Baking can seem pretty straight forward and simple, but when the recipe doesn’t turn out, you might be wondering why.
Here are 5 COMMON BAKING MISTAKES that can make a huge difference in your recipe, even if they don’t seem like that big of a deal. Remember, baking actually IS a science, and exact measurements and adherence to instructions is imperative for optimal results.
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1. NOT KNOWING HOW TO READ THE RECIPE
Reading a recipe and knowing how to execute the instructions can be more difficult than you’d think! You must always follow the directions! When the recipe calls for dry ingredients to be mixed separately from the wet ingredients, there’s an actual chemical reason why. Even if it seems like it won’t make a difference, just do as the recipe instructs. AND, this one might be the biggest mistake the most people don’t know about, so pay attention.
When recipes call for measured ingredients, and there is a comma after the ingredient, the amount to be measured is before the action to the ingredient is taken. So, if the recipe requires 1 cup pecans, chopped, you should measure out 1 cup of pecans for your recipe, and then chop them. Not the other way around. You can see that if you bought chopped pecans for your recipe, you might have a little bit of an issue because 1 cup of chopped pecans is more than 1 cup of whole pecans and that can make a difference in certain recipes.
2. NOT USING PRECISE MEASUREMENTS
Baking is science-based and precise measurements matter. Make sure that you use the right equipment to measure your ingredients to ensure you get the right ingredients. Use cups like these to measure dry ingredients, being sure to level the top of the cups with a knife before you add the ingredient.
When measuring flour, take a spoon and scoop flour little by little into the measuring cup. Do not scoop directly from your bag or canister. This will compact the flour making your measurement wrong.
Use liquid measuring cups like these and measure to the line for your liquid measures. Make sure you have a good set of measuring spoons for your spices and baking soda and baking powder. And speaking of baking soda and baking powder, they are not interchangeable!!!!
3. USING INGREDIENTS THAT ARE NOT THE RIGHT TEMPERATURE
Many recipes call for butter and eggs at “room temperature” or for the butter to be “softened”. Almost no one we know remembers to actually take their eggs and butter out about an hour before baking so that they can reach room temperature, but it’s actually really, really important for the creaming process of the recipe.
Likewise, if a recipe calls for chilled butter (like a pastry recipe) make sure that the butter is very cold when you cut it in.
4. OVER MIXING YOUR BATTER
Be mindful of how long your mix your batter. If you over-mix you’ll produce a batter that is tougher and denser than you want. Only mix your batter until no more flour shows.
5. OPENING THE OVEN TO CHECK ON THE PROGRESS
It’s natural to want to open the oven to check on the progress of your baking item. Don’t do it. We’ve read that opening the oven can change the temperature of the oven enough to make your item unevenly baked or undercooked.
Also, be sure to always pre-heat your oven. Baking time matters a lot and if you put your items in a cold oven you will not get the results you are wanting. It’s all about the chemistry! Don’t forget to set that timer!
We love these baking pans!
Do you have any commonly made baking mistakes we’ve missed?
Use your new baking knowledge here…
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