Baking Tips

Baking is an art and it is science too! Here are some baking tips which I shared on twitter and I am sharing with you now on the blog too!

So sometime back when we did cooking tips,  a lot of people asked me for some baking tips on twitter as well as by email. So, here is a copy paste version of my twitter time line #BakingTips, which I did today.

• First and foremost, it is very important to preheat the oven. Just switch on the oven at the specified temp for 10 mins #BakingTips.
• If you are using an OTG at home, pre-heating at 10 C more than required and then reverting it to the required temperature, while baking works ideal #BakingTips.
• When making muffins, DON’T, I repeat, DONT overmix the batter. You will get hard and tough muffins #BakingTips.
• Before starting to make the batter/dough for baking, always make sure all the ingredients are at room temperature #BakingTips.
• Always sieve the flour and baking powder together, it aerates the mixture and lets you remove the lumps, which means its a double win #BakingTips.
• If the recipe asks for grilling, always leave the over door slightly open. A close door will result in baking instead of grilling of the veggie/meat #BakingTips.
• Want to keep baked goodies fresh longer? keep a piece of small bread in the jar in which you store your cookies. It will absorb the moisture #BakingTips.
• While using muffin tray, if you don’t have enough batter to fill all of them, fill the empty ones with water. This will ensure uniform baking #BakingTips.
• According to my experience, cookies are always best baked in the lower most rack, though some people believe otherwise 🙂 #BakingTips.
• Watch out your cookies while baking, it doesn’t take more than 8 mins or so and 1 minute is the difference between a crisp one and a burnt one #BakingTips.
• Dont have self raising flour? Make your own – Add 2 1/2 tsp of baking powder for 225 gms of flour and its ready #BakingTips.
• If you are adding dried fruit to cake or bread, batter coat it with plain flour and it will not sink to the bottom of the cake #BakingTips.
• Reduce the oven temperature by 25° when using glass or dark color baking dishes #BakingTips.
• Always grease and dust the pan well before baking, too much flour-oil will give a strange taste whereas less will make it stick #BakingTips.
• Also if baking a chocolate cake, dust the baking tin with cocca powder rather than flour #BakingTips.
• Baking is a half science and half art. So DON’T experiment with andaaza. Ensure you measure all your ingredients #BakingTips.
• To speed up the softening of cold butter, thinly slice it and let stand for about 10 minutes over a bowl of warm water #BakingTips.
• To make sure the cake comes out clean from the tin it has been baked in, wait for it to completely cool down. I know its tough, but required 🙂 #BakingTips.
• While whipping cream for the frosting of the cake, make sure the bowl, the beater blade and of course the cream is chilled. This will bring the cream to the firm peaks level at a faster rate. Also, do not over beat it. Stop just when firm peaks are starting to get formed #BakingTips.
• For making Chocolate whipped cream – add 2 tbspn of coca + 2 tbspn of icing sugar + 1 cup of whipping cream and whip as usual #BakingTips.
• For making Coffee Whipped cream add 2 tbspn of strong coffee decotion to 1 cup of whipping cream and whip as usual #BakingTips.
• Never ever open the oven door for the first 10 mins when baking a cake/muffin as it will sink after 10 mins.  #BakingTips.
• While we are talking about whipping, lets talk about whipping eggs!, Yes, getting the meringue right is an art which can be learnt.  #BakingTips.

1.  Always use fresh egg whites for making #meringue. Old egg whites will collage when you fold other ingredients #BakingTips.
2. Separate white yellow very well. NEVER EVER let a yellow yolk come in the white portion while making a #meringue #BakingTips.
3. There should be no water or moisture in the bowl in which you are beating eggs for making #meringue #BakingTips.
4. Add a pinch of salt/vinegar to the eggs before you start beating beat just till foamy. Don’t over beat #meringue #BakingTips.

• Mixing of fat (butter/oil etc) with sugar can be done in various ways in baking – rubbing, creaming and whipping #BakingTips.

1. Rubbing – chilled fat is mixed into sugar to form a breadcumbs like mixture, used for breads and cookies more #BakingTips.
2. Creaming – cream fat on the kitchen counter in circular motion till soft, add sugar slowly and continue creaming #BakingTips.

• Never fill the baking dish to the full leave, fill it 2/3 and leave some space for the cake to rise #BakingTips
• When baking cookies, always line the baking tray with butter paper or parchment paper #BakingTips.
• Always bake the cake in the center rack of the oven #BakingTips.
• Cool baked goodies on the wire rack else the moisture from the bottom makes it soggy #BakingTips.
• In baking, folding is a very important technique, its designed to combine ingredients without knocking air out of the mixture #BakingTips.
• Rubber spatulas work the best, always add the lighter mixture to the heavier mixture while folding #BakingTips.
• In a single action, run the spatula around the side, then along the base, of the bowl. Now fold the mixture over onto itself #BakingTips.
• Rotate the bowl 90°. Repeat until just combined. #BakingTips.

So here are some of my baking tips! If you have any which you can add to, please do share them on twitter or in the comments section here, and I would love to try them out.