Pastry Practice
Cut Scones Straight Down and Give the Edges Room to Rise
Get cleaner scone edges with a sharp cutter, sensible spacing and a simple way to compare your next batch.
THE HOME BAKING NOTEBOOK
Baking notebook
Bread Workshop
Let Bread Cool Before Deciding Whether the Crumb Is Gummy
A warm loaf can mislead you about its crumb. Learn what to record, when to slice and how to investigate persistent gumminess.
Pastry Practice
Docking Pastry: When Small Holes Help a Tart Base
Understand what docking does to pastry and why a tart base, a puff-pastry lid and a wet filling may need different handling.
Pastry Practice
Give Pastry Offcuts a Second Bake Without Treating Them Like Fresh Dough
Separate shortcrust and laminated pastry scraps, preserve useful layers, and choose a small second bake that suits what remains.
Pastry Practice
Seal a Hand Pie Without Trapping Filling in the Edge
Give a hand pie a clean sealing edge, manageable filling and a supported shape before crimping, so the border can do its job in the oven.
Baking Equipment
When a Larger Cake Batch Outgrows Your Mixing Bowl
Check a mixer’s recipe capacity and the space needed for mixing before increasing a cake batch, then plan separate batches when the equipment requires them.
Baking Know-How
Muffin Batter Does Not Need to Look Perfectly Smooth
Learn where to stop mixing muffin batter, how to find hidden dry flour and why a few small lumps need not be a problem.
Baking Know-How
A Cake Tin Can Brown the Edges Before the Centre Is Ready
Cake-tin colour and material can change edge browning. Compare pans carefully before adjusting a recipe that used to work.
Pastry Notes
Choux Pastry: Let the Dough Decide How Much Egg It Needs
Learn what to observe between egg additions in choux pastry, why a temporarily split mixture is normal, and when to stop before piping.