Baking is a fun activity, but it’s also a serious science. The measurements, temperatures, processes and heat of the oven must all be just right. Instead of getting overwhelmed, just follow the tips below.
The holiday season is upon us and baking is something that everyone wants to try their hand at during this time. But getting the techniques right and using correct proportions of properly prepped ingredients can all be very overwhelming. If not done correctly, the small errors will add up and your final dessert wont be as good as the type you can get from outside. But we always prefer home cooked goods, so here we’re laying down the most important tips and tricks by famous chefs so you can get your baked creations just right.
Baking is not just about throwing the required items into a bowl and mixing it all together. Each ingredient affects the cake or whatever else you're baking in a particular way, explains chef Raji Gupta. For instance, if the recipe calls for melted butter, you can pop it in the microwave or heat it on the stove. But if it calls for soft butter, you need to take it out of the fridge and keep it at room temperature for an hour before you start baking. In this case, a runny, melted butter consistency will make the batter thinner than it needs to be. Similarly, some recipes call for room temperature eggs, which is normal. But sometimes, they require chilled eggs, because it's easier to separate the egg whites from the yolk when it's cold.
Don't Shy Away From Some Investment
Akira Akuto, chef and co-owner of LA-based restaurant Konbi, recommends that home bakers invest in some quality equipment. Two things to always have on hand include a digital scale and a precise thermometer. Although these items can be a little pricey, he suggests you consider it an investment. While the scale will allow you to properly measure out your ingredients, the thermometer can help in making sure you aren’t overcooking items. “The accuracy will make a big difference in the end result,” he says.
Kyle Bartone, pastry sous chef at New York City’s Eataly, shares a brilliant and simple tip with home bakers. He suggests when making any chocolate based recipe, after lining the pan with butter, don't dust it with flour. Instead, use cocoa powder. While flour can make the dessert slightly dry, cocoa powder just adds more flavor to the dish.
Gupta says that one of the golden rules of baking is mixing the dry and wet ingredients separately. Sieve the dry ingredients, starting with flour, then add the cocoa powder, next the sugar, and finally a pinch of salt and baking soda or baking powder, whatever the recipe calls for. Make sure you mix after each ingredient is added and mix again well before moving on to the wet ingredients. The wet ingredients won’t mix as easily, since the egg or oil will settle to the bottom.
But mix as well as you can.
When it comes to combining them, there’s plenty of debate about whether the dry ingredients should be added to the wet ones or the other way around. Do whatever you prefer, but make sure you’re doing it a little at a time. For instance, if you're adding the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients bowl, add it one spoon at a time, mixing continuously as you do. Do not pour in the entire thing at once.
You know that old adage we tell students: d\Don't just mug up something, actually understand what you're studying and only by heart the essentials? The same rule applies to bakers. Instead of remembering entire recipes, just learn the equations, says Bartone. For instance, instead of learning that a cake recipe calls for 1 cup of flour, ¾ cup of sugar and ½ cup of cocoa powder, just remember 1-¾-½. This allows one to experiment more and create their own original recipes too. To get you started, remember that the pound cake is simply 1 pound of everything.
You don't want to overheat your oven, nor do you want to put your dessert in a cold oven. The heat must be just right. So check the oven temperature and fan setting and start preheating at the appropriate time, as instructed in the recipe. Remember, if the batter is ready but sitting out while the oven heats, the baking powder or baking soda will start reacting, explains Gupta.