4 Essential Tips To Improve Your Baking Skills

When it comes to baking, and we speak on behalf of every baker out there, you need to first ace the basics to begin your baking journey. 

This is because, unlike preparing entrees and starters where you can experiment with ingredients and their measurements, baking doesn’t really give you that flexibility. 

That said, you have to be extremely precise about the ingredients, their measurements and techniques, one at a time and eventually, all at once. 

The required synchronisation between ingredients is, unfortunately, extremely difficult to get right at all times. Having patience and practising with all your heart is the only way to reach there; a heavenly place filled with perfectly baked desserts. 

Now, there are certain ways that you can incorporate in your baking to improve your skills. Here’s the list for you; read along! 

1. Get the Necessary Types of Equipment 

Needless to say, when you are just starting out, you should not go crazy about buying too much expensive baking equipment. This is to ensure that you have it in you, the necessary skills, hard work and talent that’s required to bake. 

However, once you know the basics of baking, you can go ahead and upgrade your skills. Perhaps get yourself enrolled in professional baking classes like the ones that Melt Chocolates offers and to make sure you are nailing them, have technical equipment ready at your disposal. 

That said, not all equipment needs to be necessarily expensive. 

For instance, imagine this – you set your oven to preheat at 350 F and it only reaches 320 F or sometimes goes up to 380 F. This means, in cases where your oven shows something and does something entirely different, you can buy an inexpensive thermometer. 

Not only will it help ensure that you’re getting perfectly baked goodies every time but also let you save some money. 

2. No Tweaking in the Recipe

As tempting as it might sound, you shouldn’t alter the recipes to follow your instinct. For example, if it requires you to use quality chocolates, you should stick to it.

Though tweaking might work with other strata of cooking, in baking it is an unsaid rule to follow the recipe strictly and with perfection.

This even includes the cases where there’s some problem with the recipe. For instance, if a recipe asks you to not grease the baking dish or tray, do not do it. Sure, almost every baking recipe needs greasing before you pop it in the oven, but surprisingly, some of them do not require you to grease the container. 

Similarly, in the case of using butter at a specific temperature, whether cold or at room temperature, you need to follow the exact recipe. 

3. Get the Measurements Right 

Measurements are an integral part of any baking activity and this is why you have to have an articulate weighing machine. 

The flour, which is the heart of your recipe, has to be precisely measured according to the recipe. This is because the main ingredient can go wrong if you use volume measurement equipment like cups. 

Alternatively, look for recipes that provide you with measurements in grams instead of by volume. 

Sure, you can convert it in any way you want, but if the recipe originally suggests something, it is better to follow it – after all, this article is about overwriting the mistake and improving your skills, isn’t it? 

4. Use Fresh Ingredients

Baking soda and baking powder, the heroes of every baking recipe need to be fresh when you use them in your desserts. It should be on top of your priority list to use them fresh because they have chemical leaving properties imbibed in them. 

That said, generally, baking powder and soda become ineffective after six months or so after they are produced. This means, if you use outdated baking powder or soda, the prime aspect of rising in your baked goods won’t happen the way it should. 

Similarly, for recipes with berries and other fruits, you should be careful about their freshness because one slightly over peach can ruin the entire cobbler. 

Wrapping Up… 

Baking is like creating pieces of art in your kitchen, while also becoming therapy for some people out there. 

Simply put, it is something that you can do to make yourself happy or on the extreme end, make a livelihood out of it. It has a lot to offer and the good news is that the skills that get polished in the process of learning stay with you forever. 

If you, for some reason, haven’t baked in a while, then this article is your cue. So why wait? Check out some recipe ideas in my food & drink section.

Revisit your basics, upgrade your kitchen with baking-friendly equipment and immerse yourself in this beautiful art!