Learning to bake can be a really difficult journey, especially if you don’t have much experience in the kitchen. However, there are certainly a couple of things that can make your experience a little bit better, especially if you’re willing to learn and pick up some beginner’s tips. So if your cakes aren’t turning out right and your cookies are looking a bit odd, here are some beginner’s tips to help you learn how to bake.
Look for recipes instead of trying to wing everything
Unlikely regular cooking, baking is a science and you need to stick to recipes. Every little detail in a recipe counts. From the amount of flour you use to the mixing technique to even the temperature of your oven, you have to try and follow recipes exactly if you want to reproduce what’s shown in the video or image.
You can find loads of great recipes for simple things like bread, cookies, and cupcakes. However, if you want more of a challenge, then something like this recipe for “death by chocolate cake” is a fantastic way to test your skills. Of course, this does mean that you should generally stick to simpler things if you’re a beginner. If you try to tackle something large with multiple layers then it’s going to be demoralizing.
Buy the right equipment for baking
The right equipment is going to make preparing your ingredients a lot easier and it’ll open up new options for baking. For instance, if you only have a baking sheet then you’re really limited to what you can make. But if you upgrade and also buy a pan or even a specific item such as a bread pan, then you can make loads of different things using the same few utensils. You should also consider getting different mixing tools as they can make things a lot simpler. Mixing batter can often take a lot of effort and strength, so having a stand mixer to do it for you can really simplify things.
Prepare all of your ingredients before you start
Lastly, before you start mixing ingredients you should always prepare them first. Weigh everything, put everything in small bowls or plates, and double-check that you have everything in front of you before you decide to start baking. This saves you having to run around the kitchen preparing and weighing stuff as you’re mixing and baking. This can affect the final product, so it’s best to make sure everything is ready before you start following the recipe. It ensures that the entire process is smooth and it results in less stress since you’re not racing against the clock to ensure that everything is ready.
The idea of learning to cook is appealing for many people, but baking is an entirely different skill that also takes a lot of time and effort to learn. As long as you’re motivated to learn how to bake, you’ll find that it can be really fun and very creative.
