Get The Basic Of Baking
This week is national baking week, and with The Great British Bake Off having been on last night baking is all the range. Which has us all thinking that we are pros. Like come on James how could you pipe those cakes WITHOUT letting them cool! Blasphemy! Well whilst we all have the baking bug this is the best time to get the basics for baking.
Basic Baking Equipment
To get started in baking you need to make sure that you have the basic equipment down. Then you can start looking at the beautiful and tasty recipes! The first time you bake will feel expensive which is why it's important to look for this equipment second hand and take your time.
Baking Tins and Trays
You want to be looking for a large selection of these. Not to mention that you want your baking trays and tins to be non stick! So looking for ones that are newly or well cared for is important. Heavier ones are helpful if you're trailing out making bread. My personal favourite is the silicone ones as I find that they age well and you don't need to line them with baking parchment.
Baking Scraper
These are a holy godsent! Not only for baking but also for scrambled egg and so many other items! You want a softer silicone scraper so that you can smooth out your mixes nice and evenly. You'll be fighting over who licks it at the end though!
Plastic Wrap or Bags
If you want to bake bread then you'll need to proof it. When we consider are kitchen at home they aren't as fancy as the ones we see on TV with proofing draws. Which means me just need to leave our dough in a warm room and keep the bowl covered (and for much longer). Make sure you have these two items if you want to be doing that. Having frozen sandwich bags are also a GREAT substitute for piping bags when you're getting starting. Melt some chocolate in them then cut a small whole in the bottom corner and write out a message.
Electric Mixer
Don't worry we aren't suggesting you get those massive counter top mixers. Whilst they are great they are expensive and impractical if you aren't using them often enough. What we are suggesting is a hand whisker. Unless the recipe suggesting's folding your items in using an electric hand whisk to mix your items together will save you an immense amount of time and effort! Promise me I know, I once spent a whole evening whisking a cake with a fork when at University!
Finally An Oven
It sounds silly but you need to check that your oven is baker friendly, and that you have figured out what works best for you. When you are baking you will find that you need to adjust the timings accordingly depending on whether you have a gas, electric or fan oven. So keep an eye, I always sent my timing for 15 minutes earlier than the recipe suggests and peak through the oven door to figure out how much longer.
