Baking

Baking is a technique used for cooking a variety of foods, including meats, casseroles, and many other dishes. Generally, however, the act of baking refers more to making bread and desserts known as "baked goods."

The foundation ingredients of baked goods—flour, sweetening, and butter or oil—can be traced to ancient times. Honey was the first sweetener, as evidenced by beekeeping equipment found at archaeological sites throughout Europe and the Near East. Sugar originated in India and spread to Persia, where it was discovered by the crusaders during the eleventh century CE. Sugar was then brought to the New World by Christopher Columbus. The British colonists imported sugar from the West Indies to North America, where it was considered a luxury for many years. The middle class, as did most bakers throughout the world, continued to rely on honey or maple sugar for their baked goods until processing in the US made sugar more affordable and expanded the sugar industry.

Throughout most of history, baking was done in wood-fired ovens made of clay, stone, or brick. Wheat was milled with a mortar and pestle until the invention of the water-powered mill commercialized the process.

While most families did their own baking, the role of the pastry chef developed in ancient Rome to serve the decadent lifestyles of the wealthy. Bakers also sold sweet cakes and other baked goods in shops and on the street. The first pastry guilds were founded during the Middle Ages and supported a growing appreciation for the art of baking.

The discovery of baking soda in the early nineteenth century, and of baking powder a few decades later, allowed for the development of new baked goods. By this time, Americans were also incorporating chocolate into cakes, puffs, and tarts.

Milk chocolate, invented by the Swiss in 1878, inspired more innovation. The chocolate chip cookie, however, did not appear until the 1930s, when Massachusetts innkeeper Ruth Wakefield mixed small pieces of a chocolate bar into her cookie dough. As the chocolate cookie became more and more popular, the food company Nestle published the recipe as the Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie, named in honor of Wakefield's inn.

Baking from scratch declined as women began working outside the home in the mid- to late-twentieth century. Today, bakers can make use of time-saving equipment and packaged ingredients, or experiment with many new or re-introduced baking supplies intended for artisan bakers and others baking from scratch.

Specialty Items

• Bundt pan
• Springform pan
• Brioche molds
• Tart pan
• Cookie cutters
• Muffin pan
• Cupcake pan and paper liners
• Bread machine
• Fluted pastry wheel
• Cookie press
• Cake decorating kit

Techniques

The first principle of baking is to use fresh ingredients. Flour and yeast will last longer if stored in a dry, cool place. If in doubt about the viability of yeast, a package (equal to 2 ¼ teaspoons) or a sample from a jar can be proofed in 1/4 cup of warm water with a teaspoon of sugar. If the mixture turns beige and foamy within five minutes or so, the yeast is alive and well. If not, it should be thrown away or else the baked goods will not rise.

The type of flour used in a recipe is usually specified, but if not, one should use all-purpose white flour. Each type of flour has a unique amount of protein and absorbs liquids differently. For this reason, substituting flour for another can be tricky and, in some cases, not recommended.

All ingredients must be measured carefully. Measuring cups should be placed on a level surface and should be read at eye level. Dry and liquid measuring cups are not interchangeable. When sifted flour is called for, the recipe should note whether the flour is to be measured before or after sifting. A "cup of sifted flour" means one sifts first and then measures. A "cup of flour, sifted," means one measures first.

Baking success is also heavily dependent on using the right proportion of fats and liquids to dry ingredients, as well as the amount of yeast, baking powder, or soda, to flour.

Ingredients should always be mixed well, and for the recommended amount of time. Mixing not only distributes ingredients, but also creates tiny bubbles that will expand in the oven and, for instance, make a cake rise.

Those baking at high altitudes should look for recipes specifically geared for those conditions, or otherwise be willing to experiment with ingredient amounts. In general, liquids are usually increased and/or dry ingredients are decreased to make up for the faster evaporation rate of gas bubbles, which cause cakes and other baked goods to flatten.

Trends

The industry continues to introduce new bakeware intended to keep bakers from growing stale in their craft, including whimsical, super-sized cupcake and donut pans that bake up a full-sized cake; whoopee pie pans that turn out perfectly formed treats; brownies-on-a-stick intended to emulate Popsicles; and pocket-pie molds in star and heart shapes for personal-sized desserts. In addition, specific baked goods rise and fall in popularity—for example, macarons, a French meringue cookie, became internationally trendy in the early 2010s and have remained popular since. Home baking also sees trends involving the use of specific ingredients and flavors, such as matcha, a Japanese powder made of tea leaves, which gained significant attention in 2018 as a flavoring for all kinds of baked goods. The various diets that have increased in popularity in the twenty-first century, such as vegan, gluten-free, ketogenic, and paleo diets, have given rise to baking trends of their own, driven by their restrictions on common baking ingredients such as eggs, flour, and sugar.

Baking for Fun vs. Profit

A certificate or degree from a culinary arts program is usually required for pastry chef positions in fine restaurants. A self-taught enthusiast may find it easier to get hired at a local bakery or start his or her own business. Home bakers often prepare the cakes and pies so prominently featured in restaurants, as well as specialty cakes for weddings, graduations, and other important events. Artisan bakers are in especially high demand in certain areas. For some, baking may be more of a labor of love than a money-making opportunity.

Learning More

Organizations  

Home Baking Association, http://www.homebaking.org/.

Books  

Boyle, Tish. The Good Cookie: Over 250 Delicious Recipes from Simple to Sublime. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, 2002.

Helou, Anissa. Savory Baking from the Mediterranean. New York: William Morrow, 2007.

Hensperger, Beth. The Bread Bible: Beth Hensperger's 300 Favorite Recipes. San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 1999.

The Perfect Cookie: Your Ultimate Guide to Foolproof Cookies, Brownies & Bars. America's Test Kitchen, 2017.

Rees, Nicole. Baking Unplugged. Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley & Sons, 2009.

Richardson, Alan and Karen Tack. Hello, Cupcake!: Irresistibly Playful Creations Anyone Can Make. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 2008.

Walter, Carole. Great Pies & Tarts. New York: Clarkson Potter, 1998.

Magazines  

American Cake Decorating

Taste of Home