You might remember being discouraged when you first started baking. Maybe you’re a new baker who is feeling exactly that way right now. Many people are intimidated by the precise and calculated nature of baking, but like any other skill, it gets easier with practice.
Here are seven tips for the amateur baker to master everything from cookies to cheesecakes in no time!
Start with the Basics
Like in any other skill or hobby, learning the basics of baking will help you execute more advanced recipes in the future. Start with easy amateur baking recipes with fewer ingredients and steps until you’re confident enough to take on more. Practice with the simple yet delicious recipes like peanut butter cookies or chocolate fudge cake.
Weigh Your Ingredients
Many amateurs make the mistake of estimation when it comes to ingredients in baking. Being just 5 grams short of baking powder can mean the difference between your cake rising or staying flat. Precision is key – consider investing in some digital tools that can give you a more accurate measurement.
Mise en Place
Mise en place is a French culinary term. It simply means to prepare all ingredients and equipment before you start baking. Not only does this make your baking more convenient and efficient, it also helps you to go through a mental checklist of everything you need.
Check Your Oven’s Temperature
Not all ovens are equal. Preheating is particularly tricky as temperatures in the oven oscillate and average the temperature you set rather than stay consistent at that number. To find out if your oven is running a few degrees hotter or colder, use an oven thermometer so you can adjust the temperatures to maintain the consistency of your baking goods.
Follow the Recipe
Bakers suggest trying a recipe at least once before experimenting with it. The reason why is to familiarise yourself with baking ratios and proportions of ingredients in the recipe and why they work.
Taste Your Slip-ups
Mistakes are inevitable as an amateur baker, but that doesn’t mean you can’t improvise or make the most of out of your scraps! Crumbly desserts can be used for cake toppings, while slightly charred soft cookies make an excellent base for cheesecakes.
Use Only Premium Ingredients
As baking is such a precise activity, the quality of your ingredients significantly affects the taste of your final product, and how it turns out. Cheaper products tend to have fillers or inferior compositions and may not do the job as effectively as a high-quality one. Get your ingredients from a baking shop you can trust.
Bake With Yen has been providing superior quality baking products, tools and confectionary items since 1987. Our organised inventory and well-trained staff makes it easy for you the find the right ingredients you need for your recipes, and at the right price.
Check us out at https://bakewithyen.sg or like our page at www.facebook.com/bakewithyensg to find out more. Visit our stores at:
📍 34 Joo Chiat Rd, Singapore 427364
🕘 9am – 7pm daily (Closed on PH)
☎ 6242 8017
📍 5 Tampines Street 32, #01-11/12, Singapore 529284 (Tampines Mart)
🕘 10am – 7pm daily (Closed on PH)
☎ 6904 8670
📍Blk 162 Bukit Merah Central, #01-3541, Singapore 150162
🕙 10am – 8pm daily (Closed on PH)
☎ 6908 4095
