In our previous blog, 3 Essential Tips For Scratch Baking For Beginners, we touched on 3 essential tips to help you succeed in this delicious realm of baking from scratch. Scratch baking beginners and professionals alike know that there’s no shortage of things that can go wrong in a recipe and tricks you can use to make the entire baking process easier. We’re continuing our series of tips for scratch baking beginners with this blog that builds upon our previous 3 essential tips. Once you’ve read that, continue reading below to learn more of our must-know tips for scratch baking beginners that set you up for success in the kitchen.
#1. Read Through The Recipe First
Recipes aren’t very interesting to read, but it’s absolutely essential that you read through the recipe before you get started, even if you have all of the ingredients. You could end up wasting ingredients if you don’t read the recipe first and it could not turn out how it’s supposed to. The last thing you want is to realize that your cookie dough is supposed to be refrigerated for several hours when you wanted them ready for an event in a couple of hours, or that you need a piece of equipment that you do not have.
People who write recipes have probably tested them out time and time again in order to ensure that they come out right. If they notice easy mistakes that someone else might make when following their recipe, they will likely note them down to help you avoid them. Reading the recipe prior to attempting it also lets scratch baking beginners look up any baking terminology that they may not know so that they’re ready when they reach that part of the recipe.
#2. Get Your Recipes From A Trusted Source
Pinterest is a fantastic place to get inspiration for recipes and things to make. However, when looking for recipes, especially if you are a scratch baking beginner, you want to ensure that you get your recipes from a trusted source. Anyone can write a recipe and post it online, without even having tested it out! You want to look to known baking experts or to highly-rated cookbooks from places that test their recipes.
Some of the ways you can tell whether or not a recipe is reliable include:
- It lists the ingredients in the order they are used.
- It tells you whether or not ingredients are optional.
- It lists the oven temperature at the top, so you can preheat your oven.
- It gives baking indicators. Not all ovens heat the same way and not everyone preps their recipe the same way. In addition to a baking time, your recipe should give you baking indicators such as ‘til golden or ‘til doubled.
You don’t just want to look for good reviews. You also want to look for any common complaints. For instance, if multiple people are talking about how the bread didn’t rise, this could mean that they are all scratch baking beginners and made mistakes. It could also mean there is a problem with the recipe. The more reputable your source is, the more likely it is that your recipe will turn out, so long as you follow it properly.
#3. Avoid Substitutions The First Time Around
There are a lot of different substitutions you can make in the baking world. As a scratch baking beginner, you may be excited about substituting applesauce for butter or cocoa powder for flour. However, before you make any substitutions, follow the recipe exactly the first time around. Sometimes, messing with a recipe can cause problems, such as a cake that is too dry or brownies that are much too gooey.
Recipes will sometimes list acceptable substitutions. If they don’t, as a scratch baking beginner, ensure that you get it right without any substitutions before you start getting creative with your recipes.
Learn How To Bake At One Of Our Cooking Classes
Kitchen Kneads is here to help you on your baking journey with both our products and our cooking classes. Both scratch baking beginners and more experienced bakers enjoy learning new things, such as how to make macarons, how to decorate cookies, how to make a sourdough starter, and more.
If you’re looking for baking equipment and ingredients, feel free to browse our website and contact us if you have any questions about our products or cooking classes. We are always happy to help anyone in their baking journey, whether you are a scratch baking beginner or a seasoned professional.
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