c/baking-fails-and-wins

I finally tried that 'room temperature butter' rule for cookies after ignoring it for a decade.

My chocolate chip cookies in Chicago last Tuesday went from flat, greasy puddles to perfect, chewy discs, which convinced me the baking science people aren't just making stuff up.

My neighbor's comment about my sourdough starter made my week

I was walking my dog past Mrs. Henderson's house on Tuesday, and she stopped me to say my latest loaf looked 'just like the picture in her old cookbook'. She's lived here in Portland for 60 years and bakes a lot, so that meant everything. It took me 4 tries to get the scoring right and not have it deflate. Has anyone else had a simple compliment from an experienced baker totally make your day?

I finally got my lemon bars to stop weeping by doing the exact opposite of what the recipe said

For months, my lemon bars were a soupy mess on top, even after cooling overnight. The recipe said to bake the curd for 25 minutes at 350, but I was desperate. Last Saturday, I baked them for 45 minutes at 300 instead. The top set PERFECTLY and they cut into clean squares. Has anyone else had to completely ignore the bake time to fix a recipe?

My sourdough starter went crazy after I left it on the furnace for a day

This was two weeks ago, and I was ready to throw the jar out. I put it on the warm furnace top by mistake, and it doubled in size overnight. I used it for a loaf the next morning, and it was the best rise I've ever gotten. The crust was perfect and the crumb was open. I've been keeping it in that same warm spot ever since. Has anyone else had a starter react that fast to a small change in heat?

I thought the 'room temp butter' rule was just baking snob talk...

For years I'd just microwave it for 10 seconds and call it good, and my cookies always spread into one giant sheet. Last week I actually left two sticks out on the counter in Portland for a full 3 hours before making a batch. The difference was crazy... they held their shape perfectly and stayed soft inside. Has anyone else had a simple fix that actually worked after being stubborn about it?

My neighbor told me my bread was too dense and I finally listened

I've been making the same whole wheat loaf every week for like six months, and it always came out kind of heavy. My neighbor tried a slice last week and was like, 'You're not kneading it enough, you need to go for a full 10 minutes by hand.' I always stopped after maybe 5 because my arms got tired. Tried her advice this morning and kneaded the full time, and wow, the texture is so much lighter and airier. I mean, idk why I resisted for so long. Has anyone else had a simple tip completely fix a recipe you'd given up on?

My $40 digital scale was a total game changer for my bread.

I always used cups and spoons before, but my sourdough loaves were never the same twice. After buying the scale and weighing everything in grams, my last three bakes have been perfect. Has anyone else found that one tool made a huge difference?

I think everyone is wrong about how to fix a cracked cheesecake top

My last cheesecake came out with a huge crack right down the middle, which seems to happen to a lot of people. The common fix you see everywhere is to put a pan of water in the oven, but that never worked for me. I tried it three times and still got cracks. I spent about two hours online looking for other answers and found a tip about letting the cake cool in the oven with the door propped open. I did that, but it still cracked after 45 minutes of cooling. The real fix for me was much simpler: I stopped beating the eggs into the batter so hard. I used to mix them in on medium speed with my hand mixer for a full minute. Now I just fold them in gently with a spatula at the end. Has anyone else found that the water bath advice just doesn't work for their oven?

My stand mixer's bowl lock gave out mid-bake

This happened two days ago while I was making a double batch of my usual rye bread dough. I had just added the last of the flour when I heard a loud snap from the KitchenAid. The whole bowl tilted, and dough started climbing up the hook and spilling over the side. The little plastic piece that locks the bowl in place had cracked clean through. In my experience, that part is a real weak spot on the older models. I had to quickly unplug the whole thing, grab a big spoon, and finish the knead by hand for a good ten minutes. My arms are still sore. It was a huge mess and I almost lost the batch. Has anyone else had this happen? I'm trying to decide if I should just order the replacement part or if this is a sign the whole mixer is giving up.

Vent: My sourdough starter is a diva but my backup plan is a rockstar

I tried to make my usual sourdough boule yesterday, but my starter, which I've had for 3 years, was just not bubbly enough. So I grabbed a packet of instant yeast from the back of my fridge as a backup. The sourdough loaf came out flat and dense, but the quick yeast bread I threw together in the same oven was perfect and fluffy. I guess sometimes the fancy, finicky method just loses to the cheap, reliable one. Anyone else have a 'fancy' baking method that just never works out for them?

Appreciation post: My sourdough starter was flat for weeks until I moved it to a warmer spot.

I kept my starter on the kitchen counter, but my kitchen is pretty cold. After reading a comment online, I put it on top of the fridge instead. The next morning it had doubled in size and was full of bubbles. Has anyone else found their starter is super picky about temperature?

