Are you ready to take your baking to the next level? There is no denying that baking can be a lot of fun and it is the perfect way to explore your creativity. But, before you can enter the big leagues, you do need to boost your skills. How do you do that? Ido Fishman has shared some tips and tricks that can go a long way in enhancing your baking skills. Want to know what they are? You can check them out below:
- Follow the recipe
If there is one thing that every baker should remember, it is to follow the recipe. The recipe will provide you with all the instructions, from preheating the oven to whether you need to grease the pan or not. Yes, there are some exceptions, but in most cases, Ido Fishman says you should stick to the recipe. It will tell you when you need cold butter, or let it come to room temperature, and other similar details that can affect your final result.
- Measure the ingredients properly
Measuring the ingredients means that you need to weigh them. This is mostly in reference to flour because it is the primary ingredient in baking and one that can be immensely difficult to measure properly when you are using volume requirements like cups. Ido Fishman recommends that you look for a recipe that provides the ingredients in grams, rather than volume. Yes, you could probably do the conversion, but this can lead to inaccuracies, which can significantly affect the final product.
- Use fresh ingredients
This is particularly applicable in the case of chemical leavening agents, such as baking soda and baking powder, as they lose most of their effectiveness after six months or so. Thus, your baked goods will not rise the way they should. Likewise, spices such as nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves also tend to lose their potency, particularly if you purchase the pre-ground ones. Fresh should be the way to go.
- Learn how overmixing affects gluten
Flour is used for baking dough and batters and it contains gluten, which becomes more elastic and firm the more it is stirred, beat and kneaded. You may want that with a pizza dough, but not in the case of pie. Your recipe will provide you with instructions and guidance about how long, how much and how intensely you need to mix your dough and that’s what you should follow.
- Avoid any gratuitous changes
According to Chef Ido Fishman, this is just another way of saying that you should follow the recipe. This means that you shouldn’t add any random ingredients to any recipe. Sure, experiments can often turn out to be good as well, but if you are after achieving the perfect result, it is best not to take the risk.
- Calibrate your oven
Don’t forget to calibrate your oven. Make sure the oven reaches the temperature you set it to because even a slight fluctuation can be disastrous. Your recipe will not turn out to be right if the temperature is not according to the requirements.
- Use a light-colored pan
As opposed to light-colored pans, dark ones tend to absorb more heat and this can burn the bottom of your cookies and cake. Therefore, Ido Fishman recommends that you opt for light-colored pans and most recipes also give instructions on the basis of this assumption. If you only have dark-colored pans, play with the cooking time or lower the temperature.
- Use unsalted butter
Once more, the recipe will tell you what kind of butter to use, but if it doesn’t, always go with unsalted butter. The added salt will have an impact on the flavor and it can also change the way the gluten in the flour develops, which means the consistency of your dough will change.
With these tips and tricks by Ido Fishman, you can certainly see a big improvement in your baking skills.
