My truth about my baking journey
Hey Sugar Friends,
You’re back. This month will be a little different. Why? I think it would be irresponsible of me as a baker to only give you steps and lessons and exclude the frustrating and humbling parts of this journey. Moments when you are tired and want to throw in the towel.
Let me be clear this isn’t coming from a place of sadness or anger but a place of honesty that some may not be willing to share. Baking can be one of the most challenging skills to learn. I have been officially baking for 8 years and I still have moments of lessons learned. Just when you think you got the game locked down something happens.
What could happen exactly? Well most bakers stick to the same base recipe every single time. We know how the dough or batter should look, feel, and taste before you store or bake. We know the temperature and time for baking. YET YET YET… the damn cookie dough spreads like a whores legs on a military base, the cake falls in the middle like a sink whole on a soccer field, the pie crust doesn’t brown like you expect at the bottom so now you have a gooey pie.
Yep all of this can happen even with experienced bakers and when you’ve done everything right. My assumption is that God doesn’t want you to get so cocky that you forget who gave you the skill.
So what do you do when this happens? How does this happen? How can you avoid it?
Tip #1 - Make a checklist of your recipe.
Make sure you have everything you need on the list. Then make sure your have measured everything accurately .
Tip #2 - Fix it.
I know this is vague but it could be as easy as adjusting your temperature. Your oven can be too hot so your cookie dough, cake, or pie is baking too quickly and therefore won’t hold it’s form. You want the inside and outside to bake evenly.
"The only real stumbling block is fear of failure. In cooking you've got to have a what-the-hell attitude." – Julia Childs
Tip #3 - What’s the temperature/ altitude of your kitchen or environment?
I have found that sometime the external temperature or the altitude in which you are baking can affect baking as well. If this is a factor sometimes your recipe will give you alternative temperatures. You can also google the best way to bake at your altitude or use ChatGpt.
For example tonight I baked cookie dough that I made last week. It was four different flavors. I have baked all of them before. One spread like never before, I forgot to set the time for one batch and almost burned it (thank God I have the skill of smelling that it’s done), the other two behaved and turned out perfect. I learned that you have to finish what you started and trust the process. I decided to adjust the temperature of the oven because it is very humid here. Possibly too hot for the cookie dough to keep form.
Tip #4 - Are you you tired? Do you have the mental capacity to finish?
Baking is a science you have to be very alert and focused while you’re in the kitchen. Distraction can cause you to miss and ingredient, forget to set the timer, or over mix the cake batter.
Baking has been a hell of a roller-coaster ride for me. I have learned some hard lessons along the way. Everything that I do is intentional. The great thing about baking with intention is I never get overwhelmed during the process. It’s very rare that I scale, mix, and bake a recipe in one day. I plan every single step from scaling to packaging. That doesn’t mean that mistakes won’t happen but it’s not as often.
Baking, like life, is full of unexpected twists and turns. No matter how experienced you are, there will always be those humbling moments that remind you to stay grounded. The key is to embrace these moments, learn from them, and keep moving forward. Remember, every challenge is an opportunity to grow and improve. So, the next time your cookie dough misbehaves or your cake decides to cave in, take a deep breath, adjust your approach, and keep baking with love and intention. Happy baking, Sugar Friends!
I would love to hear from you! What baking topics are you most interested in? Do you have any specific questions or challenges you face in the kitchen? Drop a comment below and let me know what you’d like to see in my next blog. Whether it's more baking tips, specific recipes, or troubleshooting common baking issues, your feedback will help shape future posts. Happy baking, and see you next month.
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