I used to think cold butter was fine for pie crust, but my friend's method with frozen butter changed everything.

My neighbor told me my cinnamon rolls looked like hockey pucks

She was right, they were dense and hard. She asked if I was letting the dough rise in a warm enough spot. I used to just leave it on the counter, but my kitchen is cold. Now I put the bowl in my oven with just the light on for an hour. The difference is huge, they're soft and fluffy. Anyone else have a cold kitchen and a trick for proofing?

I thought the 'room temperature eggs' rule for cake was just old wives' tales. My dense, sad pound cake from last week proved me wrong.

My aunt swore by room temp butter for cookies, and I finally tried it

She always said to leave the butter out for an hour before making chocolate chip cookies, but I never listened and just used it cold from the fridge. Last Sunday I actually did it her way for a batch of my usual recipe. The cookies spread perfectly and were way softer in the middle, just like she promised. Has anyone else had a simple tip from a family member totally change how something bakes?

My sourdough starter from a Portland bakery versus the one I grew from scratch

I got a fancy starter from a bakery up in Portland last month, thinking it would be a cheat code. My own starter, which I've had for about six months, looked sad next to it. The bakery one made a decent loaf, but my own starter made bread that tasted way better, with a real tang to it. I guess the local yeast just likes my kitchen more... Anyone else have a starter that just works better than a 'pro' one?

I was measuring flour wrong for ages and my cookies were always flat...

My friend watched me scoop flour straight from the bag with the measuring cup and said, 'That's why your stuff is heavy.' I didn't know you were supposed to spoon it in and level it off. Tried it yesterday with my chocolate chip recipe and they actually held their shape. Has anyone else had a basic technique they were totally messing up?

My wife told me my bread looked like a sad rock

She said the dense loaf I was so proud of would make a good doorstop, and that I should try using warm water instead of cold. I switched to 110 degree water for the yeast and the next loaf rose like a dream. Anyone have a good tip for getting a crisp crust without a Dutch oven?

I skipped the crumb coat on a three tier cake and everyone said it was wrong

I was making a birthday cake for my sister's party in Denver and the recipe said to do a crumb coat. I decided to just frost it thick in one go to save an hour. The cake looked fine, no crumbs showed through at all. People online always act like skipping that step is a guaranteed disaster, but it worked perfectly for me. I've done it twice now with the same result. Has anyone else had a win by ignoring a standard baking rule?

Overheard a mom at the grocery store telling her kid 'it's just flour' after a cake disaster

I was grabbing butter yesterday and this little girl was almost crying because their birthday cake fell apart. Her mom just laughed and said, 'Honey, it's just flour and eggs, we can try again.' It really stuck with me because I get so mad when my stuff doesn't turn out perfect. I tried making macarons again this morning and messed up the first batch, but I just started over instead of giving up. Anyone else have a simple thing someone said that helped you chill out about baking fails?

I always thought weighing flour was a waste of time until my cookies kept spreading

For years, I just scooped flour right from the bag with a measuring cup. My chocolate chip cookies would always turn out flat and greasy, no matter what recipe I used. Last weekend, after my third batch in a row looked like sad little pancakes, I finally bought a cheap $12 kitchen scale. I weighed the flour for the same recipe, and it was almost a quarter cup more than my usual scoop! That extra flour made all the difference. The next batch held their shape perfectly and were chewy in the middle. I feel silly for fighting it for so long. Has anyone else had a baking problem that was totally fixed by just using a scale?

Appreciation post: My grandma's butter vs. margarine rule for pie crust

When I first started baking, my grandma told me I had to pick between using cold butter or margarine for a flaky crust. She said 'real butter makes the layers, margarine makes a mess' and gave me her old pastry cutter. I tried margarine once in college because it was cheaper, and the crust came out like a soggy cracker. Now I always use her method with two sticks of cold butter, and my apple pie wins every family dinner. Anyone have a different trick that works just as well?

My cake flopped because I learned flour isn't just flour

I was trying a new chocolate cake recipe from a blog and it came out super dense. I found out on a baking science site that cake flour has way less protein than all-purpose, like 7-8% vs 10-12%, which changes everything. I'd been using AP for everything and never knew the difference mattered that much. Anyone else have a basic ingredient fact that totally changed your results?

My grandma told me to stop checking my sourdough after 2 hours, and it finally rose.

She said 'the yeast is shy, stop staring at it' during our call last Tuesday, and my next loaf in Portland was the best I've ever made, so has anyone else had a baking rule from a relative that actually worked?

Just found out most home ovens are off by 25 degrees or more

Read it in a library book about bread baking last week. My cookies always spread too much, so I checked mine with a thermometer. Anyone else find their oven runs hot or cold?