The "5-Minute Rule" I Always Follow Whenever I Bake
I was a late bloomer when it came to baking. When I was growing up, my mom had a soft spot for packaged baked goods. A trip to the grocery store wasn’t complete unless she picked up a box of Entenmann’s chocolate chip cookies or Little Bites fudge brownies. I didn’t realize you could even bake cookies, brownies, and cakes at home until I was in college. But it wasn’t until well after I graduated that I caught the baking bug.
I started small, following the instructions on the back of a box of brownies. I was amazed that I could bake brownies at home (from a box!) that tasted better than the ones I got from the store. Eventually, I tried my hand at making cookies, brownies from scratch (although I still am fond of those box mixes), and then more elaborate pastries. I couldn’t get enough — seriously, so much so that I quit my cushy day job and went to work in a bakery, and then another bakery, and then another bakery. Long story short, I ended up baking professionally for six years.
I have a lot of tips and tricks up my sleeve from that time, but the biggest takeaway I learned: Set the timer to five minutes less than the shortest baking time. It’s the secret to perfectly baked goods. And even though I no longer bake in a professional kitchen, I still follow this rule at home and I’ve trained (ahem, taught) my husband to do the same. Trust me — it’ll spare you a lot of grief, whether you’re new to baking or not.
How It Works
I’ve overbaked (or, worse, burnt) more than my fair share of baked goods. It took me a long time to realize that bake times are more or less guidelines — especially considering home ovens can vary so much. If you set your timer to the baking time indicated, you run the risk of an overbaked good. What’s more important is looking at your food because it will always tell you when it’s ready. That’s why visual cues — golden-brown top, firm edges, a toothpick coming out clean — trump any estimated baking times in my book.
Take Ding Dong cake, for example: The instructions say to bake the cake “until the top of the cakes bounces back when gently pressed and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes total.” Even though we tested this recipe multiple times in different home ovens, I still recommend setting the timer to 30 minutes; once it goes off, check the cake for any of these visual cues (is the batter still clinging to the toothpick? Is the top just not bouncing back?). If it needs to bake longer, set a short follow-up timer to check again and keep an eye on things. Repeat as needed until the visual cues are achieved. If you’re finding it’s taking longer to achieve the visual cues than the baking times recommend, don’t fret! Keep calm and bake on.
Further Reading
The One Cookware Brand That Gordon Ramsay Can’t Stop Talking About
