We're Stocking up on Flour for the Month of August

All this month, our Baking Club will be making its way through Joanne Chang's Flour, and we hope you'll join us. Not to worry if you don't have her book on hand yet, we've got some of her recipes to get you started below.

Didn't know we've got a Baking Club? We'll get you up to speed in no time with our quick, 3-step guide on how to participate—come bake with us and 8,000 of your new best baking buddies.

Whether you're waiting for your copy to arrive or your library hold to come up, here are some of Joanne's recipes to tide you over:

Note: These recipes don't necessarily appear in Flour, our book of the month, but since we're sharing them here, these 7 recipes can also be considered fair game for sharing in the Facebook group.

Is our Baking Club news to you? Here's a quick primer to get you up to speed:

1) Get the Book

Pick up Flour—either online or from your favorite local bookstore. Or, if you’re not ready to commit quite yet, check it out from your local library or borrow a copy from a friend.

2) Read & Cook

Rather self-explanatory, as this is one of the most important parts of participating in a cookbook club, right? If you’re not sure where to begin, take a page out of our Cookbook Editor Ali Slagle's playbook. When she reviews a cookbook, she reads through the entire introduction as well as 15 headnotes and recipes, and then cooks at least three recipes.

Not sure what recipe to start with? Aries of the world, according to the stars this month, it would be a good idea to make something to share with a friend (like the Lemon Lust Bars on page 152). Everyone else, head here to let the stars guide you.

3) Share Your Opinions

We chat in our Facebook group all month long! Join the Baking Club here and post pictures of what you bake from the books and share reviews, too. Fill everyone in on what you thought of the dish (remember to share the recipe name and even the page number, if possible). You can share photos on Instagram as well, just remember to tag them with #f52bakingclub.

Tell us: What's on your short list to make from the book?