Baking Essentials: Be a Better Baker

Whether you’re a casual baker or a pro at frosting cakes, it’s important to keep basics supplies on hand in your home kitchen.  If you’re new to baking, it can be overwhelming to navigate kitchen stores, as many of the baking supplies for sale today are novelty – not necessity.

Kitchen Scale: Food blogger and pastry student Gaby Dalkin knows the importance in precision when baking. Instead of measuring cups and spoons, she invested in a kitchen scale. “A kitchen scale allows you to follow recipes that list ingredient amounts in grams or ounches. That is the way most of my pastry school recipes are written,” said Dalkin. “Using exact measurements as opposed to cups and spoons let you be so much more precise and yield a higher-quality product.”

Whisk: For recipes that don’t require machine operating mixing or stirring, chef and author Devin Alexander recommends a sturdy whisk. “I live and die by a sturdy whisk,” Alexander said. “They are especially important with healthier baked goods that shouldn’t be overmixed. Simple as it is, a whisk is an essential tool for baking.”

Parchment Paper (or Silipat): With a great variety of uses and applications, parchment paper is any baker’s best friend in the kitchen.  “It is great for lining pans, keeping work surfaces clean and collecting flour, sugar or spices,” said food blogger Maria Lichty. “I measure my dry ingredients on parchment paper and create a funnel to dump into my mixer.” Alexander agrees and added that it’s becoming easier than ever to find in traditional grocery stores. Finally, if you’d like to be a little bit greener, try the Silipat baking mats from Sur La Table for $14 each.

KitchenAid Stand Mixer: While mixing, stirring and kneading can be relaxing for an ace baker, sometimes it’s nice to let a machine help you out.  If you’re not in the mood to get elbow-deep in dough but like the taste of freshly baked bread, a stand mixer will change your life (and more importantly: pay for itself in breads, brownies and pie crust). Available at www.kitchenaid.com.

Wellness Kitchen Mat: If you spend a lot of time in the kitchen you won’t regret this feet-friendly purchase. Padded kitchen mats are said to help your back, joints and posture from aches and pains, especiall if you spend long days kneading, mixing, frosting…and of course, taste-testing. I have a mat that I couldn’t live without from Napa Style. Some varieties are pricey, but they’ll last you a lifetime.