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Baking fails are terrible enough on their own. Add on the fact that they are confusing only makes them worse. So here’s a simple guide on why baking fails happen so that they can serve as a learning experience. That’s the only thing that makes them mildly redeemable.
Oven temperature
Oven temperature seems simple, it just makes things raw or burnt right? Yes and no. Oven temperature determines the amount of textural contrast between the inside and outside of your dessert. For example, a chocolate chip cookie will spread thin and crisp throughout at lower temperatures, while having a gooey center and golden crust at higher temperatures. Additionally, certain chemical reactions happen at specific temperatures. Therefore, if the oven temperature isn’t correct, your dessert may not turn out as expected. Avoid this by getting an oven thermometer. That way you can guarantee your oven is at the right temperature.
Room temperature
The temperature of your kitchen isn’t always important, but for desserts with yeast or high quantities of butter, it is. For example, breads will proof faster at higher temperatures. So if you’re making brioche buns in the summer, you’ll want to check on them sooner than the recipe indicates, or else they’ll overproof. Another example is cookies. The warmer the butter in the dough, the more they will spread.
Ingredient temperature
Ingredients behave differently at different temperatures, especially dairy products like eggs and cream. A good example is creaming butter. If it’s at room temperature, it will incorporate more air bubbles into itself than if it were cold. Generally if an ingredient isn’t at room temperature, it won’t make or break your dessert, but they can lead to alternate results.
Sometimes a recipe will note the ideal temperature of ingredients, but if not, you can always do a quick search online of ” ‘ingredient’ temperature for ‘dessert’ “.
Ingredient ratios
Ratios of different ingredients have a huge impact on a dessert’s texture and flavour, which is why recipes are important guides. If there was improper scaling up or down of a recipe, or substitutions, the change in ratios could have negatively impacted the dessert. Additionally, the ratios in a recipe might not work due to humidity or room temperature, but it’s uncommon.
Ingredient type
In more complex or sensitive recipes, the ingredients themselves can affect the ratios in a dessert. For example, the cocoa percentage of chocolate affects the amount of cream required in a chocolate ganache. Usually, the recipe will specify the type or brand of ingredient if it’s important.
Technique
Certain techniques like macaronage are complex and it takes practice to recognize when they are done correctly. The best way to avoid these mistakes is to watch videos (or a more experienced baker)demonstrate the technique before baking, and then practice.
Equipment
A struggle of home bakers is a lack of equipment (or more sturdy equipment). Sometimes your stand mixer might refuse to keep mixing, or your baking pan material or size is different from the one used in the recipe. Unfortunately, this can have an affect on your desserts, so it may take some adjustments on technique to adapt to the equipment you have.
When I first started baking, I had a lot of baking fails. Cakes fell apart, pies sank, cookies tasted like baking soda, so I’ve learned all the different ways to mess up. Hopefully this guide makes your baking journey a bit easier than mine was.
If you’d like to learn more about baking fails, see how to fix them here.
With love,
Your baking friend Sherene ❤️