I Can Get Better?

Have you heard someone say before "oh, plants aren't safe around me?" or "I've killed every plant I've tried to grow?" I've certainly heard that a time or two, and you know what I think? I understand it's likely said tongue-in-cheek, but what I believe is actually afoot is that the individual has other important things going on that precede the care of a plant (which is absolutely OK)! I've found, especially coming from a teaching background, that we humans are so quick to say we aren't good at something, or it's just "not it our blood." What if the truth is we just lack enough desire to get better? Each of us has limited time, energy, and focus, and we give these three things to what matters most to us; however, accepting this may be difficult because, if true, then what we are good at is actually our own responsibility. (I understand this is a bit generalized, but I think you see the principle of what I'm saying.)

"Rachel," you may say, "this seems rather serious for a baking blog!" Perhaps, but I raise the topic because I've heard often enough: "I'm not a good baker!" or "I burn everything I try to make!" I can empathize: repeated failures are truly discouraging. But do you believe that you can get better at something if you really want to and thus expand your possibilities? I believe it because I've seen it in both my own life and the lives of many around me. So, I submit to you if you want to be a better baker, you can! Let that sink in for a minute... ah the possibilities! There's hope! OK, so now that you know you CAN become a better baker, what's next? Sometimes knowing where to start is tricky, so I've created a list of five easy-t0-implement tips that have been helpful for me personally in my own journey towards becoming a better baker. I share these hoping they will provide you both practical help and encouragement in your desire to grow into a better and more confident baker! Let's dive in...

1.) Plan ahead. (I might have just lost somebody already! Sorry, it's true: this is an element of becoming a better baker.) Planning ahead really means two things: a) reading the recipe all the way through before starting, and b) letting your cold ingredients come to room temperature. Firstly, you don't want to be grabbing things left and right and suddenly realizing you don't have an ingredient halfway through: that's stressful! No need to invite more of that into your life! Next, you want to make sure your ingredients combine properly without weird bumps or lumps, and allowing your ingredients the time to come to room temperature (about 68-72'F) assists with this. I usually aim to let eggs and milk sit on the counter for about 1 hour before use; whereas, butter can sit out much longer, and will likely take longer, to come to room temperature.

2.) Buy a kitchen scale (and use it). We here in America are not as familiar with the metric system and weighing out our ingredients as are some other countries, but I've found weighing ingredients to be crucial to consistent and predictable bakes. When you scoop out flour (or any other ingredients) with your measuring cups, each scoop will yield a different level of compactness, read amount of ingredient. Depending on what information you use, the weight of 1 cup of flour is 125 grams. Measuring out 125 grams of flour is something I can do over and over again and know it's exactly the same every time, whereas dipping my 1 cup measuring cup into the flour will not yield that same exact amount every time: it might be less or it might be more (Check out Becky Krystal's article "You Can't Always Trust Measuring Cups" in The Washington Post for more information!) I'd recommend Cuisinart's digital kitchen food scale as a great place to begin for weighing your ingredients: it is easy to use, small, and affordable. (Also, if a recipe doesn't provide metric amounts, see if you can find a similar but different recipe which will provide those so you aren't left trying to do all the math and conversions yourself.)

3.) Don't overbeat. We are not following the advice of Michael Jackson here to "just beat it." No, no: baking is a science. I could say much more about that, but why mention it here? Many baked goods require all-purpose flour, which contains gluten. Gluten is a protein present in all-purpose flour which develops in elasticity as it is worked (kneaded, stirred, etc.). We like the doughy, gummy texture that gluten provides in our breads, but not so much in our cakes and cookies, so definitely follow the directions when they instruct "stir to just combined." This is why.

4.) Use an oven thermometer. Did you know that you can't necessarily trust your oven's temperature reading and "pre-heated to 350'F" beep? This inaccuracy can be due to several different factors, but what I'd recommend is purchasing an inexpensive oven thermometer to help avoid this issue (and thus unpredictable bakes). I use a simple dial thermometer which hangs from the middle rack. By using it, I've learned that when my oven beeps it is preheated, the temperature is not actually there yet: it's usually about 10 degrees off and takes an additional 5-10 minutes to get to the desired heat. (*Also, just a bonus tip while here on temperature: stop opening the oven door to check on things mid-bake: that lets out a lot of heat and messes with your baking time, causing your baked good to remain in the oven longer while the oven works to come back up to temperature. No bueno.)

5.) Account for continued baking. Have you ever experienced sunburn that you didn't realize how serious it was until hours later? (Two hands up for this redhead!) Or have you ever resolved a conflict with someone, but your feelings took a little time to catch up and cool down? What is happening in both of these scenarios? They are loose examples of Newton's first law of motion: "objects in motion tend to stay in motion." Started processes don't immediately cease: the damage done to skin cells by ultraviolet radiation isn't apparent until hours later, and our feelings don't operate with the flip of a switch.

The same principle is true with baking: when you pull a baked good out of the oven, it doesn't immediately stop baking. It will continue to bake; thus, you need to account for this or risk overbaked and dry results. So what can you do? I think just being aware that this is happening is an important first step, but beyond that, I would recommend two general tips. I would first recommend using your oven light to visually check on your baked goods without opening the door as the timer is ticking down to the end of baking time. If the middle(s) still looks shiny and/or lacks uniformity with the rest of the top, then it probably still needs time. If (with cupcakes/cakes) it looks uniform across the top, then with toothpick in hand, quickly open the door, insert (and withdraw) a toothpick into the middle, and shut the door again. If you have a crumb or two on the toothpick, it's likely ready to come out, as it will keep baking. Remember how hot it is coming out: you have to wear an oven mitt it's that hot, so it will continue to stay hot for several minutes afterwards. This is generalized advice, but keeping this in mind should help minimize overbaking.

So there you have it: five straightforward tips to implement in your quest towards becoming a better baker. Perhaps just choose one to start with, such as grabbing an oven thermometer the next time you're at the store. Please do let me know if you have any comments or questions concerning these: I'd enjoy hearing your feedback via email. Just remember, if you want to get better at something, you can, but you must decide to give time, energy, and focus towards it. And feel encouraged: learning is a journey, not a destination! Until next time, happy baking!