Become a Better Baker by Using These Favorite Baking Tools
How to Improve Your Baking Skills
With the help of these favorite baking tools listed below, I feel my baking has made a big leap. A decade or so ago, I decided that I wanted to improve my baking. At that point, I considered my baking skills adequate. I didn’t feel 100% confident though with recipes that were more advanced than your basic cookies, cakes, and pies.
As I have mentioned in my earlier posts Looking for New Recipes? Try Out One of These Cookbooks! and Ten Great Cookbooks to Inspire You in the Kitchen, I really enjoy reading cookbooks. I made a conscious effort to expand my cookbook collection to include more baking cookbooks. I also learned so many helpful tips watching my favorite cooks on television such as Ina Garten.
Five Baking Tools That Took Me to the Next Level
What really helped me meet my goal of conquering more challenging baking recipes was the discovery of these baking tools to aid me in the process. These may seem like a small thing, but trust me when I say how helpful these have been. If you are like me and want to level up your baking, then give one (or more) of these tools a try! And if you have a favorite baking tool you can’t live without, please drop me a comment below and let me know.
My Top Five Baking Tools
Bench Scraper
This handy tool serves multiple purposes in the kitchen. One of the best uses is to divide dough and/or help you manage stickier doughs. This helps you with recipes like cinnamon rolls or pizza dough. It is great for transferring and of course it works great for scraping errant flour and dough off the counter.
Click here to purchase your own bench scraper.
Cookie Scoops
Another great baking tool to help with even portions are cookie scoops. Evenly portioned cookies give you a much more consistent bake. These come in multiple sizes so you can tailor the scoop to the recipe. They also make the process of preparing cookies for the oven go much faster. I can get done in half the time using a scoop versus using teaspoons.
Click here to purchase your own set of cookie scoops.
French Rolling Pin
Once I starting using a French rolling pin, I have never looked back. This style of rolling pin just seems to roll out dough with greater ease than a traditional style rolling pin. The tapered ends make it easy to handle. And it also makes it easy to roll out dough to any thickness you need.
Click here to purchase your own French rolling pin.
Pastry Mat
A pastry mat helps save your sanity when rolling out dough. This silicone mat helps prevent your dough from sticking. This in turn assists in using less flour when rolling out various doughs. That results in a more tender finished product. It also has the added benefit of drawn out measurements to help you achieve the correct size when rolling out pie dough or pizza dough.
Click here to purchase your own pastry mat.
Quality Sheet Pans
These sturdy baking sheets from USA Pans provide even baking and they don’t warp. The ridges on the bottom of the sheet help with circulation of air which also helps with even baking. These have a safe nonstick coating which helps your recipes release easily from the pan. Click here to purchase your own half sheet pans.
Discover How Fun Baking Can Be
If you are a person who considers yourself more of a cook than baker, then I hope these five baking tools will help you develop a love of baking. I can now say that I really enjoy baking, and I have gained confidence to tackle more challenging recipes. It just goes to show that using the right kitchen tools (and especially baking tools) can make a big difference in your final product.
If you are ready to try out a new baking recipe, then check out these easy ones from our archives!
The Only Pecan Pie Recipe You’ll Ever Need!
How to Make the Best Brownie Pie in the World
My Mother’s Chocolate Pound Cake: Oh, So Good!
How to Make the Easiest and Most Irresistible Chocolate Cake
Have a good day!
Kristin
Great tips! We love our silicone mat. I don’t do a ton of baking, but it gets regular use on pizza night! It makes cleanup so much easier when we use it for the dough.
I just purchased a bench scraper. It sure makes tasks easier
It sure does!