Be ready when the baking urge hits you. You never know when you’re going to need to bake. You are invited to dinner, and you thoughtfully ask if you can bring anything, and your host asks you to bring dessert. ... The post Essential Baking Staples for Your Pantry appeared first on Sharp Eye.
Be ready when the baking urge hits you.
You never know when you’re going to need to bake. You are invited to dinner, and you thoughtfully ask if you can bring anything, and your host asks you to bring dessert. Or your child volunteered you to bring your famous brownies on a class trip, or you need a homemade chocolate chip cookie immediately to go with your cup of tea. Being able to bake on demand is important for many reasons. That is why one should always have the basic ingredients on hand. Here are the baking ingredients I always have plenty of in my pantry.
Baking Ingredients to Keep in Your Pantry
All-purpose flour and/or gluten-free flour
All-purpose flour is a mixture of soft and hard wheat, and it is what we use when the recipe calls for just flour, unless we need gluten-free flour. Flours differ in the amount of gluten they have and all-purpose has a medium amount. Almond flour is good to have in your pantry if you need a gluten-free flour.
Epicurious did a test of the 8 leading all-purpose flour brands and the winner was Arrowhead Mills. Cookies made with Arrowhead Mills were light and crisp and scones were crispy outside and fluffy inside. The flour has a pleasing flavor.
Their top-rated non-organic flour that you can find in your supermarket is Gold Medal. Scones made with Gold Medal were rich, tender, and nicely crumbly. This flour also had a ‘subtle nuttiness’ that the testers loved.
Arrowhead Mills – $10.99 for a 5 lb. bag.
Gold Medal can be found in supermarkets.
Baking powder is a dry leavening agent that increases volume and lightens the texture of baked goods.
Baking soda is a chemical compound formally known as bicarbonate of soda and is also used as a leavening agent in baked goods.
Cornstarch is not in many baking recipes, but when it is, you cannot substitute anything else for it. It works as a thickener and a binder. It will last forever in your pantry, but you will need it for savory foods like soups.
Butter – See our earlier article on butter options. I use unsalted butter when I bake. Most recipes call for a bit of salt to be added to the batter, which I’ve always found sufficient. Butter (or sometimes vegetable or canola oil) is an essential fat for many baked goods like cookies and pies. It is what makes pastries flaky.
Unsalted Challenge Butter is 100% real cream, without any salt. It is available in most supermarkets including Publix, Whole Foods, and Walmart Supercenters. It is about $7.00 for a pound.
Brown sugar
Light brown sugar is made by mixing refined white sugar with a small quantity of molasses.
Dark brown sugar is made the same way as light brown sugar but with double the amount of molasses. It has a richer flavor than light brown sugar. Dark brown sugar is best for chocolate chip cookies because it adds more depth of flavor.
Domino brown sugars are the most popular.
Powdered sugar is also known as confectioner’s sugar. It has a finer consistency than granulated sugar and is used for glazes and frostings. It is also used as a finisher for baked goods that might need a little decoration over the top like a pound or Bundt cake that won’t have a frosting.
Semisweet Chocolate chips are the most common chip used in baking chocolate chip cookies. The brand I use is Ghirardelli. Bon Appetit did a blind taste test of nine brands of semi-sweet chocolate chips and Ghirardelli was the top pick. Available at supermarkets for a 12 oz bag or Amazon for a 24 oz bag for $10.59.
Other chocolate you should have on hand are the baking chocolate bars in semisweet, and unsweetened. Use these for icings, cakes, and other chocolate recipes. Good brands are Trader Joe’s Pound Plus bars, Ghirardelli baking chocolate bars and the harder to find and more expensive but delicious Valrhona.
Cocoa Powder is a by-product of chocolate, and adds a delicious chocolate flavor to every recipe it’s in. I buy unsweetened because, unless sweetened is specified, the sweetness will come from other ingredients in the recipe. The best supermarket brand is Hershey’s Cocoa. The best splurge is Valrhona. Valrhona Pure Cocoa is $29.99 for .55 lb.
Eggs add stability and binding as well as moisture to baked goods. Egg whites are used to make thick, fluffy meringues, or that delicious marshmallow icing. Yolks are used to make custards and ice cream
Granulated sugar adds moisture and texture to baked goods, as well as sweetness.
Salt in moderation is important in batter. It gives the baked items a more pronounced flavor. Never omit the salt in a recipe, but you won’t need to add more.
Vanilla Extract is used in many desserts because it adds a complex, deep flavor. It is made from soaking vanilla beans in water and ethyl alcohol. Best brands are Nielsen-Massey, McCormick All Natural and Penzey’s.
Vegetable oil is not in every baking recipe, but when it is, it’s there because it will maintain moisture while baking. Other fats, like butter, can solidify during baking, and if a recipe calls for vegetable or canola oil, it is because it needs a fat that will remain liquid during baking to keep the item moist and soft.
Yeast helps dough to rise. In your supermarket there will be three types of yeast – active dry, instant, and RapidRise. Make sure you know which type of yeast you will need and follow the recipe directions carefully.
See our Essential Baking Equipment article.
The post Essential Baking Staples for Your Pantry appeared first on Sharp Eye.
