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c/baking-fails-and-wins

19

abbyf79•2d ago

Appreciation post: The cold butter trick for pie crust I ignored for years

I spent a decade making soggy, tough pie crusts because I thought room temp butter was easier to work with. Last Thanksgiving I finally tried grating frozen butter into my flour and it gave me the flakiest crust I've ever made in my life. Why do we keep doing things the hard way when the simple fix is just a few minutes in the freezer?

29

kai839•3d ago

Had to pick between butter and shortening for my pie crust yesterday

Went with shortening because I wanted flaky layers, but my crust came out tough as leather. Anyone else have better luck with all-butter for fruit pies?

5

bell.jessica•3d ago

Tried butter vs shortening in my pie crust and it wasn't even close

I spent last weekend making two apple pies side by side to settle this debate for myself. One crust used all butter, the other used vegetable shortening like my grandma's recipe calls for. The butter crust came out flaky and actually had flavor, while the shortening one was just pale and greasy tasting. My wife said the shortening pie felt like eating a spoonful of Crisco with apples on top. I measured both at exactly 2 1/2 cups flour to 1 cup fat so it was a fair test. Anyone else ditch shortening completely after trying an all butter crust?

12

victorhernandez•3d ago

Just realized sourdough starter doesn't need to be babied like everyone says

I kept hearing all these rules about feeding at exact times and using filtered water. My starter died twice following that advice. Then I went on a 10 day trip to Phoenix and left it in the fridge with nothing. Came back, fed it once, and it was bubbling like crazy in 6 hours. Anybody else think the whole starter care thing is overcomplicated?

1

emma_lee22•4d ago

Pro tip: a hot oven doesn't always mean a shorter bake time

I found out last week that my oven runs 25 degrees hotter than it says, so I've been overbaking cookies for months lol. A $6 oven thermometer from Target totally changed my results. Has anyone else had their oven lie to them?

23

sethm58•5d ago

Used to sift flour every single time for cakes, now I skip it completely except for one recipe

For years I sifted flour for every cake I made because that's what my grandma taught me. Changed my approach about 2 years ago after I forgot to sift for a chocolate cake and it came out exactly the same. Turns out modern flour is way finer than what they had back then. Now I only sift when I make angel food cake because that one actually needs it for the air. Has anyone else stopped doing this and noticed zero difference?

5

caseywalker•12d ago

Finally made a decent sourdough loaf after 8 failed attempts

My kitchen counter has been covered in sticky dough for the last 3 months. Tried a new starter recipe from a guy in Portland and it actually bubbled up right. The loaf came out with a real crust instead of a brick. Anybody else struggle with starter temperature or was it just me?

5

the_rowan•13d ago

Grandma's pie crust lesson from 20 years ago

First time I tried making her apple pie. I was 16 in her tiny kitchen in Ohio. She watched me dump everything in a bowl and mix like crazy. She just laughed. Pulled me aside and showed me how to cut butter into flour with my fingertips. Told me not to overwork it or it gets tough. I didn't get it then. But now every time I make a crust I hear her voice. Has anyone else had an older relative show them something that took years to really understand?

16

evan_grant70•14d ago

Brought store-bought cupcakes to a potluck and got schooled by a 10 year old

I was at my sister's backyard birthday party in Austin last month and figured I'd just grab a box of frosted cupcakes from H-E-B. Nobody cares about homemade at a kids party right? Well this 10 year old neighbor girl named Chloe brought in a tray of chocolate cupcakes from scratch that she baked herself. She even made cream cheese frosting from real butter and everything. My store cupcakes sat there untouched while her batch got demolished in about 20 minutes. One lady even asked me if my cupcakes were gluten free because nobody was touching them. I felt like a total fool and now I'm taking a basic baking class at the community center next week. Has anyone else had a kid completely show you up in the kitchen?

8

parker_hall5•14d ago

Just had my first successful sourdough loaf after 8 tries

I've been baking bread since January and my starter finally got strong enough to give me a good rise last Tuesday. The crust had that perfect crackle when I tapped it and the inside was soft with nice air bubbles. Anyone else struggle for months before getting sourdough to work right?

20

the_lucas•15d ago

Bought a $40 bread proving basket and it changed nothing lol

I figured spending money on a fancy banneton would finally give me those perfect bakery-style sourdough loaves. Nope, my bread still came out flat and dense, just with prettier swirl marks on top. Total waste of cash honestly, I should've just kept using a mixing bowl with a towel. Anyone else get suckered into buying gear that didn't actually help?

29

gray314•16d ago

Just wasted $40 on a fancy cake pan that ruined my birthday cake

I bought this expensive nonstick springform pan from a kitchen supply store downtown because I wanted a perfect cheesecake for my daughter's 10th birthday. Followed the instructions to the letter, greased it up, even tapped it on the counter to settle the batter. But when I took it out of the oven and let it cool, the whole bottom crust stuck like glue to the pan. Ended up with a crumbled mess that looked more like a pile of dirt than a cake. Had to run out and buy a store-bought one last minute, which cost another $20. Turns out my old $10 pan from the grocery store never gave me this trouble. Has anyone else had a supposedly better pan actually make things worse?

13

paige_bell81•17d ago

Shoutout to whoever posted about egg temperature for cakes

I saw someone in here say that room temp eggs make a huge difference in cake batter. I always just used eggs straight from the fridge because I was in a hurry. Last weekend I tried leaving them out for 30 minutes before making a vanilla layer cake for my niece's birthday. The batter mixed up so much smoother and the cake rose perfectly with no holes in the middle. Has anyone else noticed a big change with room temp eggs or is it just me?

