BAKE LIKE A PRO IN THE KITCHEN

LUTHO PASIYA

A FEW weeks into lockdown, many people were whipping and whisking their way to beautiful desserts, and it was brilliant.

However, when the cake is in the oven and the stack of baking bowls are towering over your kitchen sink, it can feel less like a hobby and more like a chore.

Below, cookbook author and baking aficionado Grace Stevens shares some of her tried-and-true tips for weekend baking.

Read the recipe.

Few things are more frustrating than the “chill overnight” instruction in the last step of a recipe. Reading the recipe carefully will allow you to plan your time so that you can bake your creation and still have time to enjoy the rest of your weekend plans.

Make a precise list of ingredients that you need and check that you have the correct size baking tins. Making sure you use the correct size tin for your baked goods will prevent an accidental collapse.

Buy your ingredients in advance to give yourself time to hunt down any specialist ingredients online or at baking shops.

Make sure you understand the baking terminology in your recipe – you may need to ask a baker friend or research terms to know what the recipe’s asking of you.

Start with a clean kitchen.

Nothing is more treacherous than trying to balance a cake tin full of batter precariously on the edge of your counter, and cleaning cake batter off the floor is not fun for anyone.

Best to avoid any accidents altogether and begin with enough clean space for you to work.

Grease or line your tins before you begin and preheat your oven.

All food cooks unevenly in a cold oven and yeast, baking soda, and baking powder will react differently at varying temperatures. Preheating your oven will help ensure your cake rises as you planned.

Measure your ingredients carefully.

Baking relies on the chemical reactions between the ingredients in your recipe to achieve that perfectly light cake or chewy cookie.

There is also a slight difference between dry and liquid cup quantities so whenever possible measure by weight.

Bake a nostalgic recipe.

The taste and smell of these delights are treasured memories and making one of these recipes for a family member is like serving them a happy slice of childhood. Literally.

Easy breads to make

OVERNIGHT NO-KNEAD BREAD

Ingredients:

6 cups bread or cake wheat flour

½ tsp yeast

2 tsp salt

3 cups water, lukewarm

Method:

Using a wooden spoon, mix all the ingredients in a large bowl until well incorporated then cover with cling film to proof overnight, ± 6 hours.

The following morning, preheat the oven to 200° Celsius.

Lay parchment or baking paper down into a baking pan and sprinkle liberally with flour. Tip the dough into the floured baking pan and immediately divide it into 2 round loaves or any shape you prefer, pulling the dough from underneath towards the top.

After shaping the dough, leave in the pan for the second proofing until doubled in size, then bake for 45 minutes.

The bread is done when the aroma of freshly baked bread fills the room and the tops look golden brown sounding hollow when tapped.

Leave about 15 minutes to cool before serving. Recipe by Pumla Brooke-Thomae.

CHEF LUNGI’S SOFT BREAD

Ingredients:

4 cups all-purpose flour

1½ tsp of yeast

1 tbsp of sugar

2 tsp of salt

¼ cup oil

Warm water to mix

Method:

Preheat your oven to 160°C

In a large bowl, mix all your flour, yeast and sugar and stir. Add salt and oil, stir. Add enough water to wet the ingredient then mix to form a dough.

Knead for about 15 minutes until the dough is smooth then put it on a lightly oiled bowl, cover with cling film and leave to rise to double the size. When your dough has doubled in size, knead it back down, and place in an oiled bread tin and bake for 20 minutes.

Recipe by Chef Lungi Nhlanhla.