Baking Basics

Foundational Recipes and Techniques for Exceptional Home Baking

Years ago, when I first started learning how to write good recipes, I was struck by the realization that most recipes assume that the person baking the recipe has a basic understanding of baking terms and techniques.

Phrases like "grease and flour the pan", or "cream the butter and sugar" make perfect sense to someone who's been baking for a while. But, if you're a new baker, they can leave you feeling uncertain about what to do and how to do it.

That's what this page is about. It's an ever expanding collection of baking tips and tricks designed to deliver important information and techniques for great home baking.

Scroll down a little further on this page, you'll find a list of recipes I refer to as "Building Block Recipes". Building block recipes are tried-and-true recipes that I consider foundational to great home baking. Master these and even more complicated and intricate baking projects will become easy and familiar.

Building Block Recipes

Building block recipes are tried-and-true recipes that I consider foundational to great home baking. They are the kind of recipes I come back to over and over again, sometimes baking them as is, but often using them as a jumping off point to create something new.

Master these and even more complicated and intricate baking projects will become easy and familiar.