Baking basics: What to prepare and the equipment needed
EVERYONE l oves homemade baked goods. From when we learn about the world and went out of our house, we saw bread stores in every street corner. There goes the Sari Sari Bread Store, Julie’s, recently the Bread and Butter, and much more recently, there are also Angelina and Gardenia. But don’t you wonder how these breads are made? Baking basics include the following tips to get ready and prepare the equipment.
According to a baker, it is a no-no to mess with the basic ingredients – flour, liquid, salt, fat, and leavening. Unlike other types of cooking, you must measure your i ngredients accurately and have the right tools to do so. Dry ingredients are measured in flat-topped measuring cups. Be sure to fill them to the top and then level off the extra. Liquid measuring cups are usually glass, with more space at the top and a pour spout. Add liquids to the cup, set it on the counter and look at it sideways, on its own level. Do not substitute liquid and dry measuring cups for one another. Your ingredient measurements will be inaccurate if you do. Tableware spoons should not be used for measuring since they vary in size.
For best results use shiny aluminum baking sheets without sides ( baked products will brown more quickly on dark-colored baking sheets because they absorb more heat than the shiny type). You can also turn a jelly roll pan (15” x 10” x 1”) upside down and use it in place of a baking sheet. Prepare baking pans according to the recipe. Cookies with a high fat content may not need to be baked on a greased surface. Remember some nonstick pans can be ruined if you apply nonstick sprays. Allow baking sheet to cool completely before reusing. Line the baking sheets with the parchment paper. The paper will withstand high temperatures without scorching. This makes the baking sheet easier to clean, and you can slide the sheet of parchment with the baked cookies right onto your rack for cooling. However, as they cool you will need
to turn them over to complete the cooling and prevent the bottom of the cookies from getting soggy. Bake only one sheet of cookies at a time on the middle rack in the center of the oven. A wire cooling rack speeds the cooling of cookies, etc. It allows steam to escape from all sides of the baked product so the bottom does not get soggy. Use a cooling rack with closely spaced wires so cookies have adequate support when cooling. And remember to always supervise kids in the kitchen.
Whole wheat breads have a reputation for difficulty, some of which i s well- deserved. Whole wheat flour contains very l i ttle gluten, so recipes with a lot of whole wheat tend be dense and crumbly. Additionally, the flour itself has microscopically sharp edges that can actually cut through existing gluten strands while you’re kneading. Talk about a double-whammy!
Don’t be disheartened. Using a portion of all- purpose flour in the recipe helps give loaves the structure they need. A 50: 50 blend of the two flours is preferred. Letting the dough rest for a few minutes before kneading also gives the flours time to absorb the liquid and makes the dough easier to work with. Adding milk and a little oil keeps the dough supple and soft, while a few spoonsful of honey compliment the earthy flavor of the whole wheat. ( Paid article)