c/baking-fails-and-wins

Swapped my metal mixing bowls for glass ones about 3 months back

I used to always use those cheap metal bowls for mixing cake batter, but I kept getting tiny grey flecks in my frosting from the whisk scraping. Switched to a glass Pyrex set I found at a thrift store for like $8 total, and it fixed the problem right away. The glass is heavier so the bowl doesn't spin around on the counter either, which was driving me nuts. Has anyone else noticed metal bowls scratching up way too fast?

Spent $80 on a digital kitchen scale and it keeps turning off mid-bake

I bought this Escali scale about two months ago because my old one finally died. It was fine for the first week, but now it shuts off randomly after like 10 seconds of no movement. Lost my count on a batch of cookies and ended up with way too much flour. Going back to my $15 mechanical scale from the thrift store. Anyone else deal with a scale that has a too-aggressive auto-off?

That $50 KitchenAid mixer I found at a garage sale almost started a fire yesterday when the motor started smoking halfway through a batch of cookies.

Opened it up and found 20 years of caked on grease and a frayed wire that could have gone up any minute, so seriously check any secondhand appliances before you crank them up - has anyone else had a close call with used gear?

My stand mixer nearly took off like a helicopter last night

Just read that expired baking powder can ruin your whole batch

I was looking up why my biscuits came out flat and dense, and I found out that baking powder actually loses its power after about 6 months from opening. A website called Kitchn had a test showing that expired baking powder just doesn't bubble enough to lift dough. I checked the can in my cupboard and sure enough it was opened over a year ago. When did you guys last replace yours?

Had to choose between butter and shortening for pie crust, picked wrong

I was making apple pies for a family gathering last weekend and got into a debate with myself over using butter versus shortening. Butter gives that great flavor but I've heard shortening makes the crust flakier and more stable. I went with all butter because I thought taste would win everyone over. Well, the crust tasted amazing but it slumped in the pan and the edges crumbled when I tried to cut slices. My sister-in-law said it looked like a disaster but tasted fine, which isn't exactly a win. Meanwhile my neighbor used half shortening and her pie held up perfectly. Has anyone else found a good ratio for mixing them that actually works?

Tried making croissants for the first time and ended up with butter puddles everywhere

Followed the recipe exactly but my dough was leaking butter all over the baking sheet after 10 minutes in the oven. Any tips on keeping the lamination layers intact next time?

Went to a local bakery that bragged about their sourdough, found out they use commercial yeast.

Called them out on it and the owner just shrugged, so has anyone else run into fancy bakeries faking the ferment?

Spilled my starter on the counter and now I'm terrified I ruined it

I had a conversation with a bakery owner last weekend who told me he lost 4 years of sourdough starter when his power went out and it froze solid. I dropped my jar this morning and most of my starter spilled onto the counter. I scooped what I could back in but now I'm worried about contamination. Has anyone salvaged a starter after a counter spill?

The first loaf I baked in 2017 vs. last week's loaf is like a completely different food

I finally stopped guessing on water temperature and bought a cheap thermometer, and now my bread actually rises instead of turning into a brick, so why did I fight that for 6 years?

Took me 3 hours to figure out my oven runs 25 degrees hot

Honestly, I've been wondering why my cookies always came out flat and burnt on the bottom for like 6 months. Bought an oven thermometer from the Ace Hardware on Main Street and turns out my oven is 25 degrees hotter than what I set it to. Has anyone else had to recalibrate their oven and how long did it take you to figure it out?

PSA: The baking competition shows are making people think they're better than they are

I went to a local baking class last weekend and watched three people argue with the instructor about proper creaming technique because they saw some YouTuber do it differently. One woman insisted her cookies were fine even though they spread into one giant pancake on the sheet. Look, I get that the TV shows make everything look fast and flashy, but they skip all the boring parts that actually matter. 2 hours in and half the class had burned their butter because they were too busy trying to make their bakes look "aesthetic." Anyone else notice more people coming into baking classes with egos from watching too much of that content?

Just ruined a batch of chocolate chip cookies by forgetting the flour

I was on a roll last Tuesday, measured everything out perfectly, then realized halfway through scooping the dough that I had left out 2 cups of flour. The cookies spread into one giant thin disc that I had to scrape off the pan with a spatula. Has anyone else had a baking fail where you skipped a key ingredient and tried to salvage it?

