More Secret Baking Tips For The Home Baker

More Secret Baking Tips For the Home Baker you need to know before stepping into the kitchen.

Last year we started with 10 Secrets every baker should know and now we will go a little deeper into the kitchen.

More Secret Baking Tips

Types of Flours

There are so many different types of flour. You might just read a recipe and think all flours are the same. There is All Purpose Flour, Cake Flour, Bread Flour, Gluten Free Flour, Wheat Flour, Self Rising Flour, Pastry Flour, Oat Flour, Coconut Flour, and oh so much more.

When Baking, you will probably use, All Purpose and Cake flour the most. Make sure you read your recipe as the type of flour you use will make a big difference in the finished product. If you are making gluten free recipes, there are many other flours that are gluten free.

Pillsbury Best All Purpose Flour, 5 lb.King Arthur Flour Perfect Pastry FlourSwans Down Down Cake Flour, 32 oz100% Stone Ground Whole Wheat Flour, 5lbsWhite Lily Unbleached Self Rising Flour, 5-lbNon-GMO and GFree Coconut Flour, 4 lb

Types of Sugar

There are many types of sugar including, White Granular, Light Brown and Dark Brown Sugar, Raw Turbinado, Sanding, Confectioners, Course, Superfine. Again read your recipe because each one will affect your final product and texture. Beyond Sugar, there are other (natural) sweeteners you can use, Including Agave, Honey, Maple Syrup and Applesauce. Then you also have the category of Artificial Sweeteners. Unless you have diabetes or another health issue, I would not use artificial sweeteners.

 

C&H Pure Cane Granulated White Sugar, 10 lbDomino Confectioners Sugar 10x Powdered Pure Cane Sugar, 4 LbSuperfine Cane Sugar – 3-Lb TubSugar In The Raw/Unrefined, 32 Ounce BoxBakers & Chefs Light Brown Sugar – 7 lb. bag

Types of Oil

Have you ever went to the grocery store, and looked at all the shelves of oil there are. If you go into a gourmet store you would be amazed. When I was in culinary school, that was one of my assignments. I was shocked at what I found.

There are your basic oils, such as Vegetable, Canola, Corn and Olive Oil, then it goes from there to Coconut, and all the flavored olive oils, Extra Virgin, Peanut oil, palm oil, grapeseed, sunflower, avocado, sesame, etc. I suggest having Vegetable, Coconut, Sunflower and Olive Oil and EVOO. These are the ones you will use in baking. 

 

Crisco Pure Vegetable Oil, 32 OzBertolli Extra Virgin Olive OilHollywood Safflower Oil, 32 Ounce BottleKirkland Signature Grape Seed OilMacadamia Nut Oil for Cooking and Salads100% Pure Hand-crafted Avocado OilNutiva Organic Coconut Oil, Refined, 15 Oz

One of the tips you learned in 10 Secrets tips every baker should know was to read the recipe twice. Make sure you have all ingredients. If by chance you are missing an ingredient check with your Substitution Chart to see if you have something suitable.

Get your Free Baking Ingredient Substitution Chart here. 

Types of Pie Crusts

There are three types of Pie Crusts you can use in baking. All Butter, All Shortening and a Combination of the Two. I share my favorite in my Apple Pie Crust recipe.

Is there a Difference between Cocoa Powder and Dutch Cocoa Powder

Yes there is and you can read about it on my article called “can you Substitute Dutch Powder for Regular Cocoa Powder”

What is a water bath and why do I need to create one to bake my cheesecakes?

Water baths help custard desserts cook at the proper time and heat setting. I created this article to show you how it’s done.

To find out what you need in your baking kitchen read about some of my favorite Baking Tools in the Kitchen.

Do you love Cupcakes? I wrote about Cupcake decorating tips right here.

I hope you enjoyed learning about More Secret Baking tips in the kitchen and choices for ingredients. Sign up to receive our weekly newsletter and recipes below.