Baking Basics

Baking is a way of cooking food using the dry heat of an oven. When you bake, you turn simple ingredients like flour, sugar, eggs, and butter into delicious treats. Cookies, cakes, muffins, and bread are all made by baking. Baking is sometimes called a science because you need to follow recipes carefully for things to turn out right.

Important Baking Ingredients

Flour gives baked goods their structure. Sugar makes them sweet and helps them brown in the oven. Eggs hold everything together and make baked goods moist. Butter adds richness and flavor. Baking soda and baking powder are leavening agents that make things rise. Each ingredient has an important job to do.

Baking Tips for Beginners

Always read the whole recipe before you start baking. Preheat your oven so it is hot and ready when your food goes in. Measure your ingredients carefully because baking needs exact amounts. Do not open the oven door too often because the cold air can make cakes and cookies fall flat. Let baked goods cool before frosting or eating them.

Fun Facts

• Baking soda and baking powder are not the same thing even though they both make food rise.
• The first ovens were built about 5,000 years ago in ancient Egypt.
• Chocolate chip cookies were invented by accident when chocolate pieces did not melt into the dough.

Did You Know?

Baking is called an "exact science" because even small changes in measurements can completely change how your food turns out!