Baking Basics to Follow in Lebanon, NJ | Best Bakery near Potterstown (2024)

by Sweet Melissa Patisserie

Now, more than ever, folks are home bound and are learning to bake delicious treats on their own. There has been a terrific culinary renaissance in cooking and baking, but every great baker must start somewhere, so we would like to share these baking basics you should be following next time you’re in the kitchen!

Baking Basics to Follow in Lebanon, NJ | Best Bakery near Potterstown (1)

Read the Recipe Through Completely

At the risk of sounding way too basic, this one deserves repetition. You must read and re-read your recipes before beginning anything. Human error, even for the best bakers, can get in the way and ruin your entire endeavor. How terrible it would be to get all the way into a recipe, only to discover that it needs to cool for eight hours (when you want it ready in three).

Follow the Instructions Exactly

You should never make substitutions for anything unless provided for by the recipe. For example, if the recipe calls for light brown sugar, don’t sub it with honey. Some changes might seem small, but they can have a dramatic impact on the final product.

Ensure the Ingredients Are Measured Properly

There can be a huge difference in measuring depending on how you read the instructions. For instance, “1 Cup All-Purpose Flour, Sifted” is not the same as “1 Cup Sifted All-Purpose Flour.” The order in which you do things will dictate how ingredients are measured.

Preheat the Oven Fully Before Baking

This involves using an actual oven thermometer. Did you know that the reading on your oven could be inaccurate? It might be over 50 degrees off from the actual temperature. You will want to preheat the oven and be aware of how hot in really is. Failing to do this could render your cake into toast.

Measure and Prep All The Ingredients Before Beginning

Some people may be able to improvise on this, but I wouldn’t count on it. If you don’t measure and prepare everything before putting your recipe together, you run the risk of destroying your recipe by trying to wing it as you go.

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Notice the pattern here? These instructions are great advice because they center around the common theme of precision and accuracy with your cooking. The baking basics can be summarized as paying attention to the details and executing them as planned. You do not have to come up with the most unique and exotic creation. It’s much more important for a beginner to master the basic rules first.

We hope you’ve enjoyed this. For more ways to learn about great baking, please visit us our website. We’d also love to have you come visit us here at Sweet Melissa Patisserie! You can find us located at 56 Payne Road in Lebanon.

Baking Basics to Follow in Lebanon, NJ | Best Bakery near Potterstown (2024)

FAQs

What is the first rule of baking? ›

#1 Read through the recipe

You can even make notes on the recipe or highlight key points to help you along.

What are the 5 basic baking skills? ›

By mastering the essential skills of accurate measurements, proper mixing techniques, understanding your oven, perfect timing, and patient cooling, you can elevate your cake-baking game to new heights. Remember that practice makes perfect, and don't be discouraged by a few failed attempts.

What is the first thing to do before baking? ›

The most important thing to do first is READ THE RECIPE. Read it all the way through. Make sure you have all the ingredients you need. Make sure you have the correct dishes for mixing, utensils for measuring, and pans for baking.

Can baking be self taught? ›

You can knead bread by hand, mix cakes by hand, and make choux pastry by hand. You don't have to have super fancy equipment to get in to baking. Mixers are great for whipping cream and making any kind of meringue. Some basic tools include good baking pans.

What is the golden rule in baking? ›

Basically, all you need to know about baking is that the longer you mix a dough or batter, the stronger the gluten, and the more gluten, the better the chew. But you don't want the same chew from a beautiful cake as you would a baguette, so you minimise the development of gluten by not over-working the dough or batter.

What is the one big rule in baking? ›

1. Check your oven. It's your number-one tool when it comes to baking, so be sure it's accurate. Purchase an oven thermometer and check your oven periodically to make sure it's calibrated.

What are the basic principles of baking? ›

There are 6 main principles of baking: wet ingredients, dry ingredients, leavening agents, flavoring, heat, and different mixing methods. When combined correctly, they create a delicious and perfectly baked dish every time.

What are the basic concepts of the baking process? ›

Baking sets the final structure to baked goods. It involves simultaneous heat and mass transfer phenomena. The heat travels from the surrounding air into the interior of the dough or batter while moisture and other liquid compounds travel/escape from the core towards the exterior or surrounding air due to evaporation.

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