Baking Science

Book excerpt: The Scientifically Guaranteed Guide to Better Baked Goods For every flawless cake you bake, are there three that come out of the oven dry, deflated or dense? Do your cookies crumble and cheesecakes crack? You’re not alone! A lot of bakers struggle with selecting the right ingredients or choosing the right method and temperature to yield flawless end results. With this book, One Sarcastic Baker creator Dikla Levy Frances is here to help you recognize your baking mistakes and learn how to get the best results—the scientific way. She teaches you the chemistry behind successfully baking everything from cakes to cookies to breads with approachable explanations and simple formulas so easy that anyone can create these sweet experiments. Learn the molecular breakdown of basic ingredients like flour, butter and sugar, and how they react with each other to make the baked goods you love, like Triple Coconut Cake and Monday Night Football Cookies. Explore how mixing methods like beating vs. whisking vs. stirring affect your final product, and which method is best for the particular treat you’re trying to make, like Almond- Chocolate Pound Cake or Reese’s® Peanut Butter Quick Bread. Discover how different temperatures transform ingredients into the baked goods of your dreams, and how to use more or less heat to create everything from creamy, never-cracked Funfetti® Cheesecake to the perfect pie crust. Each section is also accompanied by scrumptious recipes to help you practice your newfound knowledge. Improve your technique tenfold with simple, science-based tips that’ll have your baked goodies looking like masterpieces every time. Whether you’re a kitchen amateur or baking pro, you’re guaranteed to perfect your craft with Dikla’s approachable methodology and mouth-watering recipes.