Basic Steps in Baking

1. Read the recipe carefully, make sure you have all the ingredients and utensil needed and understand the entire procedure.
2. Gather all the necessary ingredients together and prepare the utensils you will need to measure, mix and baking.
3. Preheat the oven. Set the oven knob at the desired temperature. Hang an oven thermometer on the center rack. When the same temperature registers with the oven knob then the oven is ready to use.
4. Prepare the pan, make sure it’s the correct size. If it needs greasing, brush the pan with little shortening. For baking purpose, don’t use butter or margarine for greasing coz it burn easily and can produce a very brown crust.
5. Measure the ingredients using correct utensils in the amounts needed in the recipe.
6. Mix the batter or dough. When filling pan, make sure you don’t overfill. Fill about 2/3 full to give allowance for the rising.
7. Bake in the preheated oven. Put the pan at the center rack.
8. Test for doneness. For butter cakes, prick the center of the cake with a toothpick. If it comes out clean then it is done. For chiffon and sponge cake, press lightly with the fingers. If it springs back then it is done. Pies and pastries are done when the crust have turned golden brown, crisp and flaky.
9. Cool the baked goodies. For butter cake, put the pan on a wire rack and leave to cool for 10 mins. Afterwards, invert the pan to remove the cake and cool it completely. For sponge and chiffon cake, invert the pan at once on wire racks. Remove cookies from cookie sheets at once and cool on wire racks.
10. Assemble and decorate the cake only when is already cool.

Things to Remember to Produce a Quality Baked Goodies

Have a good quality ingredients. Check ingredients for any sign of deterioration or spoilage, better check the expiration dates.
Measure ingredients accurately. Remember that recipes have been prepared based on a standard proportions of the different ingredients. Measure the needed ingredients before starting the recipe.
Follow proper mixing procedures. Remember to consider the following sequence of addition of ingredients, length of mixing, temperature of mixing and method of mixing.
Use the specified size of baking pans stated in the recipe. This is important because proper use of pans will produce the desired volume of baked goods.
Set correct oven temperature and time during baking. This will safeguard your product from being underbaked or overbaked. Be sure the oven is pre-heated to the right temperature before you place the batter in the oven.
Observe good sanitation practice. Important to prevent contamination and spoilage of product and insuring its safety and good taste.

How to Prepare the Pan

GREASING PAN – With a pastry brush, apply a layer of shortening or oil at the inner sides and bottom of the pan.
SPRINKLING PANS W/FLOUR – Put about a tbsp. of flour into the greased pan. Lift the tin and swirl the flour around until inside of the pan is well-coated. Tip off excess flour.
LINING RECTANGULAR PANS – Lay a piece of greaseproof paper large enough to cover the base and side of the pan. Set the pan at the center and cut the paper from each corner to the nearest corner of the pan. Brush the bottom and sides of the pan with shortening and then press the paper on the sides and the bottom, neatly overlapping the flaps.
LINING CIRCULAR PANS – Place the pan on a piece of grease-proof paper. Press the pan firmly on the paper with one hand and draw its outline with your free hand. Remove the pan and cut the paper just inside the outline to produce a shape that is slightly smaller than the pan. Press the shaped paper on the bottom of the greased pan and smooth it with your hands.

Techniques in Baking

After learning the different ingredients and utensils used in baking, you can now familiarize to the different techniques in baking. These techniques or methods have their specific purpose, so it is wise to follow what the recipe requires.
CREAMING – Rub one or more ingredients together against the sides of the bowl with a wooden spoon or mixer to make the mixture soft and fluffy.
BEATING/WHIPPING – A fork, wire whip, wooden spoon or mixer can be used to make a mixture smooth, or to introduce air by a brisk, regular motion that lifts the mixture over and over.
CUTTING IN – Cut shorting into cubes and put them into the bowl with the flour using a pastry blender. You can also use two knives, by making rapid criss-cross motion into the shortening. The lumps of shortening will be cut about the size of peas, coated with flour.
FOLDING ( cut and fold ) – Combine ingredients by using two motion: cutting vertically through the mixture and turning over by sliding the scraper across the bottom of the bowl with each turn.
KNEADING – Work and press the dough with palms and heels of the hands. This develop the gluten and makes the dough smooth and elastic.

Basic Utensils and Equipment in Baking

OVEN – The most important equipment in baking. It is an enclosed structure heated by electricity, gas, or charcoal.
GRADUATED MEASURING CUPS – are usually made of glass or plastic and are used for measuring liquids.
INDIVIDUAL MEASURING CUPS – are usually made of aluminum, stainless steel, or plastic and are used for measuring dry ingredients.
MEASURING SPOONS – used for measuring small amounts of ingredients.
MIXING BOWL - used for holding and mixing ingredients.
SIFTER – is usually made of wire mesh or fine plastic screen that sieves dry ingredients. Flour is usually sifted first before measuring to incorporate air into it.
WOODEN MIXING SPOONS, SCRAPES – use for mixing, choose the most convenient for you to use. Scraper is used to removed sticky ingredients from cups and sides of bowls and pushes batter to baking pans.
BAKING PANS – used to contain the batter while baking. Proper size and shape can affect the quality of the baked goods.
COOLING WIRE RACKS – these are important for cooling baked goods to prevent “wetting” or “steaming” of the bottom crust.
MIXERS – may be electric mixer or rotary egg beater. This will shorten the preparation time for baked goods specially icings.
TIMER – comes very handy to you as a beginner s it reminds you to check on the mixing or baking time.
OVEN THERMOMETER – gives the temperature inside the oven.
WIRE WHIP – this is a cluster of still wires used to egg whites and cream.