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Im a registered dietitian and a seasoned home cookand I suck atbaking.
Joseph Klipple / Getty Images
Thats similar to what happened with me.
I remember when I first tried my hand at baking in junior high.
I purchased a cake-in-a-box mix for a bake sale we were having.
Sounds easy, right?
But the results were so disastrous that I ended up having to buy supermarket cupcakes.
Fast-forward to adulthood, and things havent gotten much better.
Now I rarely bake because Im scared to mess things up.
But I love eatingbaked goodsand do want to improve upon my skills.
So whats a girl to do?
Call in the pros.
Maybe these simple baking tips can help you gain confidence too!
Read through the entire recipe first.
Im not gonna lie, this is one of my biggest challenges.
I usually improvise and use recipes more so as a guide versus hard facts.
As I learned, though, this is a major no-no when it comes to baking.
That means if a recipe calls for baking soda, baking powder is not going to suffice.
You may be thinking, afood scale?
Sounds fancy and expensive.
But after talking with Lomas, I questioned why I didnt do this before.
Just zero out the scale before you add each ingredient!
This guards against accidentally adding too much.
With flour, for example, packing it can result in a drier, denser dough.
Leave your ingredients out at room temperature.
This was another big mistake of mine.
Organize all your ingredients before starting.
I like thisthree-piece Pyrex set.)
However, its a thin line.
With baking, its important not to overmix your dough, says Lomas.
If you end up overmixing, you’re going to get something that’s dense.
And that can affect the texture and moisture of the final product.
A simple way to get around this?
Add some elbow grease.
Get an oven thermometer.
Using an oven thermometer ensures that you have an accurate temperature and that you get consistent results.
Get quality bakeware and baking tools.
Investing in quality bakeware can make a ton of difference.
One of my favorite baking tools is parchment paper.
Its affordable and does wonders for making sure your baked goods dont stick!
These baking sheets below are great too.
Nordic Ware Baking Sheet
Amazon
Nutrichef Three-Piece Set
8.
Okay, I stole that line from Lomas.
I used to think you were either good at baking or you werent.
Although baking requires precision and patience, its something we can all learn to master!
