Learning the baking basics for beginners will give you an edge above other bakers. Baking is far much more than just mixing ingredients. Baking is a science that involves chemical reactions to bring about a final product.

What is Baking?

Baking is the method of preparing food using dry heat usually in an oven. People have created other means of baking with hot stones or hot ashes over time. This helps people who do not have access to ovens.

With so many recipes accessible everywhere, it may be very confusing for a beginner. This post helps to give you a guide on 10 basic baking ingredients used in baking and their functions.

Baking is an exciting and rewarding hobby that has been around for centuries. It’s a great way to relax, express your creativity, and enjoy delicious treats. However, if you’re new to baking, the process can be overwhelming. That’s why we’ve put together these beginners baking basics to help you get started.


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MOST USED INGREDIENTS FOR BEGINNERS
Flour
Flour is a powder made from grinding cereal grains. It is good for baking cakes, pastries and bread. There are several types of flour, they include:

1. All purpose Flour– Best used for all types of cakes, pastries and bread.
2. Cake Flour– Best used for cakes, muffins and biscuits.
3. Pastry Flour– Best used for cakes, muffins, pancakes, biscuits, pie crusts and bread sticks.
4. Bread Flour– Best used for breads and pizza dough.
5. Self Rising Flour– Best used for pancakes, biscuits and scones.
6. Whole Wheat Flour– Best used for cookies, breads, pancakes, pizza dough and pasta.
7. White Whole Wheat Flour– Best used for bread, muffins and cookies.
8. Gluten free Flour– Best used for cakes, muffins, pancakes and bread.
9. Al mond Flour– Best used for cookies, muffins, pancakes, biscuits and bread.
10. 00 Flour– An Italian type of flour that has a super fine texture with the ability to be rolled extremely thin without breaking. It is best good for pasta, pizza dough, crackers, couscous, flat breads and thin crust.
The best way to store flour is in an airtight container and in a dry and dark place like a store or a pantry to enable it last long and fresh.

Sugar
Sugar keeps baked foods moist and soft. It combines perfectly with water to lock in moisture in cakes, muffins, breads and other pastries so they do not dry out easily.

Sugar gives sweetness to baked foods, it is important for creaming batters. It also helps to activate yeast for fermentation. Sugar also helps to improve and increase the life span/shelf life of baked foods.

It is safe to say that sugar is indispensable in baking. Although, recently, recipes excluding sugar are developing to create room for people living with diabetes to also enjoy baked foods.

Sugar can be stored in an odour free airtight container and in a cool place. DO NOT store sugar in a refrigerator as moisture makes it lumpy and difficult to use.

Eggs
Eggs are one of the most nutritious foods on the planet. The reason is because they contain all the nutrients required to turn a single cell to a baby.

In baking, chicken eggs are commonly used. Eggs play an important role in baking and food production. They provide stability and structure and they also help to give moisture to baked foods. Because of their high protein content, they help to bind ingredients together.

It is important to use FRESH EGGS in baking and food production. The fresher the eggs, the better the flavour. Fresh eggs also help cakes and pastries rise at their best.

How can you tell that your eggs are still fresh?
I know you’re beginning to understand the baking basics. Let’s carry on.

Butter
Butter is a dairy product that comprises of fat and protein components. Butter contributes flavour and texture to baked foods and products. Without it, cakes and pastries would not be rich.

Mostly, unsalted and salted butters are used in baking and food production.

Unsalted butter is a mildly sweet butter that’s best for baking. Because it is not salted, you’re left with the pure taste and flavors of the churned cream, so you can maintain control of the flavors in your baking recipe.

Salted butter has about 1/4 teaspoon of salt added for every 4 oz. of butter. Even though it seems like a small amount, it makes a difference in taste. The extra salt helps the flavors in your recipe pop while also maintaining the freshness of your butter for longer.

Store or preserve butter in the fridge in a grease proof paper or an aluminium foil to keep it fresh. You can also keep it in an air tight container at room temperature for one or two days.

Margarine
Margarine is a spread for flavouring, baking, and cooking. It is a substitute for butter. Although it is originally an extract from animal fats, most margarine today are from vegetable oil. Margarine is a useful substitute for butter in making American Buttercream.

Salt
Salt is an essential ingredient in baking.

The functions of salt in baking include stabilizing the yeast fermentation rate, strengthening the dough, enhancing the flavour of the final product, and increasing dough mixing time.

Another role of salt in baking is preservation. Because salt attracts moisture, it helps to keep your baked goods fresh for longer. Salt helps to balance the sweetness of sugar. Remember not to skip salt in your baking process when your recipe calls for it.

How excited are you to learn about these baking basics? Let’s go on

Baking Powder
Baking powder is an essential ingredient in producing baked foods. It is complete leavening agent. It is a combination of Sodium Bicarbonate and powdered weak acid.

Baking powder needs only moisture and heat to activate it. It is usually used in recipes that do not call for an acidic ingredient.

It is best preserved in a dry air tight container.

To test the freshness of baking powder, simply add a teaspoon of baking powder into a glass of hot water. If it bubbles, it is still active.

Baking Soda
Baking soda is completely Sodium Bicarbonate with nothing else added to it. In every recipe that calls for baking soda, an acid is always needed to activate it.

Acids used in activating baking soda include white vinegar, lemon juice, yogurt and buttermilk. Baking soda is usually used in recipes that require an acidic ingredient.

Baking Soda is best preserved in a dry airtight container.

To test the freshness of baking soda, simply add a teaspoon of it to some white vinegar. If it bubbles, it is still active.

Vegetable Oil
Some recipes call for the use of vegetable oil. You can substitute melted butter for vegetable oil in recipes that call for melted butter.

Canola oil is the best for baking. Most vegetable oils will work just fine in cake but be sure to use fine, odourless oil for baked goods.

Cocoa Powder
Cocoa powder is an unsweetened powder that adds chocolate flavour to baked goods such as brownies, cookies, cakes, and various other dessert recipes.

There is unsweetened cocoa powder, natural cocoa powder, dark cocoa powder, Dutch process cocoa powder, and black cocoa powder.



The above are the 10 most using baking basic ingredients for beginners.

Read more on the Basic baking tools you need https://howtocakebake.com/basic-tools-used-for-baking/