Baking for Dummies

by Emily Nolan

  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 will 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.

  Familiarize 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.

  Practice

  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 is 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 III of this book 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.

  Chapter 2

  Stocking Up

  In This Chapter

  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

  A well-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.

  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.

  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!

  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.

  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

  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 flours are perfect for bread baking but disastrous for piecrusts or tender pastries. What makes a flour good for one recipe and bad for another? The amount of protein it contains. The more protein a flour has, the more gluten it will produce when it’s kneaded. And the more gluten you have, the less tender your baked good will be.

  Gluten is the protein that forms weblike structures present in wheat and other flours. When the flour is moistened and the bread is kneaded, or doughs and batters are mixed together, gluten forms and adds an elastic and cohesive nature to the food. This elasticity allows the dough to expand and trap the carbon dioxide, produced by the leavening, which makes the dough rise and stretch. Gluten makes it all possible!

  Several different kinds of flour are available for baking; all-purpose, cake, bread, self-rising, and whole wheat flour are just a few. Become acquainted with three basic types of flour: all-purpose flour, cake flour, and bread flour.

  All-purpose flour is a blend of hard and soft wheat flours. The presence of more and tougher gluten in the hard wheat results in a rather el
astic product. This produces the texture you want for cakes and cookies.

  Bleached and unbleached all-purpose flours can be used interchangeably, but unbleached flour has a higher nutritional value. Southern flours, such as White Lily, are made with a softer wheat, which means that they have cake flour–like qualities. Southern flour is great for tender biscuits and piecrusts.

  Cake flour is made with soft wheat, producing less gluten when mixed, so your cake will be more delicate, with a slightly crumbly texture. When purchasing cake flour, don’t buy self-rising cake flour unless the recipe specifically calls for it. If you do buy it by mistake, omit the baking powder or baking soda and salt from the recipe.

  Bread flour has a higher gluten-forming protein content, making the dough nice and elastic. This makes it ideal for bread-making.

  Don’t store any of your flours in the paper sacks you buy them in. Instead, transfer them into airtight canisters and store them in a cool, dry place to make sure your flour won’t absorb any odors or off-flavors. Label the containers to ensure that you can tell the difference between the different varieties (they tend to look the same out of their bags). Flour can last up to six months if stored properly in the pantry and indefinitely if stored in the freezer. If you bought the flour from a natural food store, place it in the freezer for a few days to make sure nothing will hatch.

  If you use flour slowly, you can store your flour in the freezer. Double-bag the flour in sealable freezer bags and be sure to label it. Flour stored in the freezer can last for several years.

  Substituting for cake flour or all-purpose flour

  If your recipe calls for cake flour and you have only all-purpose flour on hand, you can substitute 1 cup minus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour for 1 cup of cake flour. If you need all-purpose flour and have only cake flour on hand, substitute 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons of cake flour for 1 cup of all-purpose flour. The texture will be different, but if you have no other choice, it’s okay. If you have instant flour on hand, such as Wondra, combine 2 tablespoons in the cup measure, then add enough all-purpose flour to make 1 cup (which would be about 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons). That will also give you a cake flour–like flour.

  Sugar

  Sugar, another basic in baking, gives tenderness and sweetness to doughs and batters. Sugar also causes browning because it caramelizes (turns brown) when heated. Sugar also is a food source for yeast, making it rise.

  In baking, you need to have three different types of sugar on hand: granulated sugar, confectioners’ sugar, and brown sugar (light or dark).

  Granulated sugar is standard white sugar, either from sugar cane or sugar beets, and is the most popular and readily available sweetener in baking. Superfine sugar is a form of granulated sugar that dissolves easily in liquid. You can make your own superfine sugar: Place 1 cup of granulated sugar in the blender, cover, and process for 1 minute. Let it sit for about 1 minute longer to let the “smoke” settle. This produces 1 cup of superfine sugar. Sometimes superfine sugar is used in frostings and certain cakes. It dissolves quickly, so it doesn’t need much cooking time.

  Confectioners’ (powdered) sugar has been refined to a powder and contains a small amount of cornstarch to prevent lumping. Confectioners’ sugar dissolves instantly in liquid and has a smoothness that makes it a popular choice for frostings, icings, and whipped toppings. It’s also perfect for dusting cake tops and brownies. If your confectioners’ sugar becomes lumpy, you can sift it.

  Brown sugar, both light and dark, is a mixture of granulated sugar and molasses. Brown sugar has a deeper flavor than granulated sugar. The color of brown sugar depends on the amount of molasses mixed in; dark brown sugar has more. Light brown sugar is the most common type used in baking, but the more assertively flavored dark brown sugar is also used. Recipes specify which brown sugar to use when it makes a difference; otherwise, you can use whichever you have on hand.

  When measuring brown sugar for recipes, be sure to pack it into the measuring cup for accurate measuring.

