right consistency), or in a heavy-bottomed pan over a low heat until no more than a third is melted and the rest is soft (you can turn the heat off and leave it once the pan is hot). You can also leave the butter, in a dish, in a warm place like an airing cupboard or on top of the oven, but don’t forget about it. WHY UNSALTED BUTTER? There are a number of reasons why unsalted butter is specified in most baking recipes, and it’s not just to do with flavour. The amount of salt and the water content vary greatly between salted butters, making it harder to be precise. Salt and liquid also play a role in the toughening of gluten, which is something you want to keep in control of while you bake | see page 19 for more on this |, and unsalted butter is likely to be fresher and purer, as it is not destined for the long shelf life that salted butter has.
EGGS
EGGS are the backbone of most baked goods – they contribute to their structure, provide steam for leavening and add moisture for gluten development. Egg yolks add tenderising fat and help to emulsify a batter, which gives things a smooth and creamy texture. Egg whites act as strengtheners, and help to trap air in a batter, which makes it rise and gives it an even crumb.
CHOOSING EGGS Always try to use free-range eggs – you shouldn’t have any trouble finding them, as caged eggs are now illegal in the UK. Eggs come in different sizes – I use UK medium eggs (approximately 50g – whites 35g, yolks 15g) for the recipes in this book unless otherwise specified. Most baking recipes will call for room temperature eggs, so make sure you leave them out of the fridge before using them – alternatively you can bring their temperature up by placing them in a bowl of tepid water. HOW TO SEPARATE EGGS Techniques differ, but I tap the top of the shell sharply with a heavy knife for a clean break, then tip the yolk between the two halves of the shell, draining out the white as I go. Eggs are easier to separate if they are cold, so if you’re having difficulties, separate them straight from the fridge and allow them to come to room temperature before you use them. THINGS TO DO WITH LEFTOVER EGG WHITES OR YOLKS You can keep leftover whites or yolks for up to three days in the fridge if sealed. You can also freeze them airtight for up to three months. Remember to label the container with either the weight or the number of yolks or whites. USE LEFTOVER WHITES FOR: Meringues, macaroons. USE LEFTOVER YOLKS FOR: Custard, ice cream, egg wash, pastry.
AIR
ALTHOUGH not usually listed as an ingredient, air is essential to many recipes and a lot of the methods and ingredients used in baking are there specifically to trap and retain it. The air in your batter will affect the texture, size and appearance of the finished bake. Air bubbles trapped in egg whites will lift a cake, as will the air trapped in the creaming stage of baking. Leavenings such as bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and yeast release carbon dioxide in the oven, which assists the rise of a cake and can add a lightness to denser bakes like biscuits. Whichever way they’re incorporated, it’s gas expanding in those air bubbles when heated that causes the cake batter to rise.
EQUIPMENT
We all grow up with a few mottos that have been drilled into us from childhood, and mine was ‘A bad workman blames his tools.’ When it comes to baking, you don’t need a lot of fancy equipment. The right tools will help you do a good job, but if you’re resourceful you can get by with a few essentials. Which brings me to the first tool on the list – your hands. Don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty when you bake, as they’re often the best tool for the job – scooping and spreading batters, making and kneading doughs, smoothing, patting, testing for doneness, moulding and portioning.
CORE TOOLS
HEAVY-BOTTOMED PAN: For heating syrups, sauces and sugars, and for making a double boiler | otherwise known as a bain-marie – see page 196 |. SIEVE: Fine metal for sifting flour and coarser metal for passing custards, sauces and coulis – anything that requires a smooth, consistent texture. MIXING BOWLS: Metal is best, followed by glass and then plastic. Having extra bowls is a real luxury, as it saves washing and drying mid-bake, but you will get by with two good-sized bowls. At least one should hold 5 litres and both should hold a minimum of 3 litres. METAL BALLOON WHISK: Useful for whisking liquids and also for evenly mixing together any dry ingredients you are adding in one go. STAND MIXER: With a whisk and paddle attachment, a stand mixer will make your life much easier. I got by for a long time with just a hand-held electric whisk (which kept breaking), but my baking got a lot easier (and tidier) when I could finally afford a stand mixer. My Kenwood Chef served me incredibly well – I stayed up with that mixer many a long night making literally thousands of cakes, one small batch at a time. GOOD SCALES: A good set of scales that measures in grams, ounces and millilitres can be bought for around £15 and will suit your home baking needs perfectly. Look for one that measures up to 2.2kg in 1g increments and has a flat surface rather than a built-in bowl. SILICONE SPATULA: An indispensable item for any baker. Scraping down the bowl with a spatula as you make up your batters should be a habit you get into, especially if you are using a stand mixer. A spatula is also useful for folding and for reaching into the very edge of a pot that needs stirring. Silicone is heat-resistant up to 260˚C, so can be used to stir very hot liquids. MEASURING SPOONS: Useful for accurate measuring of 1 tablespoon, 1 teaspoon, ½ teaspoon and ¼ teaspoon. If you’re caught short, it’s useful to know that 1 tablespoon is equal to 3 teaspoons. BAKING PAPER: Use silicone or parchment paper for baking, not greaseproof – it works much better. BAKING TRAYS: Useful not only for baking biscuits and meringues, but for chocolate and sugar work too. TART TINS AND CAKE TINS: A range of sizes might be useful, as using the wrong size of tin will affect your bake | see page 24 |. The material a tin is made from can also affect it – I recommend aluminium tins, which distribute heat well. OVEN: This is one piece of equipment you will probably have to make do with. Every oven I’ve ever used has had its own personality and nuances. In the bakery we have two ovens – ‘Wild Bill’, who is great for baking bread and roasting but will blow everything around and burn it if you’re not very careful, and ‘The Perv’, so named because this one has a little light you can push to peek inside. OVEN THERMOMETER: Ovens vary greatly, and I’ve never moved into a kitchen – home or professional – where the ovens are set to the right temperature. Before you bake anything, you should check your oven temperature with a thermometer. Do some experimenting and work out how the temperature of the oven relates to the temperature on the dial. Test the temperature of different shelves and parts of the oven to ascertain the heat distribution – often the top shelf will be hotter, so cakes on that shelf will bake quicker. I worked with a standard home oven for a long time and got to know exactly when to rotate a tray or switch cakes between shelves. You will get to know your oven better than anyone, and will likely need to adapt baking times accordingly.
NOTE: The oven temperatures in this book are for a fan-assisted (convection) home oven. If you are using a conventional home oven you should increase oven temperature by 20°C. Remember – every oven is different, so test the temperature with a thermometer or prepare for a few practice runs to get it right. Conventional ovens are also more likely to have ‘hot spots’ | see above |.
A NOTE ON TIN SIZES One of the last things people think to check when trying out a new recipe is whether they have the right tin, and it’s tempting just to tip the batter in and hope for the best. But this can really affect the outcome of your cake – if the tin is too full the cake
