Singaporeans were swept up in a baking frenzy during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many took it up as a way to pass the time, learn new skills, start a business, or find a new hobby. The social media trend of Basque cheesecakes and homemade sourdough took Singapore by storm.
Many of these homebakers had a newfound passion, while others enjoyed the flour prior to mixing it with the other ingredients.
Sifting breaks up lumps and aerates the flour, resulting in a finer flour, which does not add weight to the batter. When forming cake batters or dough, sifted flour makes it easier to combine with other ingredients. This gives the desired lighter and fluffy texture.
2. All ingredients should be measured
It is essential to measure your ingredients correctly, even if you’re a professional baker. To illustrate, too much flour will result in hard-to-knead dough and crumbly, dry bread.
A set of measuring spoons and cups, as well as a digital scale that is easy to use, will ensure you are following the recipe to the letter.
3. The right kind of flour
It is important to know the different characteristics of the flour, such as the protein and ash levels. You can even combine 2 or 3 types of flour if the recipe specifies it.
Wholegrain flour or wholemeal wheat flour gives baked goods a natural color and a comforting, slightly nutty taste. You can experiment by replacing 25% of your original flour with whole grain.
4. Refuse to open the oven’s door
It’s tempting to open your oven door several times to check the progress of your cake or bread or to get a whiff. This releases hot air, which lowers the temperature in the oven. The bakes will collapse, and you’ll need to wait longer for them to be done.
Keep the oven door shut at all times. Only open it when you need to rotate the tray or check if the food is cooked.
5. Preheat the oven
In most recipes, the oven preheating step is included in the instructions. So yes, this is an important part that you shouldn’t skip. To avoid an undercooked mess and to achieve the best results, it is important to heat your oven to the correct temperature.
As a rule, you should preheat your oven for 20 minutes before putting the batter into it.
6. Allow your baked goods to cool down to room temperature
It is a terrible feeling to spend time, money, and effort baking cookies only to find out the next morning that they are soggy. It is often not the fault of the recipe or the type of flour you use. Instead, it could be a simple error, such as not cooling your cookies to room temperature prior to storing them.
Baked goods should be placed on a wire rack to allow for better airflow. This will also help heat to escape through the holes. To avoid soggy bottoms, only store them in bags or containers once they are completely cooled.
Today, add a selection of flour to your shopping cart
Prima Flour offers a variety of flours to suit your needs. We have everything from high-fiber to all-purpose flour that you will need for different recipes and baked goods.
