Getting Started with Baking

[Nearly total newbie]

First off I wonder if this should be here, since I haven't seen any topics like it.

I'm a beginner in pastries, and cooking in general, and all the people I know have no experience. I've made two cheesecakes, one turned out inconsistant because of incomplete mixing or I buttered up my pan too much, and peanutbutter cookies, but I hope to make more.

I do not know any of the basics or anything really, so does anyone have any websites or books that they would recommend?

[Dave the Cook]

I'm sure some Pastry & Baking peeps will be along shortly with specific advice. In the meantime, you could start here: the eGullet Culinary Institute.

[chefpeon]

Since you're so new, I would recommend a baking book that would be your "bible" to get started

with the basics.

A really good one is from Cook's Illustrated, and it's called "Baking Illustrated". The instructions

are extremely thorough and easy to follow.

Also, if you get Food Network where you live, watch that occasionally......! You can learn some good stuff on there! It's also fun to watch. Any cooking show is, for that matter.

[Patrick S]

Sarah Phillips, an eGulleteer, runs a site called Baking911 that you may find helpful.

Edited July 4, 2005 by Patrick S (log)

[K8memphis]

Here's another idea for you. Umm, like as far as books go. Get a real good basic all around one. Like I got both my kids the original version of the Joy of Cooking so they had a foundation, a base, like a plum line type book of instruction and formulas--so that as they added to their collection of cookbooks they could check Joy of Cooking against whatever new recipes they found or ideas they wanted to try.

Like when I go to bake say a cheescake, I'll go check a lot of books and kind of meld all that information into one formula I will use. But when I first started, I got one recipe and held on for dear life y'know?? Figure out those basics & start adding on.

But y'know what's a good book for some basic real good user friendly baking??? The old not revised Betty Crocker Picture Cookbook--it's got an old fashioned red cover & it's still available at bookstores--but I have an old old copy from my Mom (nostalgic yes, sniff) but it gives you a heads up on how Granny used to do it y'know??!! Foundational-great reference book.

But another of my all time favorites is The Complete Book of Pastry Sweet and Savory by Bernard Clayton Jr. Making strudel with your own home made phyllo dough is pure freaking magic--talk about a rush!!! Kid you not!

Or if your style is more quickie hurry easy, get more modern revised versions of cookbooks. Rachel Ray is the bomb for quick easy & good!!!

Then a little more upscale and user friendly all around cookbook is Le Cordon Bleu's Complete Cook Home Collection.

And I have an old DoubleDay Cookbook that has been awesome--it's actually called The New Doubleday Cookbook ha! but the copyright is ahh 1975, but the original was 1929--hey maybe I should try & find the original one--too cool great idea!!! Anyways , "The New" one is not a hurry quickie easy--I mean it's not hard but it's more scratch stuff, more basics, teaches you how to cook type of book.

But those Joy of Cookings I got for my kids, well I accidently got revised ones & returned them for the originals so they could have a grasp on how to do things--even if they never cooked that way--I wanted them to have it as a resource. So there is a revised Joy of Cooking that is more modern if you like that better.

Come on back & ask questions too, Near Total Newbie, & you can soon change your last name from Newbie to Awesome!!!!!!

[jgarner53]

I'd say that when you're learning to bake, especially if you do a lot of off the cuff cooking where measuring isn't important, is to learn a couple of basics that will serve you well no matter what you bake.

The first thing I'd say, no matter what, read the recipe thoroughly before you start and be careful to measure everything accurately. Use a knife to level off measuring cups (be sure to have both liquid and dry measures, as well as several sets of measuring spoons). The most accurate tool for measuring is a scale, but most American recipes don't offer ingredient lists in weight, just volume.

The second thing is the temperature of your ingredients. What does the recipe say about the temperature of the butter? Room temp? Cold? "Room temperature" butter should still be firm enough that you can pick up a stick easily in your hands and almost bend it; it feels pliable and almost clay like. Warmer than that, and the temperature increase from mixing (due to the friction involved) may start to melt your butter and alter your results.

I'd recommend Alton Brown's "I'm just here for more food," his baking book. He takes a more scientific approach, at least toward explaining the hows and whys, and groups his recipes by the method involved in mixing them together. I'd also recommend Nick Malgieri's "How To Bake," and the Cook's Illustrated "Baking Illustrated" book. There are lots of great pics in that book that show you what good and bad results of various techniques (pie crust, meringue, etc.) look like, to help you learn what to do to avoid them.

(I'd have linked to amazon.com for these books, but I don't know how to do it so that eGullet can get a cut).

Best yet, ask questions here. There are lots of pros and avid home bakers, as well as great demos (the one on whipping cream is excellent, and a good place to start).

Don't be afraid to make mistakes. All of us here have made plenty ourselves, and most of the time, the results are still edible, even if they aren't cosmetically perfect. Your friends and family, coworkers, neighbors, even the dog will appreciate home-baked anything. A lot of the skills involved in baking, as with cooking, come with practice practice practice.

Welcome!

[Staximo]

This online resource is in french but it is available also an english translation (I don't know if it's good or not).

I think that it could be useful because there are a lot of illustrated and filmed recipes.

[foodiehall]

But y'know what's a good book for some basic real good user friendly baking??? The old not revised Betty Crocker Picture Cookbook--it's got an old fashioned red cover & it's still available at bookstores--but I have an old old copy from my Mom (nostalgic yes, sniff) but it gives you a heads up on how Granny used to do it y'know??!! Foundational-great reference book.

