Top 6 Baking Dos and Don’ts You Must Know About

Baking, whether bread or cakes, is a widespread practice with different regions having their own unique techniques and methods. While the diversity of baking forms is fascinating, it can be confusing for new bakers, particularly when trying to teach oneself using recipe books, YouTube, or other resources.

Chef Aditi Handa, Co-founder & Head Chef, The Baker’s Dozen shares some tips to help you navigate the learning curve and avoid common mistakes:

1. When learning to bake, it can be helpful to focus on one specific source of information, such as an author or YouTube channel, to start with. This will give you a consistent approach to follow and a solid foundation of techniques and skills. Once you feel confident in your understanding of the science of baking and are consistently getting good results, you can branch out and explore different recipes and techniques from other bakers. This way you can build on a solid foundation and avoid confusion while experimenting.
2. When following a recipe, it is important to use the same ingredients as mentioned in the recipe. This will ensure that your baked goods turn out as intended. If you find that certain ingredients are difficult to find, it may be best to choose a different recipe that uses more readily available ingredients. This will help you to avoid any issues with sourcing ingredients and ensure that your baking experience is as smooth as possible.
3. When starting to bake, it is important to practice a recipe multiple times in order to perfect it. Even with the same recipe, factors such as weather, ingredient quality, and equipment can affect the outcome. Once you have chosen a recipe book and recipe that you would like to try, make it a few times until you achieve the desired results. It may be necessary to adjust the baking temperature or time in order to get the best results. Keep in mind that it may take a few trials to get the recipe just right, but the end result will be worth the effort.
4. Pay attention to every step whether it is the stroke of whisking eggs or incorporating the flour. It’s very important to be precise and gentle. Over or under mixing can totally destroy the product.
5. Seeking feedback on your baking can be helpful in improving your skills. Ask a friend or family member to taste your baked goods and give you an honest assessment. It’s also a good idea to seek feedback from someone who is less familiar to you, like a neighbor, since they may be more likely to give an unbiased assessment. Remember, the goal is to improve, so be open to constructive criticism and use it to guide your future baking endeavors.Also Read: 4 Natural Retinol Substitutes That Should Be On Your Shelf
6. When evaluating the quality of your baked goods, it’s important to taste them at different stages of freshness. After baking, take a taste, and then taste it again after 2 days to see how the texture and flavor have developed. Keep in mind that when consumers purchase baked goods, they are often eaten after a few days, so it’s important that your product tastes just as good on day 3 or 4 as it does on day 1. By doing this taste test you can evaluate how well your product can hold up over time and make any necessary adjustments for future baking.