Hi!

I need to double, if not triple, my sugar cookie recipe. I have always heard that you can't just straight out double it, that there needs to be other alterations. Can anyone give me advice on this? Or steer me somewhere where I could get the info from? If I have to make 10 single batches of dough again I'm going to die.

I had never heard that you can't just double everything before I came to CC. That's how I've always done it and I've never had a problem with it. Hopefully someone will come along with some good advice!

From what I've read on CC, the "you can't just double it" comes into play in baking cakes, primarily the baking powder, due to the difference in surface area of the cake (i.e. 8" cake vs a 14" cake). I'll let the scratch bakers give you the details and the science behind it because I'm not that well versed in it.

On cookies, it shouldn't make a difference at all because the cookies are all the same size, no matter how big the batch of dough is.

When I moved to the shop, I took my at-home recipes and multiplied them to fit a 20-qt mixer. (that was also helpful when people asked for my recipes and I'd say, "Start with 18 cups of flour .... that's a five pound bag minus two cups....." and they'd cut me off with "oh never mind, then!" )

Debi, The only Issue I've EVER had with changing a recipe was when going down to Cupcake size. From a 6" to a 12 x 18 never an issue.

Dble, and triple away

Mike

The big problem that comes with doubling (or more) of a recipe, usually is when the recipe isn't exact enough. For example, if your recipe calls for about 1/2 tsp of baking powder. If you double it, you need ABOUT 1 tsp. Is it less than one tsp or more then one tsp? Any rounding up or down issues are magnified into big problems. If you have a well written recipes, double or tripling should not be a problem. If your recipe is done in weights (instead of cups) then your recipe should multiple without any problems at all (one of the reasons pastry chefs use only weights).

Now, when it comes to doubling or tripling a recipe to fit a different sized pan, that is a different matter all together - that is using volume of the pan and a 16" pan is more like 4 times the size of an 8" pan.

Hope this helps!
marci

I've never had a problem doubling any recipe. That being said, I never double a recipe the first time out of the gate. I only double recipes that I have made a few times so that I am familiar with them (usually means I've tinkered with them to get them just right for me, too).

In Rose Levy Berenbaum's Cake Bible she goes into a discussion about issues with leveners and doubling recipes. A rather confusing discussion, actually. I've never had an issue with any of my recipes, but then, I don't use her recipes any more. I was so excited to get that book and none of the recipes have ever turned out to my satisfaction. Honestly, I think she calls for all of her cakes to be vastly over-mixed, for one.


Anyway, any potential problems with doubling would really be with cake batters, not cookie doughs, anyway, so double away!

Only trouble I've had with doubling or tripling a cookie recipe is it not fitting in my mixer!

I know just how much flour and sugar my mixers can handle now, so I don't overdo it.

Oh, i dream of having a commercial size mixer that will give me lots of dough to work with. Mine will only fit one recipe of the NFSC for example (6-7 cups of flour). I have to make the recipes a few times just to get what i need and have extras to freeze so i can use it when i need it.

Thank you thank you thank you for all of the replies!!! I really appreciate it!

Now when I get my "new to me" 12 qt Hobart washed up I can triple my cookie dough and never look back! I can do the single one in my sleep so I know how it should feel if I need to adjust in a larger batch.

Thanks again!!!

I've double my recipe doing it both ways. I never had a problem. But I do weigh most of ingredients so I can have a consistent out come. There are times I just don't feel like converting cups into ounces and I will double if I need to but I am familiar with the recipe.

I bake from scratch only and I've doubled and tripled just about every recipe I've ever used and I've never had a problem. All I do is multiply, that's it. Right or wrong, it works