The Ultimate Guide To Baking

The Science of Baking

Baking, believe it or not, has some super scientific elements. Hey, don’t groan… This is cool science. In this section, we wanted to explore the science behind what we think are two of the coolest scientific reactions in baking – browning and rising!

What Causes Browning in Bakes

The browning that happens when you put your bread or other baked goods in the oven to cook is called The Maillard Reaction. The reason this happens is because of the mixture of liquid with flour. This produces a substance called gluten. Gluten is a type of protein that contains amino acids. When baked, these amino acids react with the reducing sugars that are released, browning the surface of your bread. Who knew science could be so delicious? 

What Makes Dough Rise

The rising of dough is one of the coolest cooking things we can think of. The secret ingredient is that Fairy Dust we explored early – the leavening agent yeast! Yeast causes a reaction in your dough that can make it rise to the high heavens. It does this by reacting with the flour and water in the dough, creating two things – ethanol and carbon dioxide in the form of air bubbles. This is the act of fermentation and these tiny trapped air bubbles are what make the dough rise. Heat can help this to happen faster, hence why bakers often cover their dough and leave it to rise in a hot room for an hour or so.

Beginners Bakes

Now that you have all the basic knowledge of baking and the essential ingredients and tools lined up, it is time to put that knowledge into practice. In this section, we wanted to share some of our favorite recipes suitable for a beginner. 

Banana Bread

Ingredients 

• 1/3 cup of shortening of your choice 
• 1/2 cup of light brown sugar 
•  2 large eggs
• 1 and 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup mashed overripe bananas (seriously, streaks of black are a good thing!)
•  1/2 teaspoon salt
• Chocolate chips (optional) 

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grab yourself a large mixing bowl and put in your shortening and sugar. Cream these together until smooth and combined. 
2. Beat in the eggs gently, one by one until combined. 
3. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in one bowl. Add this mixture to your wet mixture bit by bit, mixing very gently each time until they are combined. 
4. Add in your mashed banana and combine until it is smooth. 
5. Add in your chocolate chips if you are using them and then transfer the mixture to a greased and lined loaf tin. 
6. Place in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for around 50 minutes or until baked through. Use a toothpick to check. 

Confetti Party Cake

Ingredients 

Cake:

• 3 cups of good quality cake flour
• 1 and a ½ teaspoons of baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup of unsalted butter
• 2 cups of superfine sugar
• 1 teaspoon of the best quality vanilla extract you can afford 
• ⅓ of a cup of your favorite colorful sprinkles

Vanilla Buttercream:

• 1 cup of unsalted butter 
• 1 teaspoon of the best quality vanilla extract you can afford
• 4 cups of sifted confectioners sugar
• 2 tablespoons of milk (any kind)
• sprinkles to decorate 
• Food coloring (optional)

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and prepare 3 cake pans measuring around 7 inches in diameter. Grease and line them ready. 
2. In a large mixing bowl, add in your butter and sugar and cream together until combined. Add in your eggs one by one, stirring gently but thoroughly each time. You can then add in your vanilla. 
3. In another bowl, combine sifted flour, baking powder, and salt. You can then add it bit by bit to your wet ingredients, combining thoroughly each time. 
4. Divide the cake mixture between your three greased bowls and then smooth them out. 
5. Add your sprinkles to each of the bowls and swirl them into the mixture. 
6. Bake each of them for 30 minutes. Whilst they are baking you can start to work on the buttercream frosting. 
7. In a clean bowl cream your butter and sugar together, adding one cup of sugar at a time to your butter mixture. Add in your vanilla after the sugar and beat again until combined and creamy. 
8. Add in your milk and beat again. If you want to add in food coloring you can do this now. Set aside in your refrigerator until you are ready to frost the cakes. 
9. Remove the cakes when baked and transfer them to a wire cooling rack. Let them cool for around 1 to 2 hours, longer if possible. You can also leave them overnight if you wish, provided they are covered. When they are completely cool you can construct them with the frosting. 
10. Place the bottom cake down and spread on your buttercream. Then place the next layer and spread that one with buttercream. Then add the final layer and cover the whole cake (including sides with the buttercream frosting. You can then adorn it with sprinkles and candies. 

