Questions about cooking by dry heat without direct exposure to a flame, typically in an oven.
8
votes
6answers
28k views
Is granulated sugar (American) the same as caster sugar (UK)?
I have an american cake recipe which includes 'granulated sugar', would this be uk caster sugar? It is for the stage when you beat in with the butter?
15
votes
3answers
9k views
How can I identify dutch process cocoa?
I have a hard time finding "dutch process cocoa" in the store sometimes.
What other names might dutch process cocoa be known as?
Is there something else in the ingredients that might identify ...
2
votes
2answers
27 views
Stop rhubarb compote juice from leaking
I am making a rhubarb meringue pie by first blind-baking a short pastry, afterwards I put the rhubarb-compote onto the cake and the meringue on top, and then bake that again for a short time.
...
0
votes
1answer
45 views
What quantity and resting time should be preferred for active dry yeast when it is supposed to be used in place of quick yeast?
That's the question.
What quantity and resting time should be preferred for active dry yeast when it is supposed to be used in place of quick yeast?
Please specify in spoons or cups.
12
votes
4answers
13k views
Why don't my cookies flatten?
I have baked Betty Crocker's Giant Honey and Oat Cookies three or four times now, and every time, my cookies do not spread out, I just get thick cookies. Is there something I am doing wrong? As far as ...
2
votes
3answers
256 views
How can I attach printed rice paper decorations to cakes / cookies?
I bought some printed rice paper decorations (flat circles of rice paper printed with edible ink) for my son's birthday party. I'm not sure what the best way is to attach them to cakes / cookies and I ...
1
vote
3answers
59 views
bread flour strength?
ive got a new recipe that I really want to try, but it calls for bread flour and doesnt mention the bread flour strength, ive got strong bread flour, is that what they meant?
or if not will that ...
9
votes
5answers
16k views
Order of combining wet and dry ingredients when baking
I've always learnt that you add the wet ingredients to the dry ones.
Looking at some recipes:
"Combine the dry ingredients, the flour ... Add the other wet ingredients, melted butter ..."
"Pour wet ...
1
vote
3answers
115 views
Adding baking powder as a final step
Being someone that bakes infrequently I prefer to have plain flour on hand and add baking powder rather than purchase self-raising flour. Something I've noticed recently by experimentation and further ...
2
votes
1answer
56 views
Effect of adding wet ingredients to dry when making bread?
I inadvertently omitted the eggs from my challah recipe, but realized this only after the final step of mixing in and after fully incorporating the flour. Rather than throwing everything away, I ...
6
votes
4answers
10k views
Is it possible to make fudgy brownies without oil?
What can I substitute for oil in brownies and still get fudgy brownies? I've tried yogurt and sour cream (individually) and only replacing half the oil with one of those, but the brownies always end ...
1
vote
1answer
59 views
Shirred eggs elements
I've found a number of recipes online for shirred eggs.
Some have a fat (cream, ham) beneath the eggs; others don't (except for a bit to grease the ramekin).
Some have a cheese (Parmesan, Cheddar, ...
2
votes
2answers
2k views
Egg replacer for bread dough?
I've been reading (most) questions and answers (here) about baking bread (which I love) and how to replace eggs in many recipes (which I wish I didn't need). Turns out, I too have egg allergy (not too ...
1
vote
1answer
111 views
How do you make whole-wheat bread less crumbly? — (Without adding gluten)
I usually make bread with 100% whole wheat flour, but I have never been able to make good sandwich bread that way, because it is does not have a very elastic texture to it.
I have heard of adding ...
7
votes
6answers
499 views
1
vote
1answer
391 views
How can I avoid cakes to turn into jelly?
I am making cakes, and mostly chocolate cakes. But under certain conditions, instead of taking a nice bread texture (soft and with air bubbles), it turns into a kind of jelly (compact, a little bit ...
3
votes
1answer
72 views
Why didn't my beer cake cook properly?
I have a beer cake recipe which I've successfully cooked once. Since then, I've had a new oven and just tried to bake it again. It wasn't entirely successful.
It's baked in a 10", round, deep ...
