Whether it's a slice of warm bread and butter, a Thanksgiving pumpkin pie, or a piece of cake, baked goods have been among America's favorite comfort foods ever since the Pilgrims arrived. From the days of hand mixing and baking on the hearth to today's use of food processors and electric ranges, American cooks have created an amazing variety of breads and baked goods that are as distinctive as the cultures from which we came.

Spanning colonial times to the present and every region of the United States, this book is a comprehensive guide to baking in America. Certified master baker Arthur L. Meyer brings together some 700 kitchen-tested recipes for America's favorite breads, pies, cakes, and cookies. Compiled from almost 300 regional cookbooks dating from the 1890s to the 1980s, these are the authentic recipes for the traditional baked goods of every part of our country. In these pages, you'll find regional specialties such as Appalachian Buttermilk Cracklin' Bread and Hawaiian Pineapple-Macadamia Bread, as well as old family recipes.

In addition to the recipes, Meyer offers a fascinating overview of the history of baking in America, complete with descriptions of early breads, pies, cakes, and cookies. Whether you're a home or professional baker, a food historian, or someone who just enjoys reading cookbooks, you're sure to find lots of tasty treats here. Let Baking Across America become your basic source for all the baked goodies Americans love to eat.