How to learn baking (well) quickly

If you treat baking as a science, then you will appreciate all the nuances and little details better. Because in the end, that’s what can make or break your dish. Once you understand how each action you take affects the finished product, you will be able to replicate recipes with greater ease.

Almost all baked goods are made of the same ingredients: flour, water, salt, fat, and leavening agents. Sometimes the only difference between two products is the method used to assemble the ingredients.

Other times the difference is the ratio of ingredients used in a recipe. Small changes to the method and ratio can have large effects on the quality of a baked good. This is why it is so important to follow recipes exactly as written and measure the ingredients properly.

Many recipes rely on formulas. This is especially true for bread. These formulas are referred to as baker’s percentages. Each ingredient is expressed as the amount of an ingredient compared to the total amount of flour. Flour is always used as the basis for baker’s percentages because it is usually the most predominant ingredient.

The total amount of flour is considered 100% so all combined ingredients add up to more than 100%. This can get confusing for some since baker’s percentages are different from percentages taught in math. Think of it like this, baker’s percentages are like ratios. Each ingredient is a ratio to the amount of flour which is always 100%.

You can choose the highest quality ingredients, measure them accurately, and mix them properly, but if the temperatures are not controlled, there is a chance for failure. Many ingredients, mainly fats, change properties with temperature.

After properly measuring ingredients, the next step is mixing. Ingredients must be mixed in a specific order to achieve the desired results. The mixing technique you use will greatly affect the product’s volume, appearance, and texture.

There are 9 different mixing methods and each one serves its own purpose. Blending, folding, sifting, and stirring ensures the ingredients are properly combined. Cutting also combines ingredients but it ensures the final product bakes up flaky. Beating, creaming, kneading, and whipping incorporate air into the batter. The air pockets give the baked goods its final texture after baking.

Applying heat to a fully mixed batter or dough will transform it into a delicious finished product. Heat is a type of energy and when a substance is heated, it will absorb energy. This causes the molecules to vibrate rapidly and expand. As they expand they bounce off one another causing the heat to transfer.