Vancouver Sun

BAKING FAIL?

There's a good chance one of these five things went wrong

- BECKY KRYSTAL

As thrilled as I am to hear from readers who have successful­ly baked something, I get just as much satisfacti­on out of helping people understand why a recipe failed and how to fix the issue.

When someone contacts me about a baking fail, I follow up with a list of questions and theories. Then we get to problem-solving. Based on my experience, if something went wrong in your baking, there's a good chance it's because of one of these five things.

1 You didn't weigh the ingredient­s My first question for home bakers is always, “Do you weigh your ingredient­s?” I believe using a scale is the single most important thing you can do to set yourself up for success and replicate what the recipe developer intended.

Weight is more precise than volume.

How much of an ingredient you get into a measuring cup can vary based on how packed the ingredient is, the way you scooped it and the cup itself. Even measuring cups with the same advertised volume can hold varying amounts; in the case of flour, that variation can be as much as 20 per cent depending on the baker, according to America's Test Kitchen. In baking, even small variations in flour or sugar, especially when amplified across multiple cups, can be the difference between success and failure.

2 You baked in a glass pan instead of a metal pan

Glass is slow to heat. Metal heats up faster.

With glass (or ceramic), the slower transfer of heat means foods will take longer to bake than those in metal.

If you pull out a cake, or even a batch of brownies or blondies, when the faster-setting edges seem done, the middle may still be raw. If you wait for the middle to be done once the heat finally penetrates, it's likely the edges will be overcooked. They may continue to dry out as the pan cools, too, because of the heat retention.

3 Your oven was not at the right temperatur­e

Successful baked goods rely on accurate temperatur­es. The importance of knowing your oven's actual temperatur­e — not what it claims to be — is a drum

I constantly beat, to the point that readers have taken notice and told me what a difference it made. Many ovens will not be at the set temperatur­e by the time the preheat chime goes off. In my case, that usually takes at least an additional 15 minutes. Get a stand-alone thermomete­r and check what it's reading when that alarm sounds. If you consistent­ly find your oven running a steady amount above or below what you put on the dial, adjust accordingl­y, or calibrate on your own or with the help of a pro.

4 You didn't sufficient­ly mix Whether you are stirring by hand or using a stand mixer or a hand mixer, be scrupulous about periodical­ly scraping down the bowl, in between additions and more often as needed. Butter and sugar tend to cling to the sides. For the best results, when recipes call for softened butter, make sure it's not cold and solid or warm and soupy. Cook's Country says butter at its sweet spot “should give slightly when pressed,” and if you have an instant-read thermomete­r, aim for the butter to register in the low- to mid-60s F.

5 You made a bad substituti­on

I can't tell you how many times we've heard from someone wondering why a recipe failed when they swapped in almond flour for all-purpose flour. To be frank, any time you make a substituti­on in a recipe, you risk problems. That doesn't mean you shouldn't do it. It does mean you should think through your change and figure out whether it is a substantia­l alteration to the compositio­n and function of the ingredient­s.

In the case of almond and all-purpose flours, these are two different ingredient­s — nuts and wheat. Their ability to absorb moisture, stabilize doughs or batters, and expand in baking are not the same.

The Washington Post

 ?? TOM McCORKLE/FOR THE WASHINGTON POST ?? You really can't trust measuring spoons and cups when baking. It's always best to weigh your ingredient­s.
TOM McCORKLE/FOR THE WASHINGTON POST You really can't trust measuring spoons and cups when baking. It's always best to weigh your ingredient­s.
 ?? STACY ZARIN GOLDBERG/FOR THE WASHINGTON POST ?? Butter and sugar tend to cling to the sides, so it is important to scrape down the bowl.
STACY ZARIN GOLDBERG/FOR THE WASHINGTON POST Butter and sugar tend to cling to the sides, so it is important to scrape down the bowl.
 ?? SCOTT SUCHMAN/FOR THE WASHINGTON POST ?? Using a metal or glass pan can change how your baked good turns out as you can see in this photo.
SCOTT SUCHMAN/FOR THE WASHINGTON POST Using a metal or glass pan can change how your baked good turns out as you can see in this photo.

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