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Library of Congress Control Number: 2023934609
ISBN 978-1-394-17246-7 (pbk); ISBN 978-1-394-17247-4 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-394-17248-1 (ebk)
Contents at a Glance
Part 1: Baking Essentials
CHAPTER 1:
Part 2: Basic Training for Baking
CHAPTER 5:
CHAPTER 6: Considering Allergies and Insensitivities When Baking
Part 3: Ready, Set, Bake!
CHAPTER 8: Understanding the Ins and Outs of Baking
CHAPTER 9: Baking Moist Cakes
CHAPTER 10: Fixing Fabulous Frostings
CHAPTER 11: Preparing Perfect Pies and Tarts
CHAPTER 12: Creating Crisps, Cobblers, and Other Delights
CHAPTER 13: Making Quick Breads, Muffins, and Biscuits
CHAPTER 14: Rising with Yeast Breads
CHAPTER 15: Going Savory with Baked Goods
CHAPTER 16: Baking with Mixes and Premade Doughs
Part 4: Dealing with Other Important Stuff
CHAPTER 18: Making the Ordinary Extraordinary
Part 5: The Part of Tens
Ten Ways to Boost Nutrition When Baking
CHAPTER 20: Ten Ways to Get Kids Baking
Recipes at a Glance
Poppy Seed
French Macarons
Peanut
Snickerdoodles
Gingersnaps
Apricot-Date
Rosemary Shortbread
Russian
Anisette Biscotti
Basic
Gingerbread
Black-and-White Brownies
Crunchy Granola Bars
Light and Fluffy Yellow Cake
Angel Food Cake .
Jelly Roll
Tres Leches with Mango
Lemon Rosemary Almond Cake
Gluten-Free Chocolate Hazelnut Cake
Molten Lava Cake
Classic Cheesecake
Pumpkin Cheesecake
Lemon Curd Cheesecake
Cream Cheese Frosting
Mocha Frosting
Basic Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
Sweetened Whipped Cream Frosting
Chocolate Frosting
Martha’s Sweet and Creamy Frosting
Quick Apricot Glaze
Classic Sugar Glaze
Old-Fashioned Pie Dough
Stir-and-Roll Pie Pastry
Pumpkin Pie
You’ll-Be-Glad-You-Tried-It Apple Pie
Cinnamon Apple Dumplings
Blueberry Pie
Cherry Crumb Pie
Rhubarb Pie
Pecan Pie
Chocolate Cream Pie
Banana Cream Pie
Coconut Cream Pie
Sour Cherry-Berry Pie
Cran-Apple and Pear Pie
Tart Lemon Tart
Ginger-Spiced Key Lime Yogurt Pie
Wonderful Pear Tart
Plum Galette
Apple Crisp
Blueberry Crunch
Peach Cobbler
Pumpkin Custard
Rich Chocolate Pudding
Bread Pudding with Bourbon Caramel Sauce
Sticky Date and Toffee Pudding
Pumpkin Bread
Banana Bread
Chocolate Zucchini Bread
Cranberry-Orange Bread
Crumbcake
Sweet Chocolate Chip Pull-Apart Bread
Boston Brown Bread .
Southern Corn Bread
Blueberry Muffins
Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
Buttermilk Biscuits
Cheesy
Lemon Blueberry Scones
Cheddar and Chives Scones
Basic White Buttermilk
Braided Egg
Honey-Oatmeal Bread
Jeff’s Potato Bread
Basic Hamburger Buns
No-Fail Rolls
Crescent Rolls
Fluffy Dinner
Sesame-Topped Rolls
Molly’s Sweet Cardamom
Cheese Soufflé
Weeknight Pizza Dough
Examining Gluten- and Wheat-Free Baking
Gluten-free flours
CHAPTER 13:
Troubleshooting Common Pie Problems
Shaping and Baking the Loaves
Baking Yeast Bread Recipes
CHAPTER 15: Going Savory with Baked Goods
Whipping
Baking
Getting
Presenting
Introduction
At some point in your life — maybe now because you’re reading this book — the mystery of baking has attracted you. The desire to create becomes stronger than the desire to pick up a pack of cookies at the store, and you think, “Hey, I’m a smart person. I can do this!” And you can!
