Baking for Dummies Read online

  Basic White Buttermilk Bread

  Braided Egg Bread

  Honey-Oatmeal Bread

  Jeff’s Potato Bread

  Molly’s Sweet Cardamom Rolls

  No-Fail Rolls

  Crescent Rolls

  Fluffy Dinner Rolls

  Sesame-Topped Rolls

  Chapter 14: Savory Baked Goods

  Soufflés

  Cheese Soufflé

  Potpies

  Chicken Potpie

  Potato-Beef Potpie

  Calzones and Pizzas

  Make-Your-Own Pizza Dough

  Calzones

  Quiches

  Broccoli and Cheese Quiche with Potato Crust

  Chapter 15: Baking with Mixes and Premade Doughs

  Baking with Mixes

  Super Chocolate Cake

  Chocolate Chip Frosting

  Crazy-Good Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

  Deluxe Corn Bread Casserole

  Baking with Refrigerated and Frozen Dough

  Super-Easy Veggie Party Pizza

  Apple Turnovers

  Soft Pretzels

  Folded Peach and Berry Pie

  Chapter 16: Low-Fat Baking

  Getting the Skinny on Fat

  Being Smart about Fat

  Lowering the Fat in Your Favorite Recipes

  Making Great-Tasting Low-Fat Recipes

  Light Banana Bundt Cake

  Creamy Chocolate Cheesecake

  Baked Apples

  Cinnamon-Almond Angel Food Cake

  Apricot-Pecan Gems

  Part IV : Other Important Stuff

  Chapter 17: Storing Your Creations

  Wrapping

  Storing at Room Temperature

  Keeping Things Cool

  Freezing

  Chapter 18: Making the Ordinary Extraordinary

  Cutting Your Baked Goods Neatly and Evenly

  Presenting with Flair

  Creating Quick, Spiffy Garnishes

  Part V : The Part of Tens

  Chapter 19: Ten Troubleshooting Tips

  Cake Too Dry

  Simple Syrup

  Cake Stuck in Pan

  Lopsided Cake

  Flat Cookies

  Cookies Baking Unevenly

  Burning Piecrust

  Lumpy Melted Chocolate

  Bread Failing to Rise

  Risen Dough Left Unattended

  Muffins Like Hockey Pucks

  Chapter 20: Ten Great Baking Sources

  Chef’s Catalog

  Epicurious

  King Arthur’s Flour Bakers Catalog

  Kitchen Kapers

  Meadowsweets

  NY Cake and Baking Distributors

  Parrish Cake Decorating Supplies

  Sahadi

  Williams-Sonoma

  Wilton

  : Appendix A

  Glossary of Baking Terms

  : Appendix B

  Metric Conversion Guide

  Introduction

  At some point in your life — maybe now, since you’ve picked up 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 to make you successful, 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 start baking.

  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 will acquaint you with familiar, as well as unfamiliar, ingredients, and also tell 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 be 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 how s and why s 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.

  Conventions Used in This Book

  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 thru skim).

  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 Part I or II 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.

  Foolish Assumptions

  Baking For Dummies 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. I make the assumption that 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 don’t need any prior baking knowledge to use this book. If you love to bake, or you love the idea of baking, you’ll find what you need here. You won’t get lost either, because every technique and ingredient is explained. 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. No matter what skill level you start with, this book assumes you want to become a better baker. Not only will you discover your untapped talent, you’ll master a lifetime of skills, tips, and shortcuts to keep you baking for years to come.

  How This Book Is Organized

  Part I: Baking Essentials

  Before you get up to your elbows in batter, get to know some of the fundamentals of baking. This part covers the very basics in baking, letting you know what to keep in the pantry and what gear you’ll need when you step into the kitchen to create. You’ll also discover the role of basic ingredients — how they affect the baking process. So the more familiar you become with what they do, the less intimidating baking as a whole will be for you.

  Part II: Basic Training

  You know you have an oven, but do you know how it works? This section prepares you for the process of b
aking. You’ll find information for getting your oven in top working order. It also gives you advice on how to read recipes, what to watch for, and how not to get yourself in over your head if you’re a baker just starting out. I offer up tips on how to measure all kinds of things, from flour to fats. And I provide information on basic techniques you’ll need to perform when you want to try out some of the intermediate to challenging recipes. This part unlocks many of the mysteries of the kitchen.

  Part III: Ready, Set, Bake!

  In this part, you get to try your hand at baking — and the best part about it is you can eat the results! As you practice with the recipes in this section, you’ll become more and more familiar with ingredients and baking techniques.

  Part IV: Other Important Stuff

  This section is chock full of suggestions and ideas for baking. I give you lots of suggestions for sprucing up cakes and cookies, plus tips for special presentations and how to do some easy cake decorating when you want to make your cakes extra special. I also let you know how to store baked goods properly to ensure they’ll remain fresh as long as possible.

  Part V: The Part of Tens

  What happens if your cake is lopsided or your cookies are burned on the bottom? This section gives you ten tips for conquering the most common baking conundrums. You’ll also find ten fantastic baking sources that offer everything from great baking supplies to show-stopping recipes.

  Appendixes

  Appendix A at the end of this book is a Glossary of Baking Terms. Don’t go into the kitchen without it. Appendix B makes metric conversions a piece of cake.

  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.

  Who doesn’t like to save a bit of time here and there? Follow these tips to get your baked good in the oven and on the table faster!

  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.

  Where to Go from Here

  Now that you know what the book has to offer, 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 7. 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, 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!

  Part I

  Baking Essentials

  In this part . . .

  Once you have a well-laid foundation for baking, it’s easy to build upon it. The chapters in this part provide such a foundation. Here you find out about common ingredients and how they react with one another to create delicious baked goods. I also provide an in-depth look at the gear you’ll need and hints on saving money and choosing wisely when you need to purchase some small electric appliances that can make baking easier.

  Chapter 1

  Bake, For Goodness’ Sake!

  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

  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. You’ve chosen the right book to get started!

  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? Now is the time to forget 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. This book is a good start. It not only helps familiarize you with what you’re baking but also explains 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. Tak
e the 5 minutes it takes (if that much!) to clean off the space you need. Visit Chapter 6 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.