It’s amazing what can be accomplished with a little salt, sugar, flour, butter, and egg. With so many of us stuck in COVID-19 isolation, now’s a great time to dig in on the passions of baking. Everything from breads to cake can be made with some very simple ingredients. For the inexperienced or newbies to baking, here are some of the essentials you’ll want to pick up.
Hand Mixer
The easiest way to mix something isn’t by stirring with a fork or spoon. It’s with a hand mixer. A speedy mixer will do a lot to help you create batters and doughs. They save time and they’re more affordable than professional-grade mixers.
Digital Kitchen Timer
Baking relies heavily on time. This isn’t cooking pasta so you can’t rely on taste. It’s not frying hamburger where you can see the color change or the juices run clear. A baker relies on their digital kitchen timer to tell them how long it takes to complete a step in their baking.
Non-Stick Pans
There are all sorts of baking pans available, including loaf pans, square pans, muffin pans, round cake pans, and more. There are also pizza pans that can be used to bake you-know-what. Baking pans ensure you get the right shape which is integral to achieving your bake.
Measuring Cups
Measurements in baking are key. A little bit too much of something and you don’t get the reaction, the rise, or the bake you want. In a sense, baking’s the chemistry of cooking. Eyeing it doesn’t work. Measuring cups ranging from variations of 1 cup, 1/2 cup, etc. to multi-cup measuring glasses.
Measuring Spoons
Having tablespoons and teaspoons, and other measuring spoons, on hand are a necessity in baking. You never know when a recipe will require a teaspoon of salt or a few tablespoons of sugar. Once again, eyeing it will completely mess up a recipe a baker’s not careful. Be accurate. Assume your bake relies on it. Frequently, it will.
Toaster Oven
Can you bake in a toaster oven – absolutely. If you’re not sure about using the oven so often, getting a toaster oven dedicated to baking works. It can also be a nice way to gift a family member their own little oven for baking. Keep in mind, you can only bake smaller portions in a toaster oven.
Baking Sheets
Parchment paper baking sheets ensure your cookies don’t stick to the pan. Any time you’re baking on a sheet, use parchment paper. Even if it’s a non-stick pan, you want baked goods sliding right off the pan. The best way to guarantee that is with parchment paper or a reusable baking sheet.
Featured photo by Uliana Kopanytsia on Unsplash
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