Knowing how baking works and which role each ingredient plays enables you to understand how to bake instead of how to just follow a recipe (there is a difference). When you understand how to bake and master the various techniques used in baking, you’ll gain confidence in the kitchen and become a proficient baker. You’ll also find yourself confidently experimenting with some recipes, too! So, roll up your sleeves, clean off the countertop, and get ready to bake.
About This Book
The purpose of this book is to fill you in on how to become a proficient and independent baker. You may feel like you know nothing now, but as you dive into this book, you’ll become competent in the kitchen and realize baking skills are something you can easily master. This book acquaints you with familiar, as well as unfamiliar, ingredients, and also tells you a few things you may not know, such as the secret to flaky pastry crusts and how to zest a lemon. From organizing your kitchen to an efficient workspace to storing your baked good properly, this book gives you the tools you need to become a successful baker and plenty of tantalizing recipes to practice with.
This book introduces you to the hows and whys of baking. From mixing a batter to putting the finishing touches on your baked goods, you’ll discover all kinds of information in this book. This book also explains various techniques for all kinds of baking situations — and with good technique, the sky is the limit. Practice makes perfect, so the more familiar you become with baking and handling your ingredients, the more proficient you will become as a baker.
Since the first edition of this book 20 years ago, the world of baking has exploded, from new techniques, trendy ingredients, and a newfound appreciation for old world recipes. Here’s what you can find in this updated edition:
» More than 20 new recipes: These new recipes address some of the recent trends in baking. In addition, recipes now have weighted measurements. Many bakers work with a metric scale to ensure accuracy with a recipe. Whether you’re a beginner or an expert baker, a scale is an essential tool in your kitchen.
» New equipment: Many kitchens are now equipped with Instant Pots (multicookers) and air fryers. Recipes that can be baked in some of these nifty tools have been updated with additional cooking instructions.
» Allergy considerations: Ingredients also have come a long way, and although this book isn’t an allergy-free book, I’ve taken time and consideration into recipes that are perfect for loved ones following a specific diet or have a need for an allergen-free recipe.
The recipes in this book are very straightforward and easy to understand. But here are a few notes on the ingredients, which apply to all the recipes:
» All oven temperatures are given in Fahrenheit.
» Unless specified in the ingredient list, you can use any degree of fat in milk (whole through skim cow’s milk). You can also substitute dairy alternatives.
» All eggs are large.
» All flour is all-purpose flour, unless specified otherwise in the ingredients list.
» All sugar is granulated sugar, unless specified otherwise in the ingredients list.
» If a recipe calls for butter and not margarine, don’t use margarine. A few recipes just won’t taste good if margarine is substituted.
» All dry ingredients are measured using nestled dry measuring cups (not the glass ones with the graded amounts on the side), and all ingredients are measured level, unless specified.
» Lemon zest or orange zest refers to the outer colored peel, not any of the white pith.
» Generally, canned, fresh, or frozen fruit can be substituted, unless the recipe specifies one or the other.
And keep in mind:
» If you don’t know about an ingredient or technique in a recipe, be sure to check in Parts 1 or 2 for an explanation.
» Make sure you have all the equipment you need. Double-check that the pans you have are the right size before you get started.
» You can double most recipes in this book, unless the recipe states otherwise.
The recipes are basic but delicious and interesting. All of them can be embellished a little with additional ingredients, frostings, whipped cream, or powdered sugar. They use easy-to-find ingredients and simple instructions for extraordinary results.
Foolish Assumptions
This handy guide is a tool for both beginning and experienced bakers. No matter which group you fall in, this book will open you up to new ideas, techniques, and recipes. Here are some assumptions I do make about you:
» You already know your way around a kitchen, but you probably favor the top of your stove more often than the oven.
