Table of Contents
Introduction
Tips for Successful Baking
Using Standard Measures
Other Useful Equivalents
Ingredient Replacements
Important Ingredients in Baking
Baking That Perfect Cake
How to Freeze Cakes
Chocolate Cakes
Frosting and Icing
Butter Frosting
Chocolate Butter Frosting
How to Apply a Frosting to the Cake
Cake Icing Equipment
Decorating Your Cake
Biscuits and Cookies
Mixing Tips
Basic Biscuits
Biscuits Variations
Ready-Made Mix for Pancakes, Waffles, or Biscuits
Tea Biscuits
Pancakes and Waffles
Muffins
Plain Muffins
Wheat Germ Muffins
Freshly Baked Bread
Baking Fresh Bread
How Do You Get the Right Flour Consistency?
Shaping the Dough
Making Plaits
Dinner Rolls
Mini Cottage Loaves
Testing the Bread
Making a Cheese Loaf
Perfect Bread Tips
Perfect Pies
Understanding Pastry Quantities
Making the Pastry
Chilling the Dough – Yes or No; That Is the Question
Rolling out Pastry
Lining your flan Ring
Baking Your Pastry – Blind Baking
Finishing Touches
Sausage and herb Pie
Conclusion
Author Bio
Publisher
Introduction
Nobody knows when baking became a part of mankind’s culinary history, but this tradition, along with boiling, frying, broiling, stewing, etc. has been long known to help man cook his bread in an oven.
Baking was just not restricted to making bread; you made biscuits, patties, pancakes, cakes, pies, and anything you wished with some oil, flour, eggs, milk and other healthy ingredients made up into a batter. After that, you just put it in a pan, put it in the oven, and allowed the heat to work its magic.
Many of the baking recipes being used in grandma’s time, – and even before her time – have been passed down through the ages for generations. Not only were they tested and proven and eaten regularly, they were for the most part simple and yet unusual. In nearly all of them, the only ingredients needed were basic items which grandma kept on hand at all times.
The modern-day bakery with its wide selection of readymade cakes and pastries and also food manufacturers, turning out new package mixes and delicious frozen delicacies have taken much of the fun out of home baking. So is it a surprise that not many youngsters of the coming generations bother much about learning how to cook, especially baking.
That is because all these ready-made goods are wonderfully convenient and inviting, but most homemakers still enjoy home baking, now and then, when they have the time, energy and inclination.
So it does not matter whether you are an experienced home Baker or just a newbie starting out to learn the really interesting new activity of home baking – this book is going to give you plenty of tips and techniques, where you can take full advantage of improved ingredients, reliable recipes, laborsaving appliances and controlled temperature equipment to help you bake that perfect cake. Each time, every time. That means you can have your cake and eat it too.