My first cookbook is one I still use: Betty Crocker's Cookbook, copyright 1969....worn, torn, pages splattered with oil/batter/etc., binding completely shot. It's great for a beginner, very straightforward, teaches you the basics using simple language and easy-to-follow photos. And hey, not a word about microwaving in here . Start with a cookbook like this and work up to more specialized ones. Although the women in my family could turn out decent biscuits and cornbread, they weren't into yeast breads....so, when I decided I wanted to learn to make yeast bread, this is the book I turned to and it served/still serves me well. Although my cookbook collection has multiplied over the years, I go back to "Betty" pretty often...I really should get it to a bookbinder for some repair work. Some of the recipes are dated, the pics of the test-kitchen ladies with beehive hair are hilarious...but you can't go wrong with something like this to get you started.

[SethG]

Baking With Julia (eGullet credit link) is a great all-purpose baking book, with recipes contributed by many prominent bakers. The recipes were rigorously tested, and the book was put together so well by Dorie Greenspan that any baker, beginner or expert, can get right to it. Greenspan and Julia Child conceived the series and the book as a way to introduce novice bakers to a wide variety of recipes and techniques-- and it did just that for me.

[lancastermike]

Just keep baking! The best way to become comfortable is to bake. I am not a professional baker but a home baker like you. Jennifer is, and her advice about reading the reciepe is very important as is her advice about measurement. Cooking is fun, throw some of this and some of that in and see what happens. Baking is different as precision is important. It took me a while to learn that.

And do ask. The professionals here, like Jennifer, are very kind with their support of us amatuer bakers. Somone will certainly answer your questions.

The Malgieri book is outstanding for a beginner as is Baking with Julia. Both of mine have plenty of flour and other things coating their pages

Have Fun!!!!

edited for spelling

Edited July 5, 2005 by lancastermike (log)

[JFLinLA]

I agree with Lancastermike. The best way to learn how to bake is to just bake. As with anything new, it can be overwhelming at first. I'm a fairly accomplished home baker but it's taken me years and years to get here and I'm still learning. And, I've made my share of mistakes along the way. Start off with what you feel comfortable doing, get good at that and then move on. Besides, even if you make a mistake, you've wasted a little sugar, flour and eggs. Okay, nobody likes to waste food but it's not the end of the world.

Did I mention that I had to completely start a cake over this past weekend when I accidentally scooped out 50% more flour than I needed when I used my 1 1/2 cup measure rather than my 1 cup? Of course, I had already sifted the dry ingredients together so I had to dump that out and start over. Luckily, I caught it before mixing into the wet ingredients or baking.

Unlike cooking where some things can be "to taste," baking is more science. So, at least initially, you will need to follow recipes and measure exactly. Over time, you'll learn where you can fiddle around.

You also may want to take some classes. Find one's near you that work for your schedule. You'll learn so much from the pro's.

Finally, over time, if you get seriously into baking, you'll begin to build up your supply of equipment -- different size baking pans, mixer, spoons, spatulas, scale, whatever. You don't have to get it all at once. However, it's probably not a bad idea to invest in some of the basic ingredients. Some of the things I always have around are flour (more than one kind but you can just start with AP and always stored air tight), sugar, brown sugar, powdered sugar, salt, cocoa, chips, nuts (again stored in an air tight container and often in the freezer), vanilla and other extracts, different kinds of baking chocolate (unsweetened, bittersweet, etc.), butter in the freezer, etc. That way, I can always whip something up when the mood strikes or the opportunity becomes available without having to make a special trip. If you're baking fairly regularly, you'll go through the stuff before it goes bad and most of it will hold for quite a while.

Edited July 6, 2005 by JFLinLA (log)

[Nearly total newbie]

Any suggestions on books that really go indept on ingredients (what there made from and such) and things like what makes "this-and-that" the way it is, the Baking 911 website is very helpful indeed, but I need something that has more material and on paper.

[momlovestocook]

Any suggestions on books that really go indept on ingredients (what there made from and such) and things like what makes "this-and-that" the way it is, the Baking 911 website is very helpful indeed, but I need something that has more material and on paper.

←

I took In The Sweet Kitchen out of the library a while ago and she discussed the why of things as well as what may have gone wrong. I learned a lot by reading it.

Sandra

[JHudson04]

I know you said you were looking for cookbooks, but as a person with a serious cookbook collecting habit, I will say that I have gotten as much (if not more!) from the website www.thejoyofbaking.com as I have from any traditional cookbook!! She is a fabulous resource and you can't beat the price. Good luck and remember as you experiement and grow as a baker that failures are important lessons in disguise.

[chantal]

I know you said you were looking for cookbooks, but as a person with a serious cookbook collecting habit, I will say that I have gotten as much (if not more!) from the website www.thejoyofbaking.com as I have from any traditional cookbook!!  She is a fabulous resource and you can't beat the price.  Good luck and remember as you experiement and grow as a baker that failures are important lessons in disguise.

←

I agree on this. She has a lot of really good recipes though the photography isn't always great.

Betty Crocker is good place to learn the Basics and build some confidence. My parents bought it for me when they saw I had an interest in baking and I worked my way through it.

Edited August 3, 2005 by chantal (log)