» You may rely too often on the grocery store or local bakery for your baked goods.
» You love to bake or you love the idea of baking. You don’t have any prior baking knowledge to use this book. You won’t get lost either because I explain every technique and ingredient in plain English.
» You want to become a better baker, no matter your skill level. You’ll discover your untapped talent and also master a lifetime of skills, tips, and shortcuts to keep you baking for years to come.
Icons Used in This Book
Look for these icons peppered throughout the book to help you find helpful bits of information:
This icon staves off potential mistakes or mishaps in the kitchen. Heed the warning to avoid a kitchen calamity.
I use this icon when you need to keep a “baking basic” in mind so nothing bad happens.
This icon is used to identify information that may be just a little more than you actually need to know for successful baking, but that is interesting nonetheless. If you’re in a hurry and just want to get the information you absolutely need, you can skip the paragraphs marked by this icon and come back to them later when you have more time.
Here you’ll find little gems of information that you may not have known about the recipe or technique you’re using. This icon points to information that will make things just a little bit easier to do or save you time.
Beyond This Book
This book is chock-full of tips and other pieces of helpful advice you can use as you’re baking to your heart’s content. In addition, check out the book’s Cheat Sheet at www.dummies.com and search for “Baking For Dummies Cheat Sheet” for information and resources to reference on a regular basis.
Where to Go from Here
Pick your favorite spot and begin. Perhaps you want to brush up on some technique know-how in Chapter 5 or dive right into your first batch of cookies in Chapter 8. Because you don’t have to read this book cover to cover to make the most of it, you can start anywhere.
Above all, enjoy yourself. Baking should be fun and an activity you share with your loved ones. Whether the inspiration for baking is remembering a birthday, making a sweet treat for the family or friends, bringing dessert for a dinner party, or welcoming a new neighbor or co-worker, you can certainly taste a difference when something is baked with love. You’re saying that the people you’re baking for are important enough that you took the time to do something special. Happy baking!
1 Baking Essentials
IN THIS PART . . .
Build upon your foundation of baking.
Discover some common ingredients that you should consider keeping in your kitchen and their role in baking.
Create a well-stocked kitchen, from appliances to gadgets.
IN THIS CHAPTER
» Discovering the many reasons to bake
» Starting off confidently by getting organized and exploring baking basics
» Looking forward to enjoying your baked creations
Chapter 1 Bake, For Goodness’ Sake!
So you’ve decided you want to find out how to bake? Congratulations! Perhaps you have tinkered in the kitchen but feel uncertain about what you’re doing, or maybe your attempts at creating something in the oven have not been very successful. Or perhaps you just have some general questions about baking. Reading this book is a good start for getting answers to the fundamental questions that arise when you bake. Soon you’ll be well on your way to becoming a better baker!
Baking is rewarding in many ways. First and most basic, it allows you to feed yourself and provides you with the ability to choose what you eat. You can give up the ammonium alginate, disodium guanylate, and guar gum you find in cake mixes. Your breads will no longer be preserved with sodium propionate. And your pies will be heptylparaben-free. Welcome to the world of butter, sugar, flour, and vanilla.
There’s something deeply satisfying about taking those basic ingredients and turning them into something that everyone loves, such as cakes and cookies. Freshly baked treats say “You are special to me” to the people you share them with. And recipients feel special because you took the time to create something for them. Welcome a new neighbor with fresh bread, surprise your office workers with a crumbcake for their coffee break, or treat your children to homemade cookies.
Baking is a way to enjoy the simple pleasures of life. An afternoon spent in the kitchen baking bread or making cookies to pack in lunches for the rest of the week is a nice gift to give yourself or your family. Mixing up a batch of cookies with your children, roommates, or loved ones is a great activity that doesn’t cost a lot of money and that will give you lasting memories.
Baking really is a lot of fun when you feel comfortable in the kitchen and at ease with what you’re making. Unfortunately, baking can also be a source of great anxiety and frustration when you’re not sure what you’re doing or feel like the ingredients are staging a rebellion against you. But it’s time to calm the troops. This chapter serves as the jumping-off point to the world of baking.
