Baking tips # 1

1. If your making anything with yeast, remember all the ingredients should be at room temperature except for Buttermilk, water or milk. Heat the liquid until lukewarm.Test the temperature with the back of your hand. If the liquid is too hot, the yeast will 'die' and the dough will not rise.
2. Knead a yeasted dough by pushing and stretching it to develop the gluten; as you knead the dough will gradually change in texture, becoming elastic, smooth and almost glossy.
3. To test if dough is properly risen, stick a finger into the centre; the indentation should remain visible after you remove your finger.
4. Can brown sugar be substituted with white sugar ?? Brown sugars are distinguished by a delicate caramel aroma. If a recipe calls for 1 or 2 tbsp of brown sugar, there will not be any problem if white sugar is used instead. Still the finished item might lack the intended caramel taste and the mixture will be paler than it should be.
5. Egg whites that are a few days old, whisk better than those are very fresh because some of the water in the white will have evaporated. The drying makes the albumen stronger. Whites that have been frozen are also more likely to whisk more.

6. Never fill a cake tin more than half full.  Place your cake tin in the centre of the oven as this will ensure good circulation of air around the tin during cooking.

 7. When baking cakes, always sift the flour first,  this will make help incorporate air and create lighter bakes.  When using wholemeal still seive but remember to add the wholemeal bran bran back in the mix!

 8. Why should I use wholemeal flour? Is it considered to be a healthier option?

Wholemeal flour contains the whole wheat grain, so it contains more B vitamins and has a higher fibre content than white flour. It is therefore considered the healthier option. However, all types of flour and bread are considered to make a valuable contribution to the daily diet because they are composed largely of starch, a complex carbohydrate which is an excellent source of energy.

9. Do not open the oven for at least the first half of the baking time, as the cold air will interfere with the rising of dough/cake.

10. You’ll know your loaf is cooked if you tap the bottom of the loaf and it sounds hollow. If you’re still not sure, check to see if the loaf shrinks away from the side of the tin – then it’s cooked.

11. Before baking, completely wash, rinse and dry the bowl, beaters, spatula, baking pans and all other utensils, including your hands. Sometimes the slightest trace of grease, dishwashing detergent, hand lotion, or cream will keep the recipe from working. Some cake recipes, such as Angel Food, require that pans and utensils be grease-free. Whipped egg whites, an important ingredient in the recipe, can even deflate from a tiny speck of fat

12. You need to knead a dough for around 10-15 minutes. If the dough hasn’t come together properly then add a little bit more water. It is better to have dough which is slightly too wet rather than slightly too dry because too much flour can make the bread tough inside. For this reason, try to avoid over-flouring the surface.

** Disclaimer :::: I would like you to know that all the tips mentioned above are not my own. Some came with experience and some are taken from various books and online sources like Google including the pics. My pics will have my logo on them , rest all are taken randomly from Google. Will keep on updating this post as and when I will learn new things about baking.