The Great British Baking Book

welcome to the great british baking book

The art of baking has soared in popularity in recent years, with more and more people stepping into the kitchen to test out and develop their skills. This simple recipe book aims to celebrate the best of British baking and help you to master the nation’s favourite bakes. Each main recipe features a stunning image of the final product along with in-depth steps that will ensure you are able to re-create them with ease. Some recipes are incredibly simple, some are great for kids and others offer a bit more for you to sink your teeth into. We’ll also walk you through the basic techniques needed in our Getting Started chapter. You will find a range of recipes covering different types of baking, from showstopping cakes and the ubiquitous cupcake, through…

getting started

In some ways, baking doesn’t do itself any favours. On the one hand, it is possible for anyone to bake something and for that something to be delicious. But on the other hand, there is quite a bit of jargon and essential techniques that need to be considered. These muddy the water and make things seem far more complicated than they actually are. So if you have attempted a recipe before, only to be thwarted by a stream of commands that have made no sense, this chapter is for you. We begin by taking a look at the kind of equipment you might need, from the absolute essentials, through to ones that are impossible to resist. Everything is of a sensible price and if truth be told, you can survive with…

pans

Cake pans are the fundamental tools in your baking armoury and you can go as extravagant or as basic as you like. There are pans to suit all budgets and they can be picked up for very little. It is worth paying as much as you can afford, even if it means you just buy a couple for now. The more expensive pans will be thicker, meaning better heat distribution and less risk of buckling. The best pans to go for are anodised aluminium. Not only do they have an even spread of heat, so your goods cook evenly, they are strong and will last for decades. Recipes generally involve buttering or flouring the tin, maybe using a parchment paper lining, so you don’t have to worry about hunting down non-stick…

the best electric utensils

Baking is brilliant because you can make an amazing cake with just a bowl, a spoon and some manual oomph. But if you want to save some time or energy there are a few electrical devices that can make your life much easier. As with pretty much anything, the price tag for these can go from very small to very expensive. You can pick up most of these items from your supermarket for not much at all, or visit specialised food stores for professional-level equipment. Unless you are completely seduced by an item, we would suggest you buy a cheap version and if you find you use it, treat yourself to a more expensive model. Out of all of these, the stand mixer is the one you will probably get most use…

helpful accessories

When deciding on the recipes to include in this book, we have been careful to pick ones that don’t require a cupboard’s worth of extra equipment in order to complete them. Having said that, we will never get in the way of someone’s desire to go on a shopping spree, so if you do want to furnish yourself with all of the gadgets, there are plenty you can pick from. None of these are particularly expensive, but they are all incredibly useful. Some are even essential, such as scales, while others are more about saving time. Thanks to the growing popularity of baking, you will find that most of these can be picked up in your local supermarket and you will certainly be able to find a wide choice either from…

measuring ingredients

Baking is often described as a science, where precision is required to achieve tasty results. Although you can be relaxed when baking, and it won’t really matter if a few extra chocolate chips fall into a cookie dough (in fact a few extra chocolate chips should always be added), you do need to pay attention to measuring the core ingredients, especially with something new. So much of baking is based around scientific reactions. From getting the correct ratio of flour to raising agent to get the required reaction for a beautifully risen sponge, through to the perfect amount of cream to melted chocolate for spreadable ganache, each ingredient reacts with the next to make a tasty treat. You needn’t worry about these reactions, in fact we wouldn’t have mentioned them if it…