Real Baking Essentials

I recently shared a photo on Instrgram of a snippet from one of my own Granny’s baking books. It was a step-by-step on how to put together a piping bag from greaseproof paper, something I must have watched Granny do more than a million times as a child! 20 years ago, all these things that are now considered ‘baking essentials’ (like disposable piping bags!) simply didn’t exist. So it got me thinking, what are the real baking essentials?

The baking industry is one that has grown massively in the past 5-10 years. Granny has always said that when tough social times hit, there is an increase in people living frugally and finding pleasure in the simple things in life, such as crafting and baking. And, well, the 2008 recession plays perfectly in with that theory!

Like I said, when I was growing up, there was no such thing as disposable piping bags, nor could you even easily find coloured fondant icing in your supermarket. Such luxuries involved a drive to the “local” cake specialist shop which was a mere 40 minutes away! Even cake boards were hard to come by at times, especially with the internet being fairly new and no Hobbycraft on everyone’s door step – imagine our loving Papa out in the garden, cutting up scrap bits of wood by torch light, just so Granny could cover them with silver paper to produce a cake board! Yes, that is a true story!

In 2010 Great British Bake Off burst onto our TV screens and what was an already growing business – with cupcakes taking a rise in popularity over the pond – suddenly became the thing everyone wanted to be doing! Of course us Brits have been baking for centuries (who else’s Granny had a collection of Be-ro baking books?) but many clever people seen the opportunity to cash in on the baking industry and suddenly our shelves were filled with products we never even knew we needed but had to have… cupcake corer anyone?

With so much now available to make you the next Mary Berry, it’s easy to get sucked in and hand over your cash on things you don’t really need, especially if like me, you don’t plan to be baking on a massive scale. So without further adieu (or anymore childhood memories!) here is our list of real baking essentials:

Bowls. Ideally you want a few different sized bowls. My preference is the classic Pryrex bowl. They’re durable, heat-proof, easy to clean and allow you to see what you’re mixing from every angle, avoiding any stray flour from sticking to the bottom. Why not check charity shops, car boot sales or even your Granny’s cupboard for some cheap or free ones?

Spoons. The classic Wooden Spoon is a must in any kitchen but I’d also suggest having some Silicone Spoons too for recipes like Fudge, as wooden spoons can hold moisture. Other than mixing spoons, a set of Measuring Spoons will always be essential – as Granny says, “baking is a science” so quantities need to be accurate.

Scales. Again, “baking is a science” so you need to be accurate with quantities. Our friends over the pond in the US will often refer to cups in recipes but I’ve never found them to be as accurate as grams, so a set of scales in most definitely required. Digital Scales is my preference, again for accuracy but I used Granny’s old Mechanical Scales for many years before switching.

Spatula. You could technically get by without a Spatula and make do with a Wooden Spoon, however a Spatula will help you scrape your bowls and spread your batters more efficiently.

Whisk. Used to blend ingredients together or bring air into batters (like with our Drop Scones) a Whisk is a must have tool to your baking inventory.

Trays. Without Baking Trays, you’ll struggle to bake at all. Whether it’s biscuits, breads or buns, you’ll need a decent baking tray to finish them off. Ideally you want a few of different sizes to give you some freedom with whatever you’re baking.

Tins. Your choice of tins will be very much dependant on what you’re baking. A Cake Tin is a must and a spring-form 8-inch one is a good place to start. A Loaf Tin is another useful addition, prefect for breads and cakes, like our Golden Syrup Cake. And of course if you plan on trying your hand at cupcakes or muffins, a Muffin Tray wil ensure you can bake batches & batches of perfect cupcakes.

Oven. A bit of an obvious one, yes. But if we’re talking essentials, you’ll not get much baking done without a good, reliable oven. My preference in a fan-assisted oven but don’t go rushing out to replace your oven if yours is not! As long as it gets hot and stays hot, you should be able to bake just fine.

You’ll notice that there’s no mention of a stand mixer or even a hand-held mixer on here. Of course, it’s easy to consider these an essential if you already have one, or if you are baking on a larger scale but they really aren’t an essential for the majority of baking, especially with the recipes you’ll find here on Baking with Granny.

What baking essential could you not be without?