Questions about cooking by dry heat without direct exposure to a flame, typically in an oven.
48
votes
6answers
4k views
How can I get chewy chocolate chip cookies?
My chocolate chips cookies are always too crisp. How can I get chewy cookies, like those of Starbucks?
Thank you to everyone who has answered. So far the tip that had the biggest impact was to ...
38
votes
3answers
17k views
Why can applesauce be used in place of oil?
In many recipes, mostly desserts, it is suggested that you can substitute oil with applesauce to reduce the fat content. But why applesauce?
Is there something special about applesauce or are there ...
30
votes
3answers
802 views
Theoretical: why there's no gradient of doneness in bread?
I was always wondering, why there's no gradient of doneness visible on the cuts of bigger breads. For example:
This one was made in the baking form, it has a thin visible crust, but after that the ...
27
votes
6answers
25k views
How do you make a cake lift equally and minimize doming?
Some time ago, I baked a cake (Sachertorte to be exact).
The taste and texture was fine, so my recipe is okay.
My biggest issue was the shape. In the middle it was really a lot higher than on the ...
26
votes
10answers
38k views
Does active dry yeast really expire?
I was cleaning out my spice cabinet and deep in the back I found two packages (e.g., six envelopes) of active dry Red Star yeast that expired in March 2009, 15 months ago as of writing this question.
...
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 ...
26
votes
3answers
1k views
Why are baking measurements such nice round numbers?
I've heard over and over that when it comes to baking, measurements cannot be ignored, and you need to be very precise. This question covers how precise a measurement of flour should be, for example. ...
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 ...
22
votes
4answers
2k views
Does resting the dough for a long time reduce the need to knead the bread?
In this article by Chef Michael Smith, he mentions a recipe where leaving the dough to rest for 18 hours removes the need to knead the bread. Is this a viable substitute? I've tried the recipe and ...
22
votes
1answer
858 views
Egg yolks vs Whole eggs
I'm about to make cinnamon rolls & one recipe calls for 2 whole eggs. The other recipe calls for 3 egg yolks. Which one will give me a moist, soft, cinnamon roll?
21
votes
3answers
8k views
Does it matter what kind of sugar is used in baking?
The baking recipes I use specify many kinds of sugar e.g. caster, raw, white, soft etc.
Generally, I always just use raw sugar, mainly for convenience.
Does it really make a difference?
20
votes
3answers
508 views
Pizza baking order
First few times I thought it was coincidence but now I'm puzzled. I'm baking two pizzas, one after another, made from the same dough and with the same ingredients. Every time, the second pizza base is ...
20
votes
6answers
1k views
How to prepare butter for baking when time is limited?
From my experience, the best way to use butter when baking is to let it soften to room temperature. However, sometimes one is short on time and must use the microwave to soften the butter. I always ...
19
votes
5answers
2k views
In peanut butter cookies, what is the criss-crossed pattern on the top good for?
I've been making peanut butter cookies, but skipping the step of pressing the top of the cookie down with a fork. What does this step do for the cookies?
18
votes
2answers
9k views
When baking a cake that calls for butter, should you use salted or unsalted?
I'm baking a cake using a cake mix and extra ingredients. It calls for 5 tbsp of butter, but I'm not sure which to use, salted or unsalted. What difference would it make??
17
votes
5answers
13k views
What happens if I use vegetable oil in a cake?
I want to bake a cake out of baking mix bought at a shop. The mix already contains flour, baking soda, vanillin, other minor components. The manual says I need to add butter.
I'd like to use ...
17
votes
7answers
17k views
When baking, is it better to use a gas or electric oven?
I'm looking for an oven and wanted to know if there is any difference between a gas or electric oven when it comes to baking things like cakes, biscuits and scones?
17
votes
1answer
3k views
Can you re-use parchment paper when baking batches of cookies?
I just finished making cookies. The dough was enough to make multiple batches. I only have one baking sheet. Every time a batch was ready, I used new parchment paper on the baking sheet. Is this ...
17
votes
6answers
6k views
Why do my brownies end up so hard?
When I make brownies, I sometimes end up with really hard thin brownies instead of thick fudgy soft brownies.
I bake them the same amount of time, use the same ingredients, and use the same equipment ...
16
votes
11answers
2k views
For Pizza cooking at home. What is the best alternative to the pizza stone?
For Pizza cooking at home. What is the best alternative to the pizza stone?
16
votes
2answers
22k views
Why use yeast instead of baking powder?
Both yeast and baking powder are used to gas-fill the pastry, make it expand and thus make it soft and fluffy.
Using yeast is rather inconvenient - it can be dead already or if the yeast is submerged ...
16
votes
7answers
7k views
Techniques to get a nice golden-brown crust on bread
How do I make sure the crust of a baguette, etc. turns out a nice golden-brown when baking?
16
votes
3answers
3k views
How do you decide what temperature to bake at?
What is the logic behind the choice of temperature for baking?
Obviously if you're following a recipe it will say what temperature to use, but I'd like to understand the reasoning behind it.
Is it a ...
15
votes
3answers
1k views
What is the point of a baking rack?
I notice when I bake cookies (usually chocolate chip or peanut butter) the recipe often says "place on baking rack to cool". Because I don't have one, I just place them on a plate after removing them ...
15
votes
4answers
1k views
Do I need to sift flour that is labeled sifted?
