Becoming a seasoned baker does not happen overnight. Learning how to bake is ultimately an exercise of trial and error, requiring patience and consistent practice. Understanding the different baking techniques and the tools you’ll need is a good place to start. From whisking egg whites to folding in delicate batters and buttering and flouring a cake pan, we will break down five basic baking techniques, as well as five additional ones every beginner baker should be familiar with.
Le Creuset’s versatile bakeware, baking dishes, and bakeware accessories are perfect for experimenting with different recipes, ensuring you have all the essentials you need to tackle new baking techniques. Featuring metal bakeware, covered casseroles, stoneware baking dishes, and specialty bakeware, these pieces of bakeware are built to last, delivering superior heat retention and even heat distribution for bakery-worthy results.
Here is our guide to baking techniques, including what type of recipes each one is best suited for and what bakeware to reach for when experimenting with these techniques.
The Five Basic Baking Techniques
Mastering the art of baking ultimately begins with experimenting with the five basic techniques. These basic techniques include creaming, whisking, and rubbing-in methods, to name a few. Keep reading for more information on each baking technique!
One baking technique stands out as a fundamental building block for countless delicious treats—the creaming method. Put simply, this method involves beating together butter and sugar until they form a light, fluffy mixture. The magic happens as the sugar crystals create tiny air pockets in the butter, resulting in a tender, moist texture in all your favourite baked goods and desserts.
Here’s how it works: Start with softened butter and granulated sugar, and cream them together using an electric hand mixer or a trusty wooden spoon. Once combined, the sugar crystals cut through the butter, trapping air along the way. The end result is perfectly light and airy cakes, cookies, and more.
The ‘Mixing It All Together’ method is all about achieving a harmonious blend of ingredients to create a balanced flavour profile in your desserts and baked goods. This method simply involves combining dry and wet ingredients separately and then gradually incorporating the dry mixture into the wet one. This gradual process ensures even distribution of flavours and prevents overmixing, which can lead to tough textures.
Start by whisking together your dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt, etc.) and separately mix your wet ingredients (eggs, milk, oil, flavor extracts). Then, slowly pour the dry mixture into the wet, gently folding them together until just combined. This baking technique ultimately results in a delightful fusion of flavours.
The ‘Melt, Mix and Bake’ technique is yet another fundamental approach to delivering bakery-worthy results every single time. As its name suggests, this baking technique typically involves melting ingredients, mixing them together, and then proceeding with baking. In fact, it is commonly used for recipes like brownies, chocolate cakes, and some cookie variations.
Begin by melting ingredients like butter, chocolate, or other fats. Once melted, combine these with other essential ingredients such as sugar, eggs, and flour. The result is a rich, gooey batter ready for baking. This baking technique is known for producing moist and indulgent treats, often with a fudgy or dense texture, making it a favourite for chocolate lovers and dessert enthusiasts.
The Rubbing-In Method is a baking technique that involves working cold fat, typically butter, into dry ingredients, usually flour. This method is a cornerstone for creating delicious and flaky pastries and crumbly textures into a variety of desserts, including scones, biscuits, and pie crusts.
Start by cutting cold fat into small cubes and then rubbing it into the flour using your fingertips. The goal is to create a mixture with a breadcrumb-like consistency, where the fat coats the flour particles. The evenly distributed fat results in a flaky, tender pastry when combined with minimal liquid, making for yet another essential baking technique.
No repertoire of baking techniques would be complete without the Whisking Method. In many ways, this baking technique offers beginner bakers a fundamental building block when tackling new recipes and desserts, particularly, sponge cakes, mousses, and soufflés.
Central to this baking technique is the vigorous whisking of eggs, often with sugar, until the mixture becomes pale, voluminous, and forms soft peaks. The key is to whisk methodically, incorporating air into the batter while maintaining its structure. This, in turn, traps air within the eggs, delivering a light, delicate texture. Our Revolution® Balloon Whisk is a key bakeware accessory to have on hand to master this baking technique.
Our Favourite Baking Techniques
The Le Creuset Cooking School demystifies all your favourite cooking and baking techniques with easy-to-follow how-to videos. Here is a breakdown of our five favourite baking techniques, along with a piece of bakeware that works seamlessly with each of them.
How to Whisk Egg Whites
Whisking egg whites to achieve a desired consistency, whether stiff or soft peaks, is a pivotal skill in baking. Ultimately, our Revolution® Balloon Whisk and Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls are all you will need to experiment with this baking technique.
The first step is whisking the egg whites slowly until they are foamy. When whipping egg whites to soft peaks, they should hold their form but remain slightly billowy, making them perfect for delicate recipes such as chiffon cakes.