21

blair990•18d ago

That $40 proofing basket I finally caved on after years of towel bowls

I used to just let bread rise in a mixing bowl with a towel over it. Worked fine for over a decade. Last month I dropped $40 on a proper banneton and I gotta say it actually changed my loaves. The scoring is way cleaner and the shape holds better through the oven spring. I still think they are a bit overpriced for what they are. But I can't argue with the results after 12 bakes with it. Anyone else have a tool they resisted forever and then regretted not buying sooner?

11

oliviabutler•19d ago

Walked into a bakery in Portland that charges $8 for a single croissant and I have thoughts

I was in Portland last weekend visiting my daughter and stopped at a place that had a 45 minute line just for pastries. I figured it had to be amazing, so I waited and paid $8.50 for one plain croissant. It was perfectly flaky and buttery, I will give them that, but come on, eight dollars for butter and flour? I could make a dozen at home for that price. Has anyone else hit a breaking point on what they will pay for a single baked good?

10

charlie198•19d ago

My aunt's sourdough starter tip almost ruined my kitchen

My aunt swore I needed to feed my starter every 12 hours without fail, even when it looked sluggish. I followed her advice for two weeks straight, setting alarms at 6 AM and 6 PM. Last Tuesday, I came home to a jar that had exploded all over my counter, leaving a floury mess. She forgot to tell me that rule only applies once the starter is mature, not during the first week. Now I keep it in the fridge and feed it every few days, and it's actually working fine. Has anyone else gotten bad advice from a well-meaning relative that backfired?

2

paulnguyen•20d ago

Tried butter vs shortening in sugar cookies and it's not even close

Made two batches of sugar cookies for a party last Saturday, one with butter and one with shortening. The butter ones spread way too thin and lost their shape, looked like blobs. The shortening ones held the edges perfectly and were way easier to roll out. I always thought butter was king for flavor but for cutout cookies I'm team shortening now. Anyone else ditch butter for specific cookie types?

5

the_hayden•23d ago

That $60 Bundt pan I bought is collecting dust now

I splurged on a nice nonstick Bundt pan from a kitchen store in Austin about 4 months ago. Cost me $60 and I thought it would make my cakes slide right out every time. First two bakes were perfect, then the coating started flaking after the third use. Now I'm back to greasing and flouring my old metal pan that cost $15 and works like a charm. Has anyone else had luck with those expensive pans long term or is it just me?

11

black.oliver•23d ago

My grandma insisted I weigh flour instead of scooping it

She's been baking for 50 years and kept telling me to get a scale. I always just used measuring cups like a normal person. Finally tried her way last weekend and my cake came out way lighter and fluffier. Anyone else have a relative who was right about some baking trick?

2

dakota_miller93•27d ago

My cake collapsed on me mid-bake and I just sat there staring at it

I was making a 3-layer birthday cake yesterday around 2pm for my sister's party. Had everything measured perfect, oven at 350, batter looked great. But I decided to open the oven door 20 minutes in to check on it because I'm impatient. The middle layer just sank like a souffle in a horror movie. I tried to save it by adding more batter and baking longer but it came out like a pancake. Ended up buying a sheet cake from the grocery store. Has anyone else had a cake collapse from opening the oven door too early?

12

fionat55•28d ago

My chocolate souffle turned into a soggy pancake last night

I thought I had the oven door cracked open just a tiny bit but nope, my souffle collapsed in like 30 seconds flat after I pulled it out. Has anyone else had their souffle fail on them even when you think you followed every step?

5

faithpatel•28d ago

Burned my third batch of cookies until I found the oven rack trick

I was getting so mad baking chocolate chip cookies because the bottoms would burn but the tops were still raw. This happened like 4 times in a row last month in my apartment in Austin. I tried lowering the temp to 325 but that just made them flat. Then a friend told me to move the rack to the upper third of the oven instead of the middle. I was skeptical but I tried it on a Saturday night and it worked perfectly. The cookies baked even and the bottoms were golden brown instead of black. Has anyone else had this problem with a smaller electric oven or is it just my crappy Whirlpool?

17

andrew_baker9•29d ago

Warning: tried that viral 'no knead' bread recipe everyone swore by...

My buddy kept pushing this recipe from some food blog saying it was foolproof. Three tries later I had hockey pucks. Fourth time I used my cheap kitchen scale instead of measuring cups and suddenly it worked. Turns out the recipe was fine I just can't eyeball flour. Still annoyed I wasted 2 bags of flour though. Anyone else have a hyped up baking trick that took way too many tries to actually work?

25

colegarcia•1mo ago

The day I stopped creaming butter and sugar cold

Made cookies for 10 years always wondering why they came out flat. My wife watched me one Sunday and said why are you using butter straight from the fridge. That moment hit me like a brick. Room temp butter makes the creaming process actually work and now my cookies hold their shape. Anyone else miss simple stuff like that for way too long?

4

joseph48•1mo ago

Read a baking blog that said 'always use a scale' and I finally tried it last night

I've been baking cookies for years just using measuring cups. This blog kept going on about grams and precision so I borrowed my neighbor's kitchen scale. Made a batch of chocolate chip cookies with the weight method. They came out way more uniform in size and texture than usual. Kinda annoying since I gotta wash another tool now. Has anyone else had this experience where a simple change like that actually made a difference?