2
votes
1answer
6k views
Choux pastry (Chocolate eclairs) doesn't cook properly
Last time I tried to make Chocolate eclairs (similar to cream puffs), the choux pastry just sat in the oven and basically fried.
It didn't rise/grow and so I couldn't hollow out the shells.
Any ...
3
votes
1answer
88 views
Right baking temperature
Problem with the right baking temperature. I have a gas oven. To bake a cake I pre heat the oven at 150 C for at least 1/2 an hour while I prepare all the stuff required for preparing the cake . After ...
0
votes
2answers
100 views
In what proportion should the given ingredients be combined to form a cookie?
These ingredients were listed on a cookie pack available in the market.
I would like to know what combinations of the following ingredients can be used to produce around 200gms cookies?
Wheat ...
4
votes
1answer
69 views
can I make a dry ingredient waffle mix with dry egg powder & powdered milk?
I want to make a dry waffle mix that you can store and later just add water to make ready. is it possible to do it with all dry ingredients?
9
votes
6answers
9k views
Best way to cleanly cut brownies?
So, I'm on a brownie kick, and am currently playing around with baking batches of brownies in 9"x13" pans. I want each batch to yield 15 brownies (so I'm aiming for brownies that are around 3"x2.5") ...
8
votes
2answers
409 views
Where can I buy borosilicate (Pyrex) bakeware in the U.S.?
Because of the shattering dangers of the apparently inferior lime glass that Pyrex uses for manufacturing in the U.S. as exposed by Consumer Reports, I'd like to replace my Pyrex with borosilicate ...
3
votes
3answers
562 views
How long should I bake a whole sweet potato for?
How long should I bake a whole sweet potato in the oven for versus an 'ordinary' potato of the same size?
1
vote
1answer
94 views
Stronger bread, how could I achieve that?
I'm new to baking in general,
and I've been recently trying to make a simple pizza bread.
But the problem is that after I bake the bread in the oven, it seems like the bread isn't as elastic as I ...
1
vote
2answers
91 views
Does acidity negate double-acting baking powder?
As described here, most common baking powders contain two acids, one that reacts to moisture, and one that mostly reacts when heated. Does that mean that if my dough is already acidic (and has no ...
2
votes
1answer
120 views
What combination of flours can be used as a substitution to a bread flour?
Following is the list of flours that I can get hold of in India easily:
Whole wheat flour
Semolina flour
Chickpea flour
Maida
Multi grain flour
Corn flour
Rice flour
What can be the combination of ...
0
votes
2answers
100 views
Why did my French bread neither rise nor bake properly?
Failed miserably at the first bread bake.
I have this oven: Bajaj 28 Litres 2800TMC Oven Toaster Grill
I tried this recipe: Baking the Perfect Loaf of French Bread
Instead of using 4 cups bread ...
1
vote
1answer
71 views
Do I need to bake my pre-made pie crust?
The objective was to quickly put together a banoffee pie without going through making the pie crust. But this store bought Graham cracker pie crust comes with some confusing instructions a t the ...
1
vote
3answers
181 views
Why does my bread burn at the bottom before it is done?
I bake my bread for about half an hour. At the 15 minute mark, the bottom is already slightly burnt, but the bread is clearly not done.
My oven doesn't have a thermometer, so I don't know exactly what ...
0
votes
1answer
106 views
What does karate chop in a french bread dough mean?
http://www.steamykitchen.com/75-baking-the-perfect-loaf-of-french-bread.html
Now do a little “karate chop” lengthwise down the middle of the bread and stretch out the long ends again. Fold over in ...
-4
votes
1answer
77 views
How to fix gloopy banana bread batter [closed]
Okay, so after coming here about an hour and a half ago to determine whether I could safely use the month old carton of unopened buttermilk in my fridge, I proceeded to use it on the flour that was to ...
-1
votes
3answers
850 views
what to do to make oilless, butterless, eggless cookies?
I am making a cookie dough eggless, butterles and oilless. it is coming out spongy like a cake. what should I do to make no spongy cookies?
