life, she would be more apt to grab a savory scone than something sweet when she was out and about, deciding, “Maybe I was not alone” in that decision.

But of course, in the world of baking cookbooks, it took some time to convince the powers that be that there was consumer interest in something a little more savory. McDowell pitched the concept for about five years before ultimately publishing Savory Baking in 2022. “I was always surprised when people thought it was a narrow subject area. Many cultures throughout the world have as many—if not more—savory baking recipes than sweet or dessert recipes,” she notes.

“I think it was more my trepidation and my fear about how the consumer, my readers, would feel if something took a long time,” explains Sheehan. With her popular book Snackable Bakes, she carved out her niche, focusing on easy and approachable recipes. Admitting savory recipes weren’t really in her “wheelhouse,” she took about two years to develop her newest book, using the same mindset for fast, but delicious, recipes. The result is her latest release Salty, Cheesy, Herby, Crispy Snackable Bakes, which will hit shelves this September, hoping it will “come into the zeitgeist when it appeals to people.”

The concept is no doubt appealing. “A lot of people are turned off by sugar,” notes Sheehan. The cookbooks offer a chance for those in the baking world to gain more of an audience by offering something that isn’t just an indulgence or a snack, but could also double as a meal, such as Sheehan’s Garlicky Creamed Greens Pie. Inspired by her love of creamed spinach, she turned her melted butter pie dough from a staple in sweet baking to the base for a savory dinner.

This notion extends beyond cookbooks, allowing chefs to expand their customer base by offering a wide range of pastries. It can also provide a lot of inspiration. “Savory baking is such a meaty subject area (pardon the pun),” says McDowell, noting that she can draw from an entire world worth of inspiration.

“Jumping into my spice drawer with abandon is not part of my repertoire, usually,” Sheehan adds. “It was a real challenge in a good way to develop these recipes.”

But challenging yourself with new flavors and concepts doesn’t necessarily require a considerable investment of time in traditionally savory cooking skills, either. Both McDowell and Sheehan developed recipes that simply need basic knife skills and minimal stovetop cooking for prep. For example, Sheehan turns her versatile biscuit dough into Cream Cheese and Olive Pinwheels and Pepperjack Cheese Straws with a few simple adjustments rather than relying on learning too many challenging techniques on the other side of the kitchen.

So, is savory baking truly a trend in cookbooks and on social media, or is there something more to bite into? “It’s easy to capture people’s attention with it,” McDowell concedes, but she disagrees with calling it an actual trend. “I think calling savory baking a trend would be a huge disservice to the wonderful array of inspiring, delicious recipes that are available worldwide and fall into that category,” she concludes, adding, “One of the reasons I wanted to write this book is that I truly believe the concept is deeply evergreen.”

In the end, venturing into the realm of combining sweet techniques with savory ingredients will not only diversify your pastry portfolio, but also enhance your marketability in a competitive landscape. It’s a challenge that will inspire you and provide endless opportunities for creativity. And if all else fails, at least you’ll have a delectable dinner to enjoy.

(This article appeared in the Summer 2024 issue of Pastry Arts Magazine)