Stocking Your Baking Kitchen

  Your Starter Pack 

When it comes to equipment, there is only one thing you really need to bake, an oven. Or rather, a source of consistent, dry heat. Everything else can be substituted!

But let’s say you want to stock up your kitchen so that you enjoy your baking all that more. What do you actually need?

When I decided to take baking a little more seriously, there was a lot of pressure to get everything I needed all at once. I wanted the biggest, best and every single tool out there. Truth is, like cooking, success is mainly in the baker’s skills and talent more than in the equipment.

Having said that, there are some basics that are required. Luckily, most if not all can be substituted for something you already have in your kitchen. As it stands, I am still stocking up. As the bakes get more elaborate, I find I am able to identify what tool or aid I need to add to my pantry. And yes, in that pressure to get everything, there are still some things in my cupboards that I am yet to figure out how best to use.

So, if you are starting out, do not pressure yourself. What you need you probably already have. Here is what I have found to be the basics, rather the stuff that will give you a solid start.

 

Heat things up

As mentioned above, baking needs a source of dry heat, preferably one that you can regulate. Yes, I have baked with an oven, and with charcoal. In school I remember we even baked with sand and hot stones. Whatever you end up picking as your heat source, let it be one you are conformable using.

If it is an oven, pick one where you can see your baked goods without having to let out the heat, and one where you can regulate the heat. Baking needs a steady supply of more or less the same degree of heat though out the cooking process. Meaning, it can accommodate fluctuations lower or higher than the recommended 180^oC, provided it remains constant.

Do not worry about having a timer for your oven. You can use your mobile phone, a timer separate from the oven, or even the traditional clock or watch. You just need to know when enough time has lapsed to check on your baking delights.

You may need to test your oven temperature to make sure it is accurate. The easiest way is to get a cooking thermometer, preheat your oven and see if the thermometer reads the same as the temperature you have set your oven to. Alternatively, if you notice that your cakes over or under cook, you may want to experiment with what gives you the perfect results by reducing or turning up the temperature respectively. A difference of about 10⁰C could really be all that is needed.

Depending on your baking needs, you may also want to consider the oven capacity you may need. Check for racking options, as well as the size of baking tins that can comfortably fit in your oven. Most domestic ovens are pretty standard, but they do vary a little.

Remember that bigger is not always better, because we have energy consumption to consider. Electricity and gas cost. So be sure to check the energy rating of your oven. Electronics with an A (A⁺, A⁺⁺ or A⁺⁺⁺) energy rating and colour coded green, are more efficient and environmentally friendlier that those coded red.

 

It’s in the mix

Before I had a mixer, it was all by hand, and the cakes were good then too. Back then everything was mixed using a mwiko (wooden spatula). Today we have so many options. From whisks to stand mixers. Depending on what I am making, somethings are mixed by hand, some whisked and some I use the mixer.

If you are starting off, do not worry so much about mixing equipment. A couple of spatulas, whisks and a good hand mixer will take you a long way. I mainly use the mixer for creaming (butter and sugar) and whipping some creams. I use the whisk for things that need a slightly gentler hand and air incorporation like while handling ganache. Yet even today, I still use the spatula to fold in flour, I feel I have better control over it that way. Old habits die hard.

You will also need mixing bowls. If you are baking from home try to separate these from those that you use to handle foods with strong smells and tastes. Some baked goods are delicate and can carry flavours easily.

While the material does not really matter, they could be plastic, glass, metal or ceramics, you will need various sizes. Remember though, if you will be melting things or using the double boiler method in these bowls, you need them to be able to handle heat. Smaller bowls come in handy for eggs, milk, flavours and colours. The medium sized ones for smaller bakes, creams and ganaches. The larger bowls make larger bakes and making your own fondant easier to handle.

 

Your baking trays

The standard oven comes with one or two baking trays and a cooling rack, which can also be used as a baking tray. These are prefect for cookies and biscuits.

However, some things like cakes, cupcakes and pies need a deeper baking tin with a smaller circumference. There are so many to choose from. It all depends on your needs. You can bake in sufurias (cooking pots). Just make sure they do not have handles that will melt in the oven. You can also bake in silicon moulds as they handle heat quite well.

You will probably need a cupcake or muffin tin, and one or two round cake tins/ sufurias of varying sizes to start. With cupcakes, you will need cupcake liners just so they are easier to handle (packing and eating). These come in all sorts of shapes, sizes and patterns. What you need to be mindful of is that you have the correct size liner for your cupcake tin. Too big and they fold around the edges giving your cupcakes a crinkled look. Too small and your mixture could spill over. Both the tins and the liners have markings to show sizes in their packaging.

Your microwave and oven each come with a cooling rack that you can use. Buying an additional one at the beginning of your baking journey is not necessary.

 

 Grams and litres

Before I knew to buy measuring cups, I used the cups in the house. The trick is to use the same cup (same size cup) for everything – the oil, butter, sugar, milk, flour etc. This means you are getting the same ratio. However, if you use different size cups you end up with varying results. This is where the measuring cups and scale come in.

Because many recipes mix up cup (for liquids) and grams (for solids) in their ingredients, invest in a  set of measuring spoons, a set of measuring cups and a simple kitchen scale (if you feel it necessary). Many of the measuring spoons and cups have markings for both the amount in terms of teaspoonfuls, and grams.

When using these, as well as your preferred baking cup, be sure to level off the contents at the top. When it is heaped, you are dealing with a different amount.

 

Pretty little shapes

The shape of things counts mainly with cookies and biscuits. You have to set the shape of your final product before it enters the oven.

If you are going to shape your cookies, the first thing you need is a rolling pin to flatten out the cookie dough. From there, a few standard cookie cutters can be played with to give you different shapes. Not only do they give you a desired shape, but you end up with visual uniformity. Not to mention how much fun they are, especially for special occasions like hearts for Valentines and Christmas trees for the holiday season.

You can substitute the cutters with cups and tins you have in your kitchen. You can even simply use a knife to cut out the shapes you want, though this will take longer to finish the job.

When buying cutters make sure the edges are sharp. Metallic cutters give you the cleanest cut. They may not look as pretty as the colourful plastic ones, but they do a better job. Particularly when you get a good quality one, which will cost you more.

When it comes to cutting cakes, your best tool is a serrated knife. It leaves the crumb texture of your cake pretty much intact. I also find them useful in breaking down large chunks of chocolate, and shaving down cake edges to create ‘sand’ for beach themed cakes.

 

That’s pretty much all you need; heat, how to measure and mix your ingredients, a tin to hold your mixture while it bakes, and where to cool it. The next article, Stocking up for Décor, will focus on what you need to kick of your decorating game. Happy baking!