Baking Tips to Guide You Through a Great Baking Experience

November 22, 2017

These baking tips will help you soar your way through the baking process and keep you calm while doing so, which will make your baking experience more enjoyable.

Start by reading your recipe completely through so you have no surprises.

Gather together all your ingredients for your baking endeavor. Do you have all the ingredients you are going to need? Are they fresh? If they are not, you may want to make a quick run to the grocery store.

Make sure you have the appropriate size baking pans. Go ahead and prepare your pans and set them aside.

Set out your eggs approximately 20 minutes before your start baking. You want them to be at room temperature when you are ready to begin mixing.

Set out the bowls, measuring utensils, mixer and anything else you are going to use so they will be at your fingertips when you need them. It is so frustrating to be adding ingredients into your mixing bowl or pan and not be able to find the vanilla or suddenly remember you forgot the nuts. You don't want to have to stop what you are doing. So, have everything out and ready to go.

Then pre-measure all your ingredients. You don't want to incorrectly measure or leave an ingredient out while you are putting everything together. Your goal is to have a great tasting product.

Pre-heat the oven to the temperature required in your recipe.

IMPORTANT TIP: I lay a ruler across my recipe to mark exactly which step I'm on at any moment. That way, I do not miss a step that will mess up my finished product.

Make sure you do not over-mix or under-mix your ingredients. Set the timer on your stove or microwave to the amount of time you should beat your ingredients. This is always better than guessing.

Never completely fill your baking pans. Remember, the batter does rise and WILL overflow. My preference is to only fill them two-thirds the way full.

If you are putting more than one pan in your oven at the same time to bake, make sure they are not touching. It is important not to crowd them so whatever you are baking will cook in our oven evenly.

Do not open the oven door during baking unless the recipe calls for you to rotate your pans halfway through the process or if it is absolutely necessary.

Baking time is very important. You do not want to under-bake. However, you also do not want to over-bake. I usually set my timer, to check whatever I'm baking, for 5 to 7 minutes before the time it should be done. Make sure it also looks done.

Always cool your baked goods thoroughly before serving unless the recipe calls for them to be served warm.
I hope these tips have put you on your way to feel more confident and relaxed when baking in your kitchen!