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The Art of Baking

Anita
Feb 4, 2015
2 min read

There are as many baking styles as there are bakers, and I don't claim to be an expert by any means. I am, however, someone who loves what I do. There are few things as satisfying to me as pulling out a perfectly golden apple pie or loaf of bread. The smells, the tastes, the look... I love it all.

Being a conoisseur of the kitchen is so much more than being able to follow a recipe. In a very real way, it is an art. And I'm not just talking about good food presentation.

An Example

Let's say you are baking a pan of cookies. The recipe says: "Bake for 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees." What do you do? You set your oven at 350, then when it has preheated you put in the cookie sheet laden with delicious scoops of dough. Then you set the timer for 8 minutes. When it goes off, how do you know if your cookies are ready? There is a "sweet spot" (forgive the pun) with every baked good. You bake it too long, it comes out dry and crumbly. If you take it out too soon, you end up with goopy middles or fallen centers. How do you know when to take it out??

This is where baking stops being a process and becomes an ART.

And there is only one way to develop your talents when it comes to any sort of craft. You must practice, and you must observe. Do a little research to find answers to your questions, and get to know your mediums. Does your oven tend to run hotter than it says? Are you using glass pans? Are you baking on dark-colored cookie sheets? How can you keep the air pockets from getting in your bread? What techniques are most successful when working with pie crust?

The best bakers out there aren't the ones with the most formal training. They are the ones who practice, who observe, and who learn from others. They are the ones that love what they do and have the passion to pursue it and work to create better products.

Am I the best? Of course not.

Am I dedicated? You bet.

Will I get better over the years? I certainly hope so.

In the meantime, I will putter around in my kitchen, learning my craft, sharing my favorite tips with you, and bringing great things to my table and yours. Who can ask for more?