Cake Central › Cake Forums › Cake Talk › Recipes › Scratch recipe help
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Scratch recipe help - Page 2

post #16 of 25
2/18/10 at 2:17pm
I love scratch baking too, and while I am pretty good at it, I do have failures. I am going to check into these books, good thread, thanks
Patty
www.pattycakesncookies.com
http://www.facebook.com/pattycakesandcookies.
www.frompattycakeskitchen.blogspot.com
Reply
Patty
www.pattycakesncookies.com
http://www.facebook.com/pattycakesandcookies.
www.frompattycakeskitchen.blogspot.com
Reply
post #17 of 25
2/19/10 at 10:07am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Larkin121



"If you have 2 cups of flour, and 4 eggs, how much butter would need to be added to balance the fat and liquid equations?" sounds much like "If train A left the station at 3:30 and train B left the station at 3:35..." lol



It totally sounds like one of those train problems icon_lol.gif I like math but I'm a little at geometry than I am at algebra. You'd think the science of baking would be easy for me but I have trouble remembering what ingredient does what in a recipe, what cream butter with sugar does, and how the order of ingredients effects the recipe. Apparently they forgot to teach me the baking part in Organic Chemistry! That said, I haven't actually sat down with a book that goes into great detail and tried to learn. I just try and remember bits and pieces that I have read on here or seen on Alton Brown!
If you have any suggestions for tweaking the recipe let me know. I am going to be using it several times over the next week!
Reply
Reply
post #18 of 25
2/19/10 at 10:38am
Even though I've been a scratch baker since I was 12 but I know that there is ALWAYS more to learn. I just recently bought 2 books to understand the science behind baking and they are both wonderful.

BAKING by James Peterson
How Baking Works by Paula Figoni

The How Baking Works book is set up like a text book with exercises to complete at the end of each chapter. BAKING is also an excellent book with all sorts of base recipes. They both have detailed explanations. I think that these books would make a good place to start.
Darlita
Die-Hard Scratch Baker

Time...and baking heals all wounds.
Your only competition should be yourself.
Reply
Darlita
Die-Hard Scratch Baker

Time...and baking heals all wounds.
Your only competition should be yourself.
Reply
post #19 of 25
2/19/10 at 10:40am
Lita is it safe to assume the recipes are in weights?

Mike
Reply
Reply
post #20 of 25
2/19/10 at 7:40pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike1394

Lita is it safe to assume the recipes are in weights?

Mike



BAKING by James Peterson....no.
How Baking Works...yes.

I know that the most accurate method of baking is by weight. In defense of James Peterson's book, its very well written and easy to understand. The book covers everything from cakes to pies..to croissants...to tarts...to fillings...just about everything you can think of.

How Baking Works is also a good book in that it not only gives recipes and exercises but it gives the SCIENCE behind it. Its funny...I've been baking all theses years but I realize that I was pretty ignorant to how things really work.

Sorry for such lengthy answer....I know you didn't ask for such an detailed description. I sometimes get a little long winded when talking about baking icon_redface.gif
Darlita
Die-Hard Scratch Baker

Time...and baking heals all wounds.
Your only competition should be yourself.
Reply
Darlita
Die-Hard Scratch Baker

Time...and baking heals all wounds.
Your only competition should be yourself.
Reply
post #21 of 25
2/20/10 at 3:42am
Lita that was a perfect answer THANK YOU. The reason I asked I don't do volume measuring. To me it's slow, and antiquated, and of course not very accurate.

Most of the time an author will have the recipes in weights, and the publisher will change it to volume. This is done to meet the American public.

Mike
Reply
Reply
post #22 of 25
2/20/10 at 4:04pm
Totally agree, I hate that most books are in volume. I much prefer weights, more accurate and faster. To that end, can you recommend any great recipe books that are in weights? I wonder if one were to search for books printed in Europe if you'd find more written that way.
Reply
Reply
post #23 of 25
2/20/10 at 4:20pm
http://CakeCentral.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&p=6720569#6720569

heres a link to a really good thread on this topic here on CC. its great. =) im a scratch baker too.. mostly because i find it cheaper.. and also i love that satisfaction of knowing you made the entire thign yourself. =)
Dream.Believe.Achieve.Succeed.

~!never trust a skinny cook!~
Reply
Dream.Believe.Achieve.Succeed.

~!never trust a skinny cook!~
Reply
post #24 of 25
2/20/10 at 4:49pm
Larkin, all of the books "that I've seen" for everywhere else, BUT the US are in weights. The issue being is the langauge. Pierre Herme's book is like over 200.00, and worth more LOL. The issue being it's in French.

Mike
Reply
Reply
post #25 of 25
2/20/10 at 6:01pm
Thanks for the great information regarding books that can help to demystify the scratch baking process. Will have to get reading!
Where the heart is willing, it will find a thousand ways. Where it is unwilling, it will find a thousand excuses.
-----------------------------------------------------
"I did then what I knew then, when I knew better, I did better." Maya Angelou
Reply
Where the heart is willing, it will find a thousand ways. Where it is unwilling, it will find a thousand excuses.
-----------------------------------------------------
"I did then what I knew then, when I knew better, I did better." Maya Angelou
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Recipes
Cake Central › Cake Forums › Cake Talk › Recipes › Scratch recipe help