We all love the smell of freshly baked delights coming from the kitchen. From pieces of bread to muffins, cakes to biscuits, the world of baking is a culinary explosion. But right now, the current pandemic has shut down bakeries, and our favorite croissants and bagels are out of reach.
So, how about improving your own baking skills and making all those delicious things you love at home?
Here are some tips and suggestions that can help you become a better baker!
Check the Recipe
Everything in the recipe, from preheating the oven to greasing the pan, and the amount of baking powder needed, follow some well-tried proportions. Keeping that in mind, try to stick to the recipe as much as possible. As you mature as a baker, you can make some tweaks and add your own tricks, but until then, follow the recipe proportions to get the desired results!
Measuring Ingredients
Baking is like chemistry. If you put in the ingredients in correct proportions, then you can expect great results. So always keep a measuring cup if you are trying to follow the instructions on the amount of flour or milk or any other thing you are adding.
Dough Time
Give enough time to make the dough and then knead it properly. Depending on what you are making, your dough would require some specified amount of time before it is ready to go into the oven.
Freshness
Whatever ingredient you are using should be fresh. Especially, check the baking powder before using it, to make sure the expiry date has not crossed. This way, you can ensure the quality of your baked delights.
Check your Oven
Your oven should be able to support the temperature ranges mentioned in the recipe you are following from preheating temperature to the ones for baking. In case it doesn’t, try to calibrate the most suitable range possible using the oven you have. But all these need to be done before-hand, you don’t want to start baking without setting up where to do it!
List All Ingredients
Keep a list of all the ingredients that you would need for your recipe. Arrange them before starting, so that you can have a hassle-free baking experience.
Butter Paper
This is one thing that is going to be useful for a lot of baking recipes. So always keep some extra in your kitchen.
Patience
Baking is all about patience. So it is better to keep enough time in hand to dedicate to the process. Avoid working around after making the dough because if you let it sit too long, the consistency might change, and the baking process might be affected.
Ingredient Mixing
Try to make it a habit to mix the dry and wet ingredients separately. Especially if you are making a cake, separate mixing of the dry and wet parts before making the final batter gives a better consistency.
Final Thoughts
Finally, I would like to say that whatever ingredients you are using, don’t forget to add a dollop of love at the end to make your baked goodies, even more delicious!
