When baking, what do you need apart from the ingredients and equipment? Dedication, discipline, persistence, and a dash of creativity.
Of all things baked, do not they all have one thing in common? They are all mouthwatering. Baking is an art and is not something that everyone can do naturally. While a few might be better than us when it comes to baking, we can also have a good baking experience if we religiously follow a few baking tips.
Whisper: these tips are bound to up your baking game. Keep reading.
Sugar (not spice) but everything nice
Well, what we meant to say is, you need to educate yourself about different kinds of sugars as you bake. Yeah, if you know the ingredients well, you will know that all sugar is not the same.
There are different types of sugar, but not all of them are ideal for baking. Sweeteners worth considering include:
- White crystalline sugar: the most common variety.
- Powdered Sugar: It is mainly used for decoration because it gives cakes and such a sparkling exterior.
- Brown sugar: available in two varieties, light and dark. The added molasses is ideal for sauces or dressings.
Tools
Suppose you had to mix the batter and found out that you did not have a spoon or had to take out the remaining batter and did not have a spatula. How would that be? This is why, before deciding to bake anything, make sure that you have the recommended tools that would be needed for a perfect baking experience. If you bake a cake, you would need everything from the tools and ingredients required to bake to the necessary stuff to decorate it. Turntable Cake decorating is more accessible, takes less time, and helps you decorate the cake better. Most turntables come with a cake decorating kit so you can buy the entire set.
Avoid wastage
You may find us old school when we say this but believe us. You can make use of one kind of ingredient in literally many ways. You have to find ways of using stuff that’s left. Even the batter in the bowl can be used to make a brownie or two. Would not you want it when you have many guests coming and literally, every brownie counts? Or maybe, if you own and run a baking business and need to maximize profit. Why would you not leverage from something that can help you make more profit?
You can even use the overworked pie dough as a supper treat with coffee. Everyone would love it. Thus, reduce food wastage as much as you can. It is going to be worth it.
Rest is a bit too important here
Not just for you, but the cookie dough as well. You can bake it immediately and end up with something that is functionally a cookie, but you won’t get the same sharp, chewy, and medium flavor poetry or contrast unless you chill (or freeze) it first. Baking is for the patient. You have to be patient if you want good results. We give most of our cookies a double rest; one is immediately after mixing and again as soon as they form a ball, tastier and more uniform in size and shape. If you’re concerned about a last-minute taste response, we fully agree to keep a serving of your favorite cookie dough in the freezer at all times.
Don’t underestimate gelatin
Just like you sometimes want to stick people’s truth on their faces, gelatin can do that to the food. It acts like glue. It is made using animal proteins; it combines ingredients and gives everything a nice thickness. However, some considerations need to be made before starting any recipe. Since gelatin is often made from pork hooves, it is not kosher, vegetarian, or vegan, which is essential to keep in mind when baking for a particular group of people.
Icing
Made from thoroughly whipped egg white and warm sugar syrup, most chefs use Italian meringue. Then the meringue is combined with a vegetable shortening like Crisco. The result is a glaze that is not only extra soft but also more spreadable and less perishable. There is a difference between a good glaze and a great glaze.
Yes, by glaze, we mean icing.
Keeping stuff cold in gold
The art of baking should be cold if we have to talk to rational grounds. Maintaining lower temperatures in the kitchen can have a significant effect on your cooking and baking endeavors. Low temperatures can prevent the grease you work with from melting and becoming a mess. Most recipes also call for cold butter as it helps maintain a certain level of texture. The countertop and the water used must also all be cold. This also applies to your hands because lower temperatures prevent the formation of slag gluten, which destroys the recipes.
Last but not least
Clean clean clean
Yes, we cannot impress this enough. It would help if you kept clean as you work. You would not want to find yourself in a mess when the brownies have also been burnt in the oven or if you need to find something immediately. That is so not an ideal situation.
Not everyone has a dirty apron when they come out of the kitchen. Staying clean and keeping the kitchen clean while you work is another art that all enthusiastic bakers should start learning. How can you do this? It is simple. Wipe the counters after you are done working on them. Put anything that requires washing in the sink. (Don’t throw, put).
Bottom line
All of the tips mentioned above should help you bake better. Yes, you cannot learn all the dos and don’ts of cooking overnight, but you can certainly make progress day by day. If you religiously follow the tips we just shared with you, you will get better at baking each day.
Fast fact: did you not know that most baked delicacies have salt even when they are meant to taste sweet? Well, if you do bake regularly, you would know. *winks*
Gordon Ramsey will be proud of you. ☺