Is there really an advantage to sifting flour that I bought that was labeled 'sifted'?
15
votes
5answers
5k views
How warm must dough be in order to rise?
While making some focaccia this afternoon, my wife said, "sure the house is 'warm'; it'll be fine." One hour later, no rising. It may be worth noting that our house is 66F. So we stuck it in a warm ...
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 ...
15
votes
2answers
4k views
What does gluten “do” in baking?
I saw many questions regarding converting baking recipes towards gluten-free, and it seems it's not an easy process. But none of the questions I came across helped me understanding what gluten ...
15
votes
3answers
1k views
How do I ensure that pita forms a nice big, even pocket when baking?
I have the opposite problem as Amir's question about thick, fluffy pitas. Whenever I make pita, it's nice and thick and fluffy, but the pocket is small or nonexistent. I would like to use my pita for ...
15
votes
1answer
912 views
How much salt can I safely add to bread dough?
I recently made ciabatta, which turned out very well, with a good crust and nice open crumb. However, I felt it could use more salt to give extra flavour. I'm aware that salt and yeast do not make ...
14
votes
5answers
3k views
Is cheesecake a cake or a pie?
Is cheesecake technically a pie or a cake?
I'm curious as to why. Are there solid definitions of what makes a dessert a cake or a pie?
14
votes
4answers
5k views
Why does my bread collapse in my bread machine?
I have a bread machine and when I follow the recipes in the included booklet that came with the machine, the bread rises for about an hour, but the collapses back on itself and comes out rock hard ...
14
votes
1answer
893 views
How do I get my homemade english muffins to taste like english muffins?
I've finally mastered my technique for creating english muffins. They come out light with lots of air bubbles. Unfortunately, they don't taste like english muffins. They taste like regular bread.
...
13
votes
4answers
982 views
Why are there no recipes combining both yeast and baking powder?
I've never seen anything with both yeast and baking powder. What's the reason for that? Shouldn't e.g. muffins get even more fluffy by adding some yeast? Or bread by adding baking powder?
I know there ...
13
votes
2answers
1k views
Why is sugar a wet ingredient?
The last time I checked, most sugar is really dry (unless it's something like brown sugar). So why is it categorized as "wet"?
13
votes
2answers
936 views
What determines the shape-holding ability of cookies?
What things can you vary to make cookies hold their shape better during cooking, and not spread out like a pancake? From my experimenting, the initial temperature of the dough before cooking seems to ...
13
votes
2answers
582 views
Storing bread dough before baking
I'm looking to make a start in the world of baking bread, and have a quick question:
Once my dough is kneaded, proved and ready to go in the oven (i.e. in the tin) - does it need to be baked ...
12
votes
10answers
8k views
How do you raise your dough in cold seasons?
It is winter down here in Australia and I find it challenging to find a warm spot to raise my bread dough. What I have been doing is placing the dough in the oven (not switched on) with a pot of hot ...
12
votes
8answers
2k views
Baking bread … without crust?
My fiancee doesn't like to eat the crust of bread. I like to bake bread. But she ends up cutting off like half of each piece in the process of de-crust-ifying it. What are some suggestions to make ...
12
votes
6answers
11k views
How can I get my bread to be more fluffy and less dense?
I've been making bread for a while now, but I can never get it to rise enough. The bread comes out really dense, so it's not very useful for sandwiches. I give it ten minutes after kneading, bash it ...
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 ...
12
votes
3answers
5k views
How can I keep a cheesecake from cracking?
I've been making cheesecakes for a while and they always end up cracking on the top. I was told to try putting a pan of water in the oven with it to keep the humidity up, which might help a little, ...
12
votes
4answers
3k views
why is my bread too tough?
trying to get the hang of making good artisan bread, and my last loaf tasted great. But it stayed flatter than previous efforts, and was very tough.
I am doing my best to understand the science as ...
12
votes
2answers
3k views
How do I make my chocolate brownies 'fudgy'?
What are the key requirements, in terms of both ingredients and techniques, for baking chocolate brownies with a fudgy centre?
12
votes
1answer
8k views
What are the impacts of common pizza dough errors?
I'm diving into the world of making pizzas from scratch, and I'd like to take a systematic approach to the possible mistakes I could make with regards to the dough.
What impact do each of the ...
12
votes
3answers
4k views
What does “spooned and leveled” mean?
I'm looking at a recipe that lists the following as an ingredient:
1 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and
leveled)
What exactly does this mean? Is this literal - i.e. spoon it into the measuring ...
12
votes
4answers
1k views
What is seeping out of my key lime pie?
For Valentine's Day this year I attempted to make my wife a Key Lime Pie. I followed Emeril's recipe, with one small modification: I replaced the granulated sugar in the crust with a 1:1 ratio of ...
12
votes
5answers
2k views
Advice for gingerbread houses?
I'm considering entering a gingerbread house contest with my mom this year. I might've done a few as a kid, but I've only done one before in my adult life, more than 10 years ago, and I remember ...
12
votes
4answers
2k views
Is there a way to prevent my Fruit Pie from getting runny?
Is there a way to firm up the consistency of a fresh fruit pie (like peach or apple) - sometimes it gets too "runny"?
12
votes
4answers
24k views
baking bread with all-purpose flour
I'm a bread-baking novice and have acquired a vast quantity of all-purpose flour.
If I follow a typical bread recipe, for example one of these, but use all-purpose flour instead of the recommended ...
