Tips and Techniques Posts

Chocolate chip cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Things bakers know: You can reuse parchment more than you think

Put that parchment to use again and again and …

Apr 14, 2022
Homemade butter in a bowl

How to make butter at home — just one ingredient required

Homemade butter tastes better, and it's totally within your reach.

Apr 8, 2022
Triangles of grilled cheese with cheese pull between them

How to make your best grilled cheese yet

Any grilled cheese is good. But here are 5 tips to make one truly great.

Mar 21, 2022
Maple Bacon Scones

Baking with bacon? Try candying it first

Sugar-baked bacon takes your favorite treats to a brand-new level.

Mar 16, 2022
Sheet pan of baked Ultimate Sandwich Bagels with everything bagel topping

What's the difference between diastatic and non-diastatic malt?

How to use different malts for better flavor, color, and rise in your bagels and breads.

Mar 14, 2022
Slice of Golden Vanilla Cake, with full cake in background

What is reverse creaming, and why does it make great cake?

This unexpected technique is the key to a velvety crumb, tender texture, and less doming.

Mar 9, 2022
Hands pulling slices of baked No-Knead Artisan Pizza

This one addition adds so much more flavor to your weekly pizza

If vinaigrette is good on salad, it must be great on pizza, right?

Mar 4, 2022
Proofed bread dough, with lots of bubbles, in a glass bowl after an overnight rise

Why multiday breads are actually the easiest breads of all

Embrace the overnight rise and make bread in your sleep.

Feb 28, 2022
Pizza baking in an oven on the top rack close to the broiler

8 ways to maximize your oven energy efficiency

Bakers and energy experts share their tips on how to bake more with less energy.

Feb 25, 2022
Ultimate Sandwich Bagels

How to make your best bagels (from someone who's made hundreds)

From better shaping to nailing the boil, here are our test kitchen's top tips.

Feb 23, 2022
Clear crock full of starter

How to make your sourdough bread more (or less) sour

Your first step: building and maintaining a healthy starter.

Feb 22, 2022
sourdough bread being sliced

How to make your sourdough bread more (or less) sour: part 2

Want to ramp up the sour? Increase the acids.

Feb 22, 2022
sourdough bread sliced

How to make your sourdough bread more (or less) sour: part 3

Sour or mild — it’s up to you.

Feb 22, 2022
Bread dough in a bowl being covered with plastic wrap

How can I get single-use plastic out of my baking? 

Simple switches can help cut down on how much plastic we waste when we bake.

Feb 21, 2022
Measuring flour into a bowl set on a digital scale.

A digital kitchen scale is an essential baking tool

And here's how to use it.

Feb 18, 2022
Keto-Friendly Marshmallows

From jiggly cakes to fluffy marshmallows, here's how to use gelatin

Master this one ingredient and unlock a whole genre of desserts.

Feb 16, 2022
Loaf of Honey-Beer Miche with deep golden brown crust

The science behind golden brown bread and extra-crispy croissants

A (very) short introduction to the Maillard reaction in baking.

Feb 15, 2022
Hands covered in sticky bread dough while kneading

Things bakers know: You should be washing your hands with flour

Avoid sticky hands, a clogged drain, and endless scrubbing with this tip.

Feb 11, 2022
dairy free milk

What's the most environmentally-friendly plant-based milk to bake with?

Navigating the non-dairy aisle.

Feb 4, 2022
Mini raspberry palmiers dipped in pink raspberry glaze

How to bake with the freeze-dried fruit powders you're seeing everywhere

Fruity flavor and captivating color with one simple ingredient.

Feb 1, 2022
Egg cracked into a clear bowl

Do eggs used in baking really need to be at room temperature?

If the recipe says so, yes. And here’s why.

Jan 25, 2022
rolling mat

For easiest rolling and minimal cleanup, try this rolling mat

Silicone is the simple solution.

Jan 21, 2022
Older hands grabbing bread rolls

Tips for baking with arthritis and other hand-related chronic pain

With technique tweaks, handy tools, and advice from fellow bakers, the joy of baking can live on.

Jan 19, 2022
Baked loaf in batard shape

How to shape a bâtard

Two ways to shape an oval loaf.

Jan 18, 2022