Baking basics

The 8 steps

1. 1

   Step 1: Cookies: cream butter and sugar

   Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies · 40 min · Easy

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   You'll learn: Cream butter and sugar and Line a pan. Beat soft butter with sugar until pale and fluffy, and bake on parchment so the cookies lift right off.

   What to notice: Pull the cookies when the edges are golden and the centers still look a little soft. They keep baking on the hot pan.

   Tip: Soft butter holds a dent when you press it but doesn't look shiny or melted. Butter that's too warm makes cookies spread thin.

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2. 2

   Step 2: Muffins: fold, don't stir

   Lemon Blueberry Muffins with Sugar Tops · 50 min · Easy

   You'll learn: Whisk, Fold and Toothpick test. Whisk wet and dry ingredients in separate bowls, fold them together just until combined, and check doneness with a toothpick.

   What to notice: Stop folding while you can still see a few streaks of flour. A lumpy batter bakes into tender muffins; a smooth one turns tough.

   Tip: Using frozen blueberries? Fold them in straight from the freezer so they don't turn the batter purple.

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3. 3

   Step 3: A quick bread in a loaf pan

   Classic One-Bowl Banana Bread · 1 hr 45 min · Easy

   You'll learn: Grease and flour a pan and Toothpick test. Get a loaf pan ready so the bread lifts out cleanly, and read the toothpick on a deep, dense loaf.

   What to notice: A few moist crumbs on the toothpick are fine; wet batter means it needs more time. Start checking a little early, since ovens vary.

   Tip: Very brown, speckled bananas make the sweetest bread. If yours are still yellow, give them a few more days.

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4. 4

   Step 4: Scones: cut in cold butter

   Classic Cream Scones · 1 hr 5 min · Easy

   You'll learn: Cut in butter. Work cold butter into flour until the pieces are the size of peas and small beans; those pieces make the flaky layers.

   What to notice: You want to see bits of butter in the dough. If it looks smooth, like cookie dough, the butter has blended in too far.

   Tip: If the butter starts to feel soft or greasy, put the whole bowl in the freezer for 10 minutes before you go on.

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5. 5

   Step 5: Your first yeast dough

   Rosemary Sea Salt Focaccia · 4 hr · Easy

   You'll learn: Proof (let rise) and Rest. Let a wet dough rest and rise until doubled, using a few sets of stretch-and-folds instead of kneading.

   What to notice: Before it goes in the pan, the dough should be doubled, puffy and full of bubbles. Go by how it looks, not the clock.

   Tip: Rising is slower in a cool kitchen and faster in a warm one. An oven with just the light on is a cozy spot for the bowl.

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6. 6

   Step 6: Knead a sandwich loaf

   Soft Classic White Sandwich Bread · 4 hr 10 min · Medium

   You'll learn: Knead and Proof (let rise). Knead until the dough is smooth and stretchy, let it rise twice, and roll it into a tight loaf.

   What to notice: Try the windowpane test: stretch a small piece thin. If light shows through before it tears, the kneading is done.

   Tip: A thermometer reading 190°F in the center tells you it's baked. A loaf can look brown outside before the middle is done.

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7. 7

   Step 7: A layer cake

   Yellow Birthday Layer Cake with Chocolate Frosting · 3 hr 20 min · Medium

   You'll learn: Grease and flour a pan, Cream butter and sugar and Sift. Prepare two pans so the layers release, cream butter and sugar until very pale, and sift for a smooth frosting.

   What to notice: Add the flour and buttermilk in turns, and mix only until each addition disappears. Overmixing here makes a tough cake.

   Tip: Spread a thin crumb coat and chill it before the final frosting. The crumbs stay put and the outside looks clean.

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8. 8

   Step 8: The finale: a double-crust pie

   Classic Double-Crust Apple Pie · 7 hr 20 min · Hard

   You'll learn: Cut in butter, Crimp and Egg wash. Make an all-butter crust, seal and crimp the edge, and brush on egg wash for a deep golden top.

   What to notice: Squeeze a handful of the crust mix. If it holds together, it has enough water; if it crumbles, add more a tablespoon at a time.

   Tip: Bake on a preheated sheet pan on the lowest rack. The hot pan helps the bottom crust bake through and catches drips.

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