Next, beat the egg whites more quickly, incorporating more air. To test the consistency of the peaks, dip the whip into the eggs and flip upright. For medium peaks, continue whisking until the egg whites hold their shape, but the peaks bend at the top. Finally, whipping egg whites to stiff peaks requires beating them until the peaks stand upright, creating a firm and glossy texture, resembling marshmallow fluff.
Be sure to watch our how-to video for more information on whisking eggs whites to soft and stiff peaks.
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How to Fold in Batters
Folding batter is a delicate baking technique employed to combine ingredients without deflating the mixture. This baking technique is commonly used in recipes such as soufflés, macarons, and chiffon cakes, where maintaining a light, airy texture is crucial.
The process involves gently incorporating a heavier mixture (usually dry ingredients) into a lighter one (often whipped egg whites or a cake batter). Our Revolution® Large Spatula is ideal for folding in delicate batters, featuring an extra-broad and strong blade, and has been carefully designed to reach inside deep pots and bowls.
The key is to slowly scoop around the batter then flip the spoon over, pulling it down the center of the mixture. Be sure to repeat this process until the mixture is fully incorporated and evenly blended. Here’s a quick video on how to fold in batters along with recommended equipment and simple steps to follow.
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How to Knead Dough
Kneading is yet another crucial baking technique, typically used in bread and pastry making. In fact, kneading is what gives bread its structure, texture, and elasticity, developing gluten. Dough kneading results in a smooth, elastic, and cohesive dough with improved rising capabilities.
Begin by dusting a clean surface with flour to prevent the dough from sticking before flattening it with your hands. Next, fold the dough in half and begin kneading the dough with the heel of your hand. Once complete, turn the dough a quarter turn, approximately 90 degrees, and continue pushing and folding it until smooth and elastic. Finish by shaping the dough in a ball and placing it in our Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls completely covered to rise. Be sure to watch our video on how to knead dough before tackling this baking technique!
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How to Make a Caramel
Making a caramel is a simple, yet effective baking technique, typically used in recipes such as flan, sweet sauces, and caramel-filled chocolates. Put simply, caramel is sugar that’s been heated until it melts and turns a golden brown colour.
This baking technique involves heating sugar until it melts and turns into a rich, amber-colored liquid, which adds a delightful sweetness and depth of flavor to your favourite desserts and sweet breakfast dishes. Alternatively, a little salt can be added, resulting in a delicious salted caramel.
The Revolution® Large Spatula and Stainless Steel Saucepan are the ultimate combination when making caramel. This versatile piece of stainless steel cookware is perfect for this baking technique, offering superior heat retention and even heat distribution, so your caramel doesn’t overcook.
Once the sugar melts, begin swirling the pan, preventing it from crystallizing. Continue cooking it until the sugar is golden brown before adding the cream and stirring it in vigorously. The end result is a beautiful, smooth and velvety carmel.
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How to Butter and Flour a Cake Pan
Last but certainly not least, buttering and flouring a cake pan is a crucial step before tackling any recipe. This baking technique ultimately prevents food from sticking to the pan, making it easier to unmold cakes for a bakery-worthy presentation. Typically, any piece of Metal Bakeware can be used for this technique, including our Springform Round Cake Tin.
The Springform Round Cake Tin is particularly ideal for this baking technique and comes equipped with removable nonstick sides, making it even easier to unveil an elegant cake that's easy to slice. Begin by preparing your piece of bakeware and spreading a small amount of softened butter across the pan's interior surfaces, including corners and edges. Next, sprinkle a tablespoon of flour evenly.
Finish by inverting the Cake Tin and tapping the pan over a sink to remove any excess flour. And voilà – Your pan is now ready for baking! Watch our video for detailed instructions on buttering and flouring a cake pan!
Learn moreMaster the Art of Baking with Le Creuset
Becoming a skilled baker is a journey that unfolds gradually, demanding dedication and perseverance. Mastery of baking techniques is a rewarding endeavor and can be fun to experiment with or take up as a hobby with a little time and patience. Whether it's the gentle art of folding batters or the rhythmic kneading of dough, practice makes perfect.
Le Creuset’s bakeware, baking dishes, and versatile bakeware accessories make for a convenient addition to any collection, ensuring you have everything you need to tackle your favourite baking techniques and recipes. Built to last with premium materials, our bakeware has been carefully crafted to be passed on from generation to generation, delivering superior heat retention and even heat distribution at every turn.
These were just ten of the most commonly used baking techniques, but for more inspiration, visit our blog for all the latest product updates, tips, and ways to make the most of your Le Creuset bakeware.
