Kitchen Hacks #5
Ratios
Cooking with Ratios
Bread
5:3 flour to water- for example, 300g flour and 180g water. With this ratio in your arsenal, the world of bread is at your fingertips. You can explore different flours, hydrations, and additions like seeds and nuts from here.
Salt: Around 2% of the flour weight (e.g. 6g salt for 300g flour)
Yeast: Around 1% of the flour weight (e.g. 3g yeast for 300g flour)
Muffin/Quick Breads
2:2:1:1 flour:liquid:eggs:fat
Baker Move: Baking times and temps can vary based on something as simple as the humidity in the air. Pros test the doneness of muffins, quick breads and cakes by simply inserting a toothpick. If it comes out clean, they are ready to cool.
Biscuit
3:2:1 flour:liquid:fat
Baker Move: Pros always scoop flour, sugar or other dry ingredient into a measuring cup, then use the back of a knife or other straight edge to level it off.
Vinaigrette
3:1 oil to vinegar. Add herbs, garlic, or mustard to elevate your dressing
Cookies
3:2:1 flour:butter:sugar
Other ingredients like eggs, baking powder, and flavourings can be added, but the core 3:2:1 ratio for the main dry, fat, and sweet components is the foundation.
Baker Move: Using a dough scoop (like a small ice cream scoop) to portion equal-size cookies adds a professional touch to your finished cookie plate.
Pound Cake
1:1:1:1 flour: egg: fat (unsalted butter): sugar
Baker Move: Pull your butter and eggs out of the fridge a couple of hours before you're ready to bake. Room-temperature butter is better for creaming, and you'll want the eggs at the same temperature to prevent them from seizing.
Pancakes
2 parts flour: 2 parts liquid: 1 part eggs: 1/2-part fat
Baker Move: Slowly incorporate the liquid into the dry ingredients while whisking constantly for effortless, lump-free pancake batter.
Meringue
2 parts sugar: 1 part egg whites or 1 part sugar: 1 part egg yolks
Baker Move: Avoid cracks in your perfectly piped meringues by keeping your oven door closed while they dry out. Yep, that means no peeking.
Pie Dough
3:2:1 flour:butter:water
Baker Move: Soggy-bottomed pie crusts, be gone! Pros know to par-bake their crusts for fresh fillings.
Fritter
2:2:1 flour:liquid:egg
Baker Move: The key to a crispy fritter is to never crowd the pan. Drop too many in the frying oil at once and the temperature will plummet, producing a greasy, mushy fritter.
Custard
2:1 eggs:liquid
Baker Move: Once you have that ratio down, remember to strain your cooked custard through a fine mesh sieve to remove any lumps.
Crepes
1/2:1:1 flour:liquid:egg
Baker Move: Crepe batter needs time to set up, preferably overnight in the fridge.
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