Learn baker’s percentages using flour as 100%. Work through ingredient weights, hydration and a batch-size calculation without confusing recipe ratios with yield.
Baker’s Percentages Explained with a Simple Worked Example
read more
THE CULINARY JOURNAL / EXPLORE A TOPIC
Baking Practice
Practical ideas, thoughtful techniques and fresh perspectives for your time in the kitchen.
Why Cookies Spread: A Controlled Troubleshooting Guide
Troubleshoot cookie spread by checking measurements, dough condition, trays and oven preparation. Change one variable at a time instead of adding flour blindly.
Chocolate Ganache: Match the Consistency to the Job
Choose ganache for glazing, filling or spreading. Understand why chocolate type, recipe balance and temperature matter before trying to fix the texture.
Choux Pastry Consistency: What to Observe Before Piping
Understand the stages of choux pastry, from the cooked base to egg incorporation. Record consistency and piping behaviour before troubleshooting the bake.
Blind Baking Tart Shells: Partial Bake or Full Bake?
Know when a tart shell needs partial or full blind baking. Check the base, support the sides and plan the bake around the filling you will use.
Why Shortcrust Pastry Shrinks: Check Handling Before the Oven
Troubleshoot shrinking pastry by reviewing rolling, lining and resting. Learn how to fit dough into a tin without stretching it and record your next trial.