Finally got my first perfect batch of macarons after 7 tries at my sister's wedding shower

I was sweating in my aunt's 90 degree kitchen in Phoenix last Saturday and realized letting the batter rest 20 extra minutes was the one thing I kept skipping.

That 20-minute rest story in a food blog finally clicked for me after overproofing three batches of croissants in a row

I read that dough needs to relax not just for gluten but for the yeast to stop working so hard, and it fixed my croissant texture completely, ever had a simple tip from a random post save your bake?

The guy at the diner who told me my sourdough starter was dead wrong

I was sitting at a counter in a little diner outside Portland last spring, reading a baking book, and this older fella next to me starts talking. He saw the book and said he'd been baking bread since 1972, and then he told me my sourdough starter was probably dead because I was feeding it white flour only. He insisted I needed to mix in some rye to keep the yeast happy. Has anyone else had a stranger at a random spot give you baking advice that actually turned out to be true?

Had to pick between butter and shortening for my pie crust last Thanksgiving

I went with all butter because I wanted that flaky flavor, but the crust came out too crumbly to even slice cleanly, has anyone else gotten better results mixing the two?

My sourdough failed because I used the wrong water

I drove out to this spring in Vermont to get some natural water for my starter. Thought it would be like some secret ingredient. Ended up with a brick of a loaf that smelled like a pond. Anyone else try fancy water and regret it?

The cinnamon roll disaster at my church bake sale changed how I measure flour

I signed up to bring cinnamon rolls for our church bake sale in Topeka last spring. Made them exactly like I always do but they came out like dry hockey pucks. Nobody bought a single one and Mrs. Patterson said they were 'a bit dense' which is church lady code for terrible. Turns out I'd been scooping flour straight from the bag instead of spooning it into the cup and leveling it off. After that I bought a kitchen scale for 15 bucks and now I weigh everything for baking. Has anyone else had a baking fail that made you completely change your approach?

Salted butter vs unsalted for pie crust was a gamble I lost

I had to pick between salted and unsalted butter for my apple pie last Tuesday. I grabbed the salted out of habit since that's what I always have on hand. The crust came out way too salty and it threw off the whole filling balance. Now I'm wondering if anyone else has had this backfire or if I just need to cut the added salt in the recipe.

Cream of tartar saved my cookie dough disaster last night

I was making chocolate chip cookies and forgot to grab eggs from the store. Tried using a substitute I saw online with 2 tablespoons of water, 1 tablespoon of oil, and 1/4 teaspoon of cream of tartar per egg. The cookies actually held together and came out chewy. Has anyone else tried this egg swap in their baking?

My neighbor said measuring cups vs kitchen scale is a waste of time, I spent a week proving them wrong

She swore by volume measuring for cookies and said grams are pretentious, but after 5 batches of chocolate chip cookies with the same recipe one way was flat and one way was perfect, so which camp do you fall in, and have you ever actually done a side by side test?

Had to pick between butter and shortening for sugar cookies. Tried both side by side.

My niece's birthday party is this weekend and I was making sugar cookies. I always use butter but my mom swears by shortening for a softer cookie. Did a test batch of each. The butter ones spread too much and got crispy edges. The shortening ones held the shape perfect and were pillowy soft. I went with shortening for the party. Anyone else do a bake-off like this before picking a recipe?

My pie crust kept shrinking no matter what I tried

I spent about 6 months trying to figure out why my pie crusts would shrink down the sides of the pan every time I blind baked them. I tried colder butter, less water, even freezing the dough for an hour before baking. Turns out I was overworking the gluten by about 2 minutes of extra kneading. Once I stopped mixing as soon as the dough came together, it finally stayed put. Has anyone else fought with a simple fix for way too long?

Thought my sourdough starter was dead after 3 days of no bubbles

I left it in the back of the fridge during a 48 hour shift at the station and came back to this weird hooch layer on top. Turns out that dark liquid means it was just hungry, not ruined - poured it off, fed it, and it doubled in 4 hours flat. Did I just get lucky or is that normal?