  When exposed to air for an extended amount of time, brown sugar has a tendency to harden. If this happens to your sugar, there’s a quick fix: Place the hardened brown sugar in a heatproof bowl, and place the bowl in a baking pan containing about an inch of water. Tightly cover the entire baking pan with aluminum foil and place it in a 200-degree oven for 20 minutes or until softened. Use the softened brown sugar immediately, because it will re-harden when it cools. You can also use your microwave to soften brown sugar. Place the hardened sugar in a microwavable dish. Add a wedge of apple. Cover and microwave on high for 30-45 seconds. Let stand for about 30 seconds, then use normally.

  Store all your sugars in airtight containers in a cool, dry place.

  Salt

  Salt is invaluable in the kitchen. It not only adds its own flavor but also helps bring out the flavor of the other ingredients. When used in baking, following the precise amount called for in the recipe is important.

  Three types of salt are available for baking:

  Table salt: This is by far the most popular variety.

  Kosher salt: This salt has less of a salty taste than table salt and can be coarser.

  Sea salt: This salt has a fresher taste and is usually used in salt grinders.

  All these salts can be used measure for measure in baking.

  Most table salt has an anticaking agent added to help prevent it from clumping. However, on humid days (especially during the summertime) salt still tends to stick or clump. To prevent this, add about a teaspoon of rice to your salt shaker. The rice will absorb the moisture and keep your salt free-flowing. You never want to add the rice to anything you bake, though. If you need to get the rice out of your salt, run the salt through a fine-mesh strainer.

  Eggs

  Eggs thicken custards and sauces, help cakes to rise and be tender, and enrich and add sheen to baked doughs. Eggs come in two different colors — white and brown — but there’s no nutritional difference between them. Eggshell color and color of the yolk (light yellow to deep orange) are the results of the breed and diet of the chicken and say nothing about the nutritional value or quality of the eggs.

  Always buy large, fresh eggs. All the recipes in this book were tested with Grade A large eggs. Egg sizes are determined by their weight and volume, so substituting one egg size for another can affect the outcome. For example, two large eggs equal approximately 1/2 cup. It takes three medium eggs to equal the same 1/2 cup. Feel free to use free-range or organic eggs in any of the recipes in this book, as long as they’re the right size.

  How do you know your eggs are fresh? An easy way to tell is to place the egg in a bowl of tap water. If the egg sinks to the bottom, it is fresh. If the egg stands up and bobs on the bottom, it is not so fresh. If it floats, it is likely to be rotten. What makes the eggs float? Eggs naturally have a small pocket of air. As they age, this pocket increases, which causes the eggs to float in water. Check the expiration date on the box to ensure that your eggs are the freshest available.

  Do not store your eggs in the refrigerator door. This is the warmest part of the refrigerator, and you want your eggs to be cold. Keep the eggs in the carton and store them in the refrigerator. That way, you’ll always know the expiration date on the carton, and you’ll know which eggs to use first. Keep them away from strong odors as well.

  Taking care with eggs

  Care must be taken when handling eggs because they can carry salmonella, a bacteria that can cause dangerous food poisoning. Although salmonella is rare, prevention is the best cure. Of course, pregnant women, young children, the elderly, and those with a compromised immune system should not eat anything that contains raw or undercooked eggs. Here are some tips that can help:

  Always buy the freshest eggs possible. Buy only the number of eggs you will use within two weeks’ time to ensure the freshness of your supply. If you don’t use eggs that often, try to buy them by the half-dozen.

  Be sure to wash your hands
with hot, soapy water before and after handling raw eggs. If you use a bowl to hold raw eggs, wash and dry the bowl before reusing it for another purpose.

  Don’t store eggs in the egg holder on the door of the refrigerator. It might be convenient, but it’s also the warmest part of the refrigerator. Salmonella does not grow in temperatures of less than 40 degrees. And it’s killed at temperatures above 160 degrees.

  Never use an egg with a cracked shell. If you detect an off-odor after you have cracked an egg, discard it immediately.

  If a recipe calls for eggs at room temperature, don’t allow the eggs to sit at room temperature for more than 20 minutes. Never use eggs left at room temperature for more than two hours.

  Leaveners: A Baker’s Best Pick-Me-Up

  Leaveners cause a dough or batter to rise by producing carbon dioxide, which rises throughout the batter and gives it a light, porous texture. There are two types of leaveners: chemical and yeast. Chemical leaveners include baking soda, baking powder, and cream of tartar. Yeast is just that, yeast — which, if you want to get technical, is a fungal leavener.

  Now for a quick bit of Chemistry 101: When an acid and an alkaline are combined in the presence of a liquid, carbon dioxide is formed. All three elements are needed to produce the rise. When they’re combined, the reaction is immediate, and, thanks to the heat of the oven, the gases in the batter expand, acting as another rising agent. Of course, too much rise is not desirable, because then the cake or bread or whatever you’re baking will fall.