{"id":2349,"date":"2017-02-11T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2017-02-11T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/valuecare.wpgamma.com\/?p=2349"},"modified":"2017-02-11T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2017-02-11T00:00:00","slug":"top-10-baking-tips","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/valuecare.wpgamma.com\/index.php\/2017\/02\/11\/top-10-baking-tips\/","title":{"rendered":"Top 10 Baking Tips | Natural Holistic Health Blog"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n Being a great baker is like being a great magician. You take a bunch of disparate parts and turn it into something completely different \u2013 Something delicious.\n <\/p>\n

\n Being a great baker is also like being a scientist. While baking is definitely part art, it\u2019s also definitely part science. Exact measurements are essential, especially for the beginner.\n <\/p>\n

\n If you\u2019re not an experienced baker, your first time making your own cookies, cake or other baked goods can be a little scary. Baking seems quite different than normal cooking. It\u2019s true that there\u2019s a learning curve to baking; however being a great baker is in many ways easier than being a great cook.\n <\/p>\n

\n In baking, there are just a few key techniques you need to learn to be able to bake most things. With cooking, almost every dish is completely different.\n <\/p>\n

\n Ready to learn how to create delectable cookies, heart warming cakes and goodies that friends and family will beg for? Start with these ten tips.\n <\/p>\n

\n Tip #1: Buy an Oven Thermometer
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\n The first thing you need to do to get your baking \u201ccareer\u201d off on the right foot is to get an oven thermometer.\n <\/p>\n

\n Many of the ovens in today\u2019s kitchens are quite far off. If you preheat your oven to 300, you may actually be heating it to 350 or to 250. That\u2019s a very dramatic difference that will result in a dramatically different cake at the end of the day.\n <\/p>\n

\n When you\u2019re following a recipe, you don\u2019t want variances in heat to get in the way. Don\u2019t trust your oven\u2019s temperature dials. Get an oven thermometer. They\u2019re very inexpensive and will make your life a whole lot easier.\n <\/p>\n

\n Note: Don\u2019t get the single-use turkey baking kind. Get a sturdy oven thermometer you can use over and over again.\n <\/p>\n

\n Tip #2: Get All Your Ingredients in One Place
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\n This is advice you commonly see in cookbooks and recipes. It\u2019s so common, in fact, that many people start to ignore it.\n <\/p>\n

\n With baking however, this is a crucial step. Beginning bakers will often forget one or two ingredients their first time along. In baking, timing is everything. If you suddenly realize you don\u2019t have an important ingredient
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\n the moment you need it
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\n , the whole batch could be ruined.\n <\/p>\n

\n Don\u2019t leave your ingredients up to chance. Get everything in one place before you start. Re-read the recipe to make sure you truly have everything you need in front of you. For your first few times baking, it can also help to measure out all your ingredients before you start. That way you can focus on baking, instead of measuring ingredients once you\u2019ve begun.\n <\/p>\n

\n Tip #3: Recipe Study and Mental Run-throughs
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\n The first time you cook a specific recipe, make it a point to read and re-read the recipe until it feels like second nature to you.\n <\/p>\n

\n Read through each and every step of the directions and visualize them. See what the process should look like in your mind before you start baking.\n <\/p>\n

\n Taking the time to go through this preparation process will help you get acquainted with the recipe. You\u2019ll be able to move a lot quicker once your recipe is ingrained in your mind, as opposed to having to constantly re-read passages as you bake.\n <\/p>\n

\n Tip #4: Use Baking Sheet Lining
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\n Line baking sheets on your kitchen counter, where you\u2019ll be placing your cutting board and ingredients. This helps flour from getting all over the place. Line your baking sheets to help prevent cookies from sticking.\n <\/p>\n

\n Use lining generously throughout the baking process. You\u2019ll make much less of a mess, need less time for cleanup and your baked foods will come out better.\n <\/p>\n

\n Tip #5: Don\u2019t Over Mix
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\n In recipes, you\u2019ll often find the phrase \u201cdon\u2019t over mix.\u201d What does that actually mean?\n <\/p>\n

\n In the last phase of making cake batter of cookie dough, you combine the dry ingredients (E.g. flour) with the wet ingredients (E.g. milk, eggs.) As soon as this happens, the flour starts to bind with the rest of the ingredients and the dough starts to form. Mixing helps this process happen.\n <\/p>\n

