Baking is a discipline known for its unforgiving nature. But for me, it\u2019s the ultimate act of improvisation. I mix ingredients together, relinquish my work to the heat of the oven, and hope whatever comes out tastes good. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
If I don\u2019t have every ingredient listed on a recipe, I pull something that seems like a good alternative from my pantry. If I accidentally splash too much maple syrup or dump too much flour, I find a way to balance it with additional ingredients. If I want to make a pie or fruit infused cake<\/a>, I use whatever fruit I bought that week at the farmer\u2019s market. When I bake, it\u2019s a whirlwind of impulse, enthusiasm, and spilled ingredients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s remove the outmoded understanding of baking as a practice reserved for rule-abiding perfectionists. Baking can be expressive and experimental. Not every muffin will dome and not every cookie will be chewy at its center. But baked goods, by definition, are ephemeral. And they beg you to make them again as soon as you\u2019ve finished the last bite. (Take this homemade no yeast bread<\/a> alternative we whipped up this week.) There is no better medium in which to improvise than one that disappears as soon as you share it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n My go-to\u2019s are: <\/p>\n\n\n\n Some groupings of flours that will yield similar results when swapped:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sweeteners fall into two categories\u2014liquid and dry. They can be used interchangeably within those categories. If you swap a dry for a liquid, add a few tablespoons of water or nut milk. If you swap a liquid for a dry, add a bit more flour. <\/p>\n\n\n\n These tips cover your basic baking formula (pastry chefs don\u2019t @ me!), but perhaps my best tip for baking improvisationally is to follow your tastebuds. Think about the flavors and textures you want to create and reach for ingredients that have those qualities. Check your fridge and pantry to see what\u2019s tempting you before making a shopping list. (A true Improvisational Kitchen<\/a>!) You\u2019ll be baking as messily as me before you know it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let us know what your go-to baking substitutions are in the comments! Bake on! #closedloopcooking<\/p>\n\n\n\n Stay hungry.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Let\u2019s remove the outmoded understanding of baking as a practice reserved for rule-abiding perfectionists. Baking can be expressive and experimental.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":33758,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","article_category":[563],"article_tag":[676,851,594,622,596],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/closedloopcooking.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/reads\/33755"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/closedloopcooking.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/reads"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/closedloopcooking.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/reads"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/closedloopcooking.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/closedloopcooking.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=33755"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/closedloopcooking.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/33758"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/closedloopcooking.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33755"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"article_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/closedloopcooking.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article_category?post=33755"},{"taxonomy":"article_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/closedloopcooking.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article_tag?post=33755"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Here are some guidelines I think about when substituting core ingredients:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1. To replace an egg, use something sticky and buoyant. <\/h4>\n\n\n\n
2. To replace a flour, replicate the texture. <\/h4>\n\n\n\n
3. To replace a fat, think about flavor and density.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
4. To replace a sweetener, consider water content. <\/h4>\n\n\n\n