Chocolate Traybake

Ingredients 

• 2 ½ cups of all purpose flour
• ½ a cup of good quality cocoa powder
• 1 and ½ cups of sugar (any kind you like, but we recommend superfine sugar or granulated)
• 1 tablespoon of baking powder
• ½ a tablespoon of baking soda
• ½ a teaspoon of salt 
• 1 cup of unsalted butter
• 3 medium-sized eggs
• 3/4 cups of milk of any kind
• 2 tablespoons of buttermilk 

For the frosting:

• 2 cups of confectioners/ powdered sugar 
• 6 tablespoons of cocoa powder 
• ⅔ of a cup of unsalted butter (take it out of the refrigerator well in advance so it is soft) 
• ½ a cup of room temperature milk of your choice 
• 1 cup of dark or semi sweet chocolate chips 
• Any decorations you want such as sprinkles, M and Ms, or any other candy you like 

1. Reheat your oven to 340 degrees. Line a large rectangle tray with baking parchment. 
2. In a large bowl, place in your flour, cocoa powder, and sugar (ensuring they are sifted). Then add your baking powder, baking soda, and salt, combining it well with a metal fork or hand whisk (not electric powered at this point). 
3. Add in your butter, eggs, and buttermilk all at once and then use an electric whisk or stand mixer on the lowest speed setting to beat the ingredients together. 
4. You can then gradually increase speed to get the batter smooth. Scrape the sides of the bowl to make sure every last bit is mixed. 
5. Pop your cake mixture into your lined tray and smooth it over to level it out. 
6. Put the tin into the oven for around 40 minutes. Whilst it is baking you can start making the chocolate frosting. 
7. Melt your chocolate in your preferred method (we use a microwave, on a low setting, and in short bursts). 
8. Combine the powdered/ confectioners sugar in a bowl with the sifted cocoa powder.
9. Cream together these dry ingredients with your softened butter, adding in your milk gradually as you mix. 
10. When the chocolate has melted and cooled you can add this to your frosting. Mix it together to form soft peaks. 
11. When the cake is baked transfer it to a wire cooling rack and wait until it is totally cool. This may take a number of hours. Whilst the cake is cooling you can cover the frosting and place it in the refrigerator. 
12. Decorate the cake by covering it in the frosting. The frosting should be thick (almost as thick as the cake). You can decorate it with candy and sprinkles if you wish. 

Easy White Bread

Ingredients 

• One packet of instant yeast
• 2 and a ¼  cups warm water (not boiling) 
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 6 and a ¼  cups of  bread flour
• You will also need a cast iron pot for this recipe (or a baking tray if you haven’t got one) 

1. In a large bowl, mix your sifted bread flour and salt until combined. Make a well and add in your yeast.
2. Combine the yeast so the mixture is uniform and then add in your warm water. Using clean hands, combine the water and the dry ingredients to create a very soft and sticky dough. 
3. The dough will remain soft and sticky unless you knead it. For this particular recipe, we are looking for airy, rustic bread. This means kneading should be kept to a minimum. 
4. Dust your dough with flour and place it in a freshly washed bowl (seriously, as freshly washed as possible so there’s still heat from the water!). 
5. Cover your bowl with Saran wrap or a clean towel and let it rise in a warm room for as long as you can leave it, not exceeding 16 hours. You will know it is done when it doubles in size. 
6. Preheat your oven to around 450 degrees. Gently flatten your dough and place it inside your cast iron pot ready to be baked. If you don’t have one simply place it on a baking tray. Bake it for 30 minutes with the lid on, and then for around 10 to 12 minutes with the lid off. 
7. Remove it from the oven and let it cool before cutting it and spreading it generously with salted butter.