things I wish I knew before I started baking

Let me save you some timmmeeee

Aug 08, 2025

When I first started baking, I was winging it!! Some recipes turned out amazing (no idea how lol), others flopped and humbled me.

I didn’t go to culinary school or grow up in a professionally trained kitchen. I just loved being in the kitchen, experimenting, and feeding people. Over time, I learned a lot the hard way.

So if you're somewhere in that beginner-to-intermediate zone, or just curious about what changed the game for me, here are some things I wish I knew when I started.

1. room temp actually matters

Eggs, butter, sour cream… when a recipe says room temp, it means it. These ingredients emulsify and incorporate better when not cold, which directly affects texture. Ever add cold eggs to a butter based recipe?! Chunky mess!!

2. a kitchen scale is life-changing

Measuring in grams is more accurate, consistent, and foolproof. I do it now for even the simplest of recipes for consistency. Flour is notorious for being packed inconsistently, which is why your cookies might spread one week and not the next. Once I switched to weighing my ingredients, things became a lot more predictable!!

3. you don’t need anything fancy- but a few good tools make a huge difference

A bench scraper, offset spatula, and kitchen scale? Game changers. Same with a reliable stand mixer or hand mixer. But don’t let the lack of gear stop you, I made some of my best recipes with just a bowl, a whisk, and determination in the beginning.

4. don’t skip chill time

If a recipe says “chill the dough,” it’s not just a suggestion!! It helps control spread, develops flavor, and gives you better texture, especially in cookies and pie crusts. The same goes for letting your dough rest in laminated bakes like croissants! The fridge can be your best friend.

5. salt is EVERYTHING

I used to think salt was for savory dishes, but salt in a cookie dough, cake batter, or icing!??! SALT IS BALANCE!!! Ever have buttercream that was so sickly sweet and gross?! They probably did not utilize salt. I don’t usually use salted butter because I prefer to control the amount I use, but every good baker is not afraid of larger amounts, trust.

6. butter temp matters

Brown butter = nutty, rich flavor. Cold butter = flakier biscuits, key for lamination in pastries. Softened butter = fluffier cakes and cookies. Learning how to intentionally use butter in different ways opened up a world of texture and flavor.

7. your oven is a liar

Most home ovens run hotter or cooler than they say. An oven thermometer (they’re like $10) can save you from over or underbaking.

8. baking is a little bit of science, a lot of instinct

At first, I thought baking was strictly science, you gotta follow the recipe or ruin it. But over time, I realized your senses matter the most. Knowing when a dough looks and feels right to stop kneading. Knowing the smell your bread emits, the crackling sounds, or the hollow sound when its ready. How a batter should feel, how brown butter should smell, etc. etc…. This comes with a lot of experience, but my point is just don’t get so caught up in the technicalities. Focus on your senses.

9. you’re going to mess up, just bake anyways

Seriously. Some of my most-loved recipes came from “mistakes” I ended up tweaking into something better. Don’t let one flat cake or burnt batch convince you you’re bad at this. You're learning.

10. it’s okay to enjoy simple baking

Not everyone wants to master laminated doughs or perfect croissants. Maybe you just want to make cookies that make your friends smile. That’s enough. Whatever kind of baker you want to be, you’re allowed to be that!!!

If you’re just getting into baking, or trying to level up what you already know, I hope something in here helped. I still learn new things all the time, and that’s the beauty of baking. It’s equal parts comfort and challenge. And no matter how many burnt batches you’ve had… there’s always something amazing around the corner.

Skylar 💛