Baking is probably the oldest and most popular method of cooking. However, it can sometimes be complicated and the simplest of recipes can go wrong: the bread wonโt rise, the cake falls flat, the chocolate tempering wonโt set and this can all be quite daunting at times.
Bakery items include breads, which are a staple from time immemorial, to the popular pizzas, cookies, tarts and cakes.
The common and most basic ingredient for baking is flour. It can be wheat flour or flour obtained from other grains and in recent times flour obtained from nuts.
The texture, appearance and flavour of bakery products comes from simple ingredients like flour, water, eggs, sugar, rising agents like baking powder/soda or yeast and certain fats like butter and oil. These ingredients are required in precise measurements to achieve the desired results.
Certain hacks while preparing the pans, adjusting oven temperatures and knowing exact measuring techniques can result in a a delicious and light outcome.
- It is important to be well acquainted with your oven so pre-heating can be done properly. It is advisable to buy an oven thermometer as many ovens are not calibrated properly. So 200C may not always be the heat matching the oven mark!
- Another important factor in baking is the butter consistency. If the recipe requires soft butter then use โsoftโ butter. For pies and crusts the butter needs to be cold.
- Ideally room temperature ingredients work the best. Cold temperatures cause recipes to harden or shrivel up. For example cold milk or eggs in a cake batter will cause the butter to clump up and curdle. This makes it harder for the cake to rise and can create a tougher texture.
- Always read the recipe thoroughly so you are well familiar with the ingredients and know how to use them.
- Measure the ingredients in advance as certain doughs and batters are sensitive to temperature and time. This way you wonโt have to stop mid recipe and it will save time.
- Use a measuring scale to weigh the ingredients instead of using cups. These cups can vary from country to country but scales will always give the exact weight. Baking is very tricky and one mistake can result in a disastrous outcome. So if the recipe says ยฝ tsp then only use ยฝ a teaspoon.
- It is not advisable to over mix the batter. This leads to a gluten buildup which results in dense cakes.
- Keep the oven door closed.
- Chill the cookie dough before baking. This will make the butter in the dough firm and allow the flour to hydrate resulting in chewy round cookies. A cookie scoop helps with even portions and less mess hence making it a great investment.
- When making pie dough, start with cubes of cold butter and add flour to it. Mix this quickly with your hands as you want the butter to be relatively solid. It always makes for a flaky crust.