Knowing How to Get Started
If baking is so great, then why does it sometimes seem like it’s so hard? Did you ever get a chance to practice the basics? How many bad experiences have you had in the kitchen with burned cookies or dry cakes? You can forget about all that you don’t know (and perhaps your past kitchen disasters) and look toward a new horizon. You’re about to equip yourself with the knowledge of how to bake.
Baking differs dramatically from other forms of cooking. It involves a kind of magic. From mixing up batters to working bread doughs firmly but gently to watching your dough rise, baking brings a spectacular feeling. Other forms of cooking are more about sustenance — feeding hunger. But baking is something special. It’s both an art and a science. And the science really does count — instructions and ingredients work together to create delicious results. Wondrous aromas will waft from your kitchen, filling your home with flavors today and sweet memories tomorrow.
Sometimes it’s hard to know where to start when you’re trying something new. Chapters 2 through 7 are a good start. They not only help familiarize you with what you’re baking but also explain how to bake. Knowing how to bake involves more than knowing how to read a recipe and following the instructions; it’s also about understanding the following:
» The variety of ingredients available
» The roles of the various ingredients in a recipe
» What happens when you combine certain ingredients
» Various baking techniques
When you equip yourself with this knowledge, you’ll discover how easy and fun baking can be!
Getting organized
As you set out to bake, the most important thing is to get organized. Kitchen counters are often dumping grounds for dirty dishes, yesterday’s mail, car keys, or stray kitchen items that haven’t been properly put away. Take the 5 minutes it takes (if that much!) to clean off the space you need. Visit Chapter 7 for more tips and ideas for organizing your baking space.
Before you crack your first egg, be sure that you have all ingredients on deck. Nothing is more frustrating than thinking you have a full box of raisins on hand and then finding that you have only half the amount you need when you go to pour them out. Read more about stocking up on staple ingredients in Chapter 2.
And one more thing: Do you know where both your beaters are for your electric mixer? Are you sure you have both the top and the sides for the springform pan you want to use? How about all the parts for your food processor? One thing I’ve learned over the years is that you can never be too prepared when you start to bake. Sometimes I tear my kitchen apart looking for my square pan, only to remember that I lent it to my neighbors. Or I search high and low for parts to my mixer, only to find them on the drainboard or put away in a different drawer. Have the tools you need in front of you before you start baking. Check out Chapter 3 for more details.
Finally, make friends with your oven. If you haven’t paid much attention to it lately, read some helpful advice in Chapter 4 to make sure that your oven is in proper working order. No matter how good the recipes are, if your oven is off, there is little hope for baking success.
Familiarizing yourself with baking techniques
If your eyes glaze over after reading a recipe, make a quick stop at Chapter 5 to get to know the common, and not so common, baking terms and techniques. There, you discover how to zest, fold, cut in, and whip. You should be aware that sometimes cooking terms dictate the kitchen tool you use.
For example, you whip or whisk eggs with a wire whisk, you cut in butter with a pastry blender, and you fold with a rubber spatula. If a recipe uses equipment you don’t have, you have time to consider alternatives or choose another recipe. So
understanding the techniques not only helps you know what to do but also lets you know whether you need a specific tool to do it properly.
Practicing and practicing some more
If you ask any professional bakers or cooks whom you respect how they acquired all their baking talent, I’m sure that you’ll discover they spent a lot of time practicing their craft. The more you practice baking, the more you’ll get a feel for it and the more successful you’ll be.
Eventually, you’ll know by the look and feel of certain foods what’s going on with your dough or batter. You’ll find yourself adding a pinch of this or that or kneading the dough a little more or less just because you know how it should feel or behave. Practice is the key to successful baking, and Part 3 is full of recipes to practice with. You’ll discover what a good cake batter should look like, how bread dough should feel, and what to do if your recipes aren’t turning out the way you want.
