Baking 101

One of the things I've always struggled with cooking wise is baking! You should see some disasters I've made in the past (and present if we are being totally honest)... Too much sugar, too much salt, rock hard cake, gooey cake, burnt biscuits, the list goes on......  

I am getting better at baking (if I say so myself... lol), but what I've learnt is that baking takes a lot of patience and precision. What I used to do before was ignore the measurements and steps in a recipe and just throw everything together into a bowl based on my "guestimate" and mix. So what I've done here is compile a list of the things that I have found have made a huge difference in my baking. Please forgive me if the list appears to be very obvious but these are mistakes I have made and learnt from over the years. I hope it helps.

Cookie Dough- From a batch of cookies I made a couple of weeks ago

So here goes:

i. Buy a kitchen scale and weigh everything.

ii. Bring out all the ingredients from the fridge at least 30 minutes before baking so they are room temperature (unless the recipe says otherwise). I can't tell you the difference room temperature eggs and butter have made to my cakes;

iii. Sift dry ingredients i.e. flour, baking soda etc before using. It makes everything fluffier. I'd suggest the sieve with the tiniest holes (e.g. the one used to sieve amala);

iv. If the recipe calls for it, mix butter and sugar properly till very soft. This is another must not miss step;

v. If the recipe says do not over mix, for the love of God, do not. You'd end up with a rock hard whatever. Believe me, this has happened to me more than once;

vi. Do not add more baking powder or soda than the recipe calls for, even if you think it won't rise. You'd end up with a chemically taste;

vii. If a recipe calls for buttermilk, mix milk with the juice of half a lemon. I still haven't found buttermilk in Nigeria, if anyone knows where I can find this, please let me know!!

viii. If baking a cake, do not be tempted to open the oven for the first half of the baking time (or even at all till the end if possible), your cake may end up deflating and you'd end up with a flat cake. 

ix. To test if a cake is done, insert a dry toothpick right in the centre of the cake and if it comes out clean, it is done.

x. Grease your baking pan, if not your cake will stick to the pan and you will have a patch patch cake when u take it out of the pan.

Is there anything I have missed? Any more suggestions?