\n However, if you mix the dough too much, the bond will get too strong. The cookie dough will grow tough, which will result in hard to chew cookies or brittle and dry cakes.\n <\/p>\n

\n So what\u2019s the right amount of time to spend mixing? Mix only until the texture in the dough or batter is even. As soon as you can\u2019t see flour anymore, stop mixing.\n <\/p>\n

\n Tip #6: Measure Ingredients Exactly
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\n Don\u2019t just add \u201ca pinch of sugar\u201d or a \u201cgenerous amount of milk.\u201d When you split the dough in half, don\u2019t just eyeball it.\n <\/p>\n

\n Remember that baking is really a deliberate chemical reaction. If you want to get the same chemical reaction that another baker got, you need to use the same amount of base chemicals. In other words, your ingredients need to be exact.\n <\/p>\n

\n Yes, seasoned bakers can just \u201ceye it\u201d and cook up fantastic meals. For beginning bakers who\u2019re following recipes however, exact measurement are crucial. Don\u2019t use imprecise measurements until you\u2019ve baked what you\u2019re baking a few times.\n <\/p>\n

\n Tip #7: Don\u2019t Confuse Baking Powder with Baking Soda
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\n In normal cooking, it\u2019s not unusual to substitute one item for another. Ran out of garlic? Throw in some onions or
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\n ginger
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\n to give it some spice. In baking however, some items simply shouldn\u2019t be switched out for others.\n <\/p>\n

\n Baking powder and baking soda are two such items. These are two
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\n very different
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\n mixtures that shouldn\u2019t be changed for one another. Doing so will easily ruin your recipe.\n <\/p>\n

\n Baking powder is baking soda, except it has acid in it. Baking soda has no acid. These cause different reactions. It\u2019ll cause the cookies or cake to rise in different ways. Don\u2019t interchange these, or you\u2019ll get something quite different than what you expected.\n <\/p>\n

\n Tip #8: The Perfect Time to Pull Out a Cake
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\n Baking your cake for too long will suck the moisture right out of the mixture, resulting in a dry cake that simply doesn\u2019t taste good. You\u2019ll have wasted hours of hard work for nothing. Knowing the right moment to pull out your cake is crucial.\n <\/p>\n

\n One simple test you can use to test whether or not the cake is ready is to stick in a small skewer. You can use thin wood skewers, glass skewers or even just toothpicks. If you see batter coming off on the skewer, it needs a bit more time. If it\u2019s just cooked crumbs and it\u2019s otherwise clean, the cake is ready.\n <\/p>\n

\n You can also press the center of your cake with your finger. If it springs back up quickly without jiggling, it\u2019s done.\n <\/p>\n

\n You can even test the cake by taking its temperature. A cake\u2019s internal temperature should be around 210 when it\u2019s done baking.\n <\/p>\n

\n You should start testing the cake for doneness once you see the edge of the cake contract from the pan. In other words, when a gap starts to appear on the edge of the cake, between the cake and the pan, that\u2019s when you should start testing your cake.\n <\/p>\n

\n Tip #9: Sift Your Dry Ingredients
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\n Using flour that\u2019s been compressed isn\u2019t a good idea. It lumps together and creates a denser texture. Sifted flour on the other hand is airier and makes for better cookies. The same goes for other dry ingredients like baking powder, baking soda and cacao.\n <\/p>\n

\n Don\u2019t think that just because you bought pre-sifted flour that you don\u2019t need to do any sifting. Flour has very small molecules and gets compressed very easily. Even pre-sifted flour can compact itself and get clumped up again.\n <\/p>\n

\n Make it a habit to sift your dry ingredients before you do any baking.\n <\/p>\n

\n Tip #10: Follow the Instructions to a T for the First time
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\n Yes, it\u2019s true that cooking is an artistic expression. And yes, of course you\u2019ll want to add your own personalized touch to recipes.\n <\/p>\n

\n However, the first time you bake a cake, a sheet of cookies or other goodies, avoid making any changes to the recipe. You want your first try to be a success. Modifying things can easily turn a winning recipe into a failure\n <\/p>\n

\n If the cake doesn\u2019t come out right the first time, spend some time tweaking it until it comes out perfect. Only once you\u2019ve got the original cake to come out right at least once should you start personalizing your recipe.\n <\/p>\n

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