Practicing baking is lots of fun, too, because the results are usually delicious and people are always happy to participate in your experimenting. I was quite popular with family and friends as I was developing and testing the recipes for this book, so I know that you, too, will be just as popular as you try these recipes.
Enjoying What You Bake
Who doesn’t get excited when a co-worker or family member bakes up a treat? Everyone is happy when homemade desserts are brought in to be shared. The reason you bake dozens of cookies or multiple loaves of bread is to share the results. There never was a baking book titled Baking for One or Two because baked goods are meant to be shared.
Cakes will last for days, and cookies can stick around for a week or so if stored properly. So be sure to read Chapter 17 to pick up some great tricks and hints on how to keep every last bite of pie tasting as good as the first ones.
If you want to really wow your fellow friends, turn to Chapter 18 for some easy and neat ideas to spruce up your finished product. You can find some tips on how to package your baked goods or add some extra special touches that elevate the ordinary to the extraordinary.
» Understanding the virtues of having a well-stocked pantry
» Making a list of what to have on hand
» Knowing substitutions you can use in a pinch
Chapter 2
Stocking Up
Awell-stocked pantry really makes a difference when it comes to baking for several reasons:
» It’s a huge time-saver because it eliminates a trip to the grocery store.
» It enables you to create delicious treats whenever the mood strikes.
» If you happen to run out of one ingredient, a well-stocked pantry will ensure that you have a substitute or an extra ingredient on hand.
You don’t need a lot of room to have a good pantry, but you need to be organized and store your ingredients well to maximize not only space but also the ingredients’ shelf life. This chapter presents a list of staples you should have on hand when you begin baking. Of course, you don’t have to purchase everything all at once, but you may be surprised at how quickly you’ll build your pantry and how accommodating it will be to have a well-stocked kitchen for future baking. IN THIS CHAPTER
STORING BULK FOODS
If your supermarket or natural-foods store has a bulk section, purchasing ingredients there is an economical choice. However, never store items in the plastic bags for more than a week. Instead, save your jars and containers! Washed, clean jars or containers from spaghetti sauce, salsa, yogurt, peanut butter, and applesauce make great containers to hold items you purchase in bulk. Baby food jars, in particular, recycle into great spice jars. Don’t forget to mark your jars with masking tape and permanent marker. (Don’t use nonpermanent marker — it can rub off, and you’ll be left wondering what you put in those jars!) You may someday need a reminder of what’s in them and when you bought it! Labeling and dating each product as you get it is a good idea.
When shopping for your pantry, be a smart shopper. Look for items on sale at your local grocery store. If space is not an issue, buy two or three popular items when they go on sale (my theory is you can never have enough baking soda or sugar). Also, take a look in discount stores and those ever-popular dollar stores. Recently, I found nonstick cooking spray at the dollar store and stocked up, because one can costs double or triple that amount in my local grocery store. This also goes for spices; I almost always purchase spices “loose” at a local store that sells them prebagged. I never spend more than 75 cents for what most people pay $3 to $4 in a supermarket. You may be surprised at how inexpensively you can stock your pantry when you shop around.
If you hope to bake a lot or the holidays are coming, it is good to purchase flour, sugar, chocolate, and nuts in bulk at warehouse clubs. Of course, do this only if you will go through the ingredients quickly. If you’re a part-time baker, I find that the “bulk section” of my food store is good if I need smaller amounts of ingredients. I can purchase just what I need, and there is no waste — perfect for unusual spices you may only need during holiday baking, too!
Your dry pantry can be in the cabinets, on shelves, in a cupboard or in a designated pantry or closet. Make sure to keep the floor clean. Remove everything and wipe down the shelves at least twice a year (spring and fall are good times for this type of cleaning). And, of course, if you spill anything, clean it up right away to avoid any sort of animal or insect infestation.
Flour: Focusing on the Main Ingredient
Flour is the primary ingredient for most cakes, cookies, pastries, and breads. Although it is one of the most basic baking ingredients, it also can be the most confusing, because of the wide variety available on grocery store shelves. Some
