Category "baking"

What qualifies to be an "all purpose flour"?

I have Atta, and also Maida. Which one of them qualifies as all purpose flour? If this all purpose flour has got some special name, please enlighten me.

What does baking time in oven depend on?

Banana bread recipe requires 1 hour, and the banana muffins recipe require 20 minutes. Both the recipes contain bananas, and flour. Why is the baking time so d

What role does a stoneware bowl play in the baking of Artisan bread?

I'm looking into baking sourdough bread; I've read that I must have a stoneware or earthenware baking bowl in order to make it come out with a nice crust. Is th

How to decide the baking temperature when recipe doesn't mention it?

On what factors does the temperature setting depend? Of course if I have to bake a stone, I would need to set the temperature at 900C perhaps :rolleyes: ;), bu

Are American food colourings weaker than in other countries?

I was looking at baking a yet-to-be-determined-colour velvet cake, and happened upon a recipe for blue velvet cake: http://bakebakebake.livejournal.com/3342197.

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 a

How do you get 'ears' when baking bread?

When slashing bread, how can I produce crusty 'ears' on the places where the slash opens up? Most of the time they open up, but just end up flush with the rest

Does tiramisu firm up in the fridge?

I am making my first tiramisu, using this recipe from Gourmet (with high ratings on Epicurious). My mascarpone mixture looks terribly soft to me. As per recip

Over-stirring muffin mixtures

In muffin recipes, the instructions often say to stir the mixture till "just combined". Why does over-stirring the muffin mixture result in tough muffins? An

What to add to the batter of the cake to avoid hardening when the gluten formation can't be avoided?

So, over mixing batter forms gluten, which in turn hardens the cake. Fine. The problem is that I don't want lumps in the cakes, and the above statement prevent

Can oil be replaced with yoghurt in a cake recipe?

A cake recipe is asking for "one cup" oil!! I don't want to eat so much "oil", can I replace it with yoghurt or something else?

Baking course online

I want to learn baking and have been reading recipes from the internet and trying them but, I want a more structured approach starting with the basics and going

Why is the texture of my chocolate chip cookies foamy?

The last couple of batches of my chocolate chip cookies went from delicous to foamy tasting although I was using the same recipe and ingredients and sam measuri

Can these settings bake a cake?

I've tried baking so many times with this kind of oven settings but they never work. The exterior of the cake looks fine, but when cut opened, they look as if t

What reading materials give in-depth coverage of baking with gluten-free ingredients and techniques?

There is plenty of reading material on what gluten is and what its function is in baking, so I feel like I have a decent understanding on that topic. However,

Why can soda be used as a substitute for eggs when using a boxed cake mix?

When making a cake from a box mix, I see that soda can be used instead of eggs and oil. What is the science behind this, and what are the properties of oil and

How should I wash the potatoes before baking them?

I bake Russet potatoes. I just washed them a little with cold water and then place them in a baking pan after I put foil on the bottom of the pan. I do not pee

Cooking cakes on asbestos mats

My mother tells me when she was young her mother would bake cakes on an asbestos mat inside a lidded electric frypan. I'd assume the practice is gone now becaus

Why didn't my lemon tart set?

I am using this Smitten Kitchen recipe for lemon tarts. I made it a few times prior (all within the last few weeks) and it worked beautifully. I loved it becau

Can I use “All-Purpose flour” instead of “cake flour”? [duplicate]

Possible Duplicate:What is the difference between various types of flour? The recipe calls for cake flower, I have all-purpose flour.