Six tools needed to become a successful baker
Baking is an art that is entirely separate from your day-to-day cooking style. You need a deft hand, patience and the right set of tools to make your creations stand out.
You will often find the same set of equipment in every baker’s kitchen, however, the better the tools you have, the better your food will taste.
Being a successful baker may mean different things to different people. So, whether you plan on selling your baked goods like a professional, or you only enjoy baking for your friends and family, these are the special tools you will need to become successful.
A chef’s kitchen knife
The sharp blade of a proper kitchen knife is often associated with more traditional cooking. You will need this tool to cut through tough foods like beef or lamb, so why should you also use it when you are baking?
Sure, most of the stuff you bake will be soft and fluffy, but that does not mean that it cuts neatly with a butter knife. What’s more, you will need to handle things like apples and nuts when you are in your kitchen. Nothing breaks these apart quicker than a proper chef’s knife, so don’t get caught out by baking’s delicate appearance.
Piping bags
Decorating your cakes is easy enough with some common kitchen utensils. A fork or serving spoon can help you to smooth the icing over a cake’s surface with little issue. However, a true baker will need to be a bit cleverer with their designs. That is why you should use a piping bag.
It takes some getting used to but using a washable piping bag allows you to craft intricate and personal designs with icing, helping your baked goods stand out from the crowd. Icing can be the trickiest part of a project, so make sure that you use all the help you can get.
Cake boards
While cake decorating supplies are a necessity in the kitchen, you won’t get very far with your baking if you cannot transport your cakes properly. Baking produces some very fragile food, and it is common for these to break apart while in transport. You don’t want your hard work to go to waste, so you will need a method to keep your cakes in one piece.
A simple box will not do, which is why you should look into purchasing cake boards from Cake Craft Company. These non-slip boards will keep your cakes still as you move them from one location to the next. A cake board is a professional baker’s best friend, so if you want to get close to this status you should think about using one.
Dividers
Not every baker wants to focus on cakes alone, which is why you will also need some tools to help you when baking things like bread. Bread dough is very different to cake batter, and it is easy to find cake separators on the shelves at your local supermarket.
This seems a little unfair when other doughs are far more likely to stick together in the oven. The sticking issue isn’t so much of a problem when you are trying to bake whole loaves, however, it does mean that you have to be extra careful when making a batch of smaller loaves or bread rolls. That is why a dough divider is a perfect tool for you. It can prevent your dough from melting into one another, ensuring that your rolls come out perfectly formed every time.
Food thermometer
A lot of recipes will dictate that your cakes are finished once they reach a certain level of consistency, rather than an actual temperature. As such, you would be forgiven for thinking that bakers do not require the use of a food thermometer.
While you won’t be placing a food thermometer into a freshly baked cake or a loaf of bread, there are some ingredients that need to be at the correct temperature before you put them in a recipe. Things like melted chocolate, meringue and cream will work better at the correct temperature, so make sure you invest in a proper food thermometer to get the best results.
Dough scraper
Remember when we mentioned how awkward it can be working with bread dough? Well, it also makes cleaning up your dishes at the end even more difficult. What’s more, you are going to want to use up as much of the dough you have created. It would be a shame to see it go to waste stuck to the end of a rolling pin or butter knife.
Therefore, you should try to use a dough scraper as often as possible. This ensures that your dough never goes to waste.
Conclusion
A baker will figure out their own methods the more they practise, however, you can only perfect your craft with the right set of tools. Make sure you aren’t missing anything in your kitchen.