2
votes
1answer
138 views
Chia seeds as replacement of oil in bakery
I found that chia seeds mixed with water form a somewhat gelatin mixture that can be used for bakery instead of oil or butter.
I would like to try it but I have no idea if I should replace 1/3 cup of ...
25
votes
2answers
2k views
What is the purpose of creaming butter with sugar in cookie recipes?
I got distracted while assembling the dry ingredients for a cookie recipe and added the sugars, which were supposed to be creamed with the butter first. Fortunately, the sugar was added last and I was ...
11
votes
8answers
6k views
How can I make macarons with “feet” in my oven at home?
I've tried many macaron recipes, and all have tasted very good. The problem is they always end up as a meringue, or looking like cookies. They usually don't have the "feet" that macarons are known ...
26
votes
7answers
3k views
What is the difference between various types of flour?
Is there a difference between the various types of flour that you see in the stores (i.e. Cake, Bread, and All-Purpose? Is it really necessary to stock 3 types of flour in my pantry or is this just a ...
2
votes
1answer
46 views
Saving sanding sugar
I make sanding sugar cut out cookies often. I sometimes have excess sugar left on the cookie sheets after baking. Could this excess sugar be saved and reused for the next tray. I often dump the excess ...
7
votes
3answers
164 views
Why and what kind of breads should be scored?
Inspired by this question How can I score wet bread dough more easily?, I am quite keen to know why and what kind of breads should be scored?
What will happen if we don't score the breads?
1
vote
1answer
4k views
What should be the material of the vessels to be used in an electric oven?
Could you please provide a general guide figure out if a piece of cookware can be used in the oven, based on what material it is made of?
0
votes
0answers
70 views
Microwave oven suitable for baking and grilling [closed]
Help me to choose a microwave oven. I would like to use it primarily for grilling tanduri and baking vegetables and meat, I don't want to go for a traditional electric oven as it takes lot of space ...
2
votes
2answers
170 views
How can I stabilize a souffle?
In baking souffles, I find that they start deflating from the moment I remove them from the oven. One chef suggested adding xanthan gum which is hard to find and quite expensive. Do you think ...
4
votes
2answers
133 views
How to adjust the ingredients when recipe asks for salted peanuts and unsalted butter while I have the opposite?
The recipe is for cookies. Recipe asks for salted peanuts and unsalted butter while I have the unsalted peanuts and salted butter.
Nutralite Table spread: ...
2
votes
1answer
104 views
How to build steam in the oven for getting an oven spring?
From: What makes a bread either close or open crumbed/textured?
Oven spring
Yeasts continue producing CO2 until they die at 60C/140F. Also, gasses
expand with heat, so it will also help ...
10
votes
8answers
133k views
Butter substitute for 1 cup of butter for baking
What can I substitute for 1 cup of butter in baking recipes (e.g. cookies, muffins, cakes, etc.)?
I'm looking for something that has less saturated fat (and also doesn't have trans fat).
Update: ...
2
votes
4answers
1k views
Is there a plastic bowl/dish that can withstand high temperature in the oven?
I am looking for a plastic bowl or dish that can withstand high temperature in the oven? A bowl or dish that won't melt nor emit odour. Is there such a thing?
1
vote
8answers
4k views
How to melt butter most conveniently?
Many cake recipes ask to add melted butter and mix it in. In my experience butter needs to be melted to a temperature of about 50-70 degrees Celsius to be soft enough for mixing in. Melting a piece of ...
2
votes
1answer
181 views
How do you make Paillets Feuilletine?
Paillets Feuilletine, dried caramelised crepes. I have looked and cannot find any method for the making of this product. As it is in many of my books and recipes but not readily available in ...
1
vote
3answers
130 views
What should be understood by “refrigerate until firm, 2 hours or overnight”?
The cookie recipe asks for:
1½ cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1¼ teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 ...
1
vote
1answer
113 views
How should I deal with “thawed frozen puff pastry”?
A cookie recipe asks for:
14 ounces good-quality thawed frozen puff pastry, such as Dufour
So, does puff pastry mean this? http://nishamadhulika.com/baking/homemade-puff-pastry-recipe.html
...
