The James Beard Foundation recently compiled The Baker’s Dozen, a list of 13 essential baking books that span almost four decades, from 1973 to the present. This is the first of what will be a series of themed lists from the foundation.

The books were selected by cookbook author Naomi Duguid; Carol Mighton Haddix, food editor of the Chicago Tribune; Martha Holmberg, cookbook author and editorial director of Watershed Communications; Kathleen Purvis, food editor of The Charlotte Observer; Ellen Rose, former owner of the Los Angeles cookbook store The Cook’s Library; Matt Sartwell, manager of Kitchen Arts & Letters in New York; Irene Sax, food writer and food-writing instructor for New York University; Tara Q. Thomas, senior editor, Wine & Spirits; and Grace Young, cookbook author.

If you’re going to start a baking library, this is a list of greats. Of course there are many, many more worthy books on the subject, but given the pedigree of the selection committee, this list carries a lot of weight. Here they are linked to the titles on Cookbooker.

The James Beard Book Awards Committee Essential Book List: The Baker’s Dozen:

1. “Baking: From My Home to Yours,” by Dorie Greenspan (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2006).
2. “Beard on Bread,” by James Beard (originally published 1973; reprinted by Knopf, 1995).
3. “The Book of Great Desserts,” by Maida Heatter (Andrews McMeel, 1999).
4. “The Bread Baker’s Apprentice,” by Peter Reinhart (Ten Speed, 2001).
5. “The Cake Bible,” by Rose Levy Beranbaum (William Morrow, 1988).
6. “Classic Home Desserts,” by Richard Sax (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2000).
7. “Cocolat,” by Alice Medrich (Warner Books, 1990).
8. “The Fannie Farmer Baking Book,” by Marion Cunningham (Gramercy, 1996).
9. “Great Pies and Tarts,” by Carole Walter (Clarkson Potter, 1998).
10. “The Italian Baker,” by Carol Field (William Morrow, 1985).
11. “Martha Stewart’s Cookies,” by Martha Stewart (Clarkson Potter, 2008).
12. “My Bread,” by Jim Lahey (W.W. Norton, 2009).
13. “The Simple Art of Perfect Baking,” by Flo Braker (Chronicle, 2003).

I’m sure everyone has their own suggestions – feel free to add them to the comments below. Books I’d think to add from my personal experience: Rose Levy Beranbaum’s Rose’s Heavenly Cakes, Shirley Corriher’s Bakewise, Naomi Duguid’s HomeBaking.