THE 3 COMMANDMENTS OF BAKING

Too many people think you can only get great baking results by using a special recipe or secret ingredients . NO NOT AT ALL !!! Good baking is no more complicated than doing the right thing at the right time . 1.BAKE OFTEN ...... The more you bake the more you will get a feel for a batter / dough , and how these should look . Back 'in the day ', it was called having 'a hand ', long before all the kitchen equipment we have today . Home cooks could touch a dough and know if it needed more kneading , if a batter was too runny or if the pie crust would be flaky or tough . It is so important to bake often , as you will develop 'your hand ' and learn to make corrections before the dish baked . 2. ACCEPT MISTAKES ..... baking has variables that are not in your control . The age of your flour , the humidity in your kitchen , aging baking powder . These overlooked alterations in your ingredients can be the cause of a failure . Always check the best use by date on your ingredients , especially if you dont bake often . 3.BAKE SMALL ..... Many recipes got their start decades ago , when big families and appetites were the norm . Large quantities are wasteful , especially since baked goods are best eaten fresh . Learn to divide the ingredients in recipes . For instance insread of making one large pie , make any number of smaller pies in your pie maker . Turn left over egg whites into meringue topping ,left over cheese and ham into a quiche .