I’m a full-time baker who has attended pastry school in France, completed a baking course in China, and worked in several bakeries in New York City.
After working in the industry for many years and making dozens of cakes, croissants, and cookies, I’ve learned the secrets for success when making a dessert — even if it’s not in the luxury of a professional kitchen.
Here are the seven most common mistakes I see from home bakers, and how to fix them.
Measuring ingredients by volume instead of using a kitchen scale can lead to inconsistent results.
No matter what I’m baking, I avoid measuring cups whenever possible, since they’re not very precise and can lead to pastries that are either too dry or too wet.
The volume in a cup can vary depending on how tightly the ingredient is packed, how it’s scooped, and whether it’s leveled correctly.
To prevent inaccuracies, I like to use a kitchen scale instead. This allows me to measure out the exact same amount of each ingredient, so I always know I’m getting consistent results.
Plus, I find it makes scaling recipes up or down much easier.
I often see bakers make adjustments to a recipe without understanding the science.
Once a treat goes into the oven, the batter or dough triggers several chemical reactions before it’s fully baked.
So, trying to adjust ingredients or make substitutions without fully understanding their role in a recipe might drastically impact the taste.
Sugar, for example, does much more than add sweetness. It attracts and retains moisture, helps baked goods brown, and supports the spread and texture of cookies and cakes. Reducing it too much can produce a dessert that is not only less sweet but also drier, denser, paler, and less tender.
For reliable results, I always follow the recipe as written the first time. And whenever I make adjustments, I change only one ingredient at a time and consider its effect on the final product.
Overmixing the batter can lead to tough pastries.
I find that many home bakers tend to overmix their dough or cake batter, resulting in a tough, dense texture.
For many kinds of baked goods, I think it’s best to simply mix until combined.
Instead of using a stand mixer, I like to use a spatula and mix in the remaining dry ingredients by hand.
Using expired baking powder, baking soda, or yeast is a recipe for disaster.
Before baking anything, I always double-check that my leaveners — like baking soda, baking powder, or yeast — are not expired.
If the expiration date has passed, those ingredients will not have the strength to make a cake or any baked good rise, resulting in poor texture.
Opening the oven too often results in a drier bake.
If I ever open the oven door while something is baking, heat will inevitably escape, lowering the temperature, extending the baking time, and potentially causing the pastry or cake to lose moisture.
Opening the door too early can be especially damaging to delicate bakes like cakes, soufflés, and choux pastry, since the sudden temperature change can interrupt the rising process and cause them to sink or collapse.
As tempting as it is to peek, I always keep the oven door closed for at least the first two-thirds of the recommended baking time.
Whenever I need to check the progress, I’ll use the oven light and watch through the window, then open the door only when I’m ready to rotate the pan or test for doneness.
Overcrowding the oven with multiple pans prevents desserts from baking evenly.
Adding too many pans to an oven can affect the cook time, as each pan absorbs heat from the other, leading to uneven baking.
To prevent this, I recommend using the convection setting to circulate heat more evenly, or rotating pans between the upper and lower racks while baking.
I never like to leave the dishes to the end.
Baking often requires a lot of bowls and dishes for each step, but allowing them to pile up can make the process feel overwhelming.
While my pastries are in the oven or the dough is chilling, I like to use that time to wipe down the countertops and wash some dishes.
This way, I can enjoy the final product without stressing over the mess.
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