Book summary “Bake it better”: summary

Introduction

You often face sunken cakes, tough pastry, or disappointing textures despite following a recipe precisely. These common failures stem from overlooked fundamentals and improper technique rather than a lack of natural skill.

Joanna Farrow solves this frustration in Bake it better by providing a structured path from basic ingredients to professional patisserie. You learn that baking success relies on exact measurements, proper equipment, and strict temperature control rather than guesswork.

The book builds your competence progressively across four distinct skill levels. You start with essential ingredients and basic tools before advancing to pastry foundations and quick bakes. You finish by tackling complex gateaus and classic patisserie.

• Which ingredients guarantee dependable chemical reactions in your mixes?
• How do you prevent tough pastry through correct handling techniques?
• What separates a simple everyday bake from an advanced patisserie showpiece?

1. Essential Baking Ingredients and Tools

Precise ingredient selection and accurate equipment form the foundation of successful baking.

The book categorizes recipes into three difficulty levels: Easy does it, Needs a little skill, and Up for a challenge. Some easy recipes use store-bought pastry to teach rolling and shaping before moving on to scratch-made pastries.

Dairy and Fats

Unsalted butter contains less whey and salt than salted alternatives, yielding more predictable flavors. Regular salted butter has a 2 per cent salt content. Chilled butter is used for pastry to maintain flakiness, whereas room-temperature butter is required for creamed cakes.

• Store butter tightly wrapped in its original wrapper in the fridge away from strong flavours;
• Remove butter from the fridge in advance when making creamed cakes;
• Softening in the microwave on medium power for a few seconds can be done carefully if you forget to remove it in advance.

Butter freezes well for up to a month. Different cream types have varying butterfat contents that dictate whether they can be heated or whipped successfully. Single cream and soured cream contain 18 per cent butterfat. Whipping cream has at least 35 per cent butterfat, while double cream contains at least 48 per cent butterfat. Single cream cannot be whipped due to low fat content, while whipping cream and double cream whip well but require care to avoid over-thickening. Crème fraîche and soured cream introduce tang and crispness rather than whipping capabilities. Chill cream thoroughly before whipping for best results.

Flour, Sugar, and Eggs

Plain flour contains low gluten for soft cakes. Strong flour or bread flour has high protein content that develops gluten strands when kneaded, aiding rise in yeasted doughs and flaky pastries. Gluten-free flours require xanthan gum and extra liquid replacements.

• Add 4 teaspoons baking powder to every 225g plain flour and sift together multiple times to make homemade self-raising flour;
• Add 1 teaspoon xanthan gum per 150g flour if your gluten-free flour does not include it already.

Refined caster sugar dissolves easily and keeps colors untainted. Unrefined golden caster sugar, granulated sugar, icing sugar, muscovado sugars, and demerara sugar introduce caramel notes, darker color, and extra moisture suited for chocolate and spice bakes. Press out lumps with the back of a metal spoon before using brown muscovado sugars that have formed lumps during storage.

Recipes rely on medium-sized eggs weighing 62-65g to maintain the correct ratio with weighed dry ingredients. Room-temperature eggs trap more air when beaten, leading to greater volume in sponges.

• Store eggs in the main body of the fridge in their original box pointed ends down;
• Get eggs out of the fridge 30-60 minutes before use;
• Pop eggs in a bowl of lukewarm water for a few minutes if you forget to remove them in advance.

Spare egg whites can be stored in the fridge in a sealed container for 3-4 days, or up to 1 month in the freezer. Dark chocolate with around 70 per cent cocoa solids provides the best flavor balance, as anything over 75 per cent can be too dry and bitter. Cocoa powder offers a rich taste without added cocoa butter, but drinking chocolate cannot substitute due to added sugar and milk powder.

• Store chocolate well wrapped in a cool, dark cupboard away from strong-flavoured ingredients;
• Always chop chocolate before melting it to ensure it melts quickly and evenly.

Nuts deteriorate quickly due to high oil content and require careful storage and preparation.

• Store nuts in airtight containers in a cool, dark place;
• Scatter hazelnuts on a baking tray and toast in a medium oven for about 5 minutes before rubbing in a clean tea towel;
• Soak almonds in boiling water for 2 minutes to soften before plunging into cold water and peeling.

Pistachio skins soften after 1 minute in boiling water.

Equipment and Measurement

Using specified tin sizes and heavy-duty metal prevents spills or dry results. The most frequently used sizes for springclip tins are 18-20cm and 23cm, while 10cm is useful for individual tartlet tins. Measuring jugs range from 50ml up to 2 litres.

• Clean and thoroughly dry tins before packing them away after use;
• View measuring gauge horizontally at eye level for better accuracy when measuring liquids;
• Skim off excess ingredient with a finger or the back of a knife to ensure level spoon measurements;
• Set the kitchen timer for a minute or two less than the suggested time in the recipe.

2. Mastering Pastry Foundations

Mastering shortcrust, rough puff, puff, and choux pastries requires strict temperature control and specific handling techniques.

Shortcrust and Pâte Sucrée

Pâte sucrée is a rich, sweet shortcrust pastry enriched with butter, sugar, and egg yolks, requiring gentle handling to prevent cracking. This pastry makes a firmer, crisper base than regular shortcrust with a biscuit-like flavor. Rolling it on a sheet of lightly floured baking paper helps prevent it from breaking. You can find this dough in Frangipane Barquettes, French Apple Tart, and Chocolate Maple Tarts with Hazelnut Brittle.

Follow these steps to prepare the dough:

• Cream together the softened butter and sugar until soft and light in texture.
• Mix in the egg yolks and flour with just a dash of water until the mixture starts to clump together.
• Tip the dough out onto the work surface and knead just a few times until smooth, then shape it into a rough disc, wrap in clingfilm and chill for 30-45 minutes.
• Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to the thickness of a £1 coin (about 3mm) or 2mm for small tins, and line the tin.

Blind baking prevents soggy pastry bases by partially cooking the empty pastry shell weighted down with baking paper and beans before adding moist fillings. Soggy pastry bases are typically inspired by insufficient baking temperatures, skipping pre-heated baking sheets, or rolling pastry too thickly.

• Prick the pastry base lightly with a fork and chill the lined tin.
• Lay a piece of baking paper over the pastry and fill with a 1.5-2cm layer of baking beans or uncooked rice.
• Part-bake on a preheated baking sheet until firm, then remove paper and beans.
• Return the pastry case to the oven to finish cooking until pale golden.

Laminated and Puff Pastries

Rough puff pastry is a quicker cheat's alternative to traditional puff pastry where small butter cubes are chopped into the dough instead of being folded as a single block. The method relies on incorporating cold butter pieces and performing multiple rolling and folding steps to trap layers of air and fat. You will use this technique for Palmiers with Gingerbread Spices and Cranberry and Almond Eccles Cakes.

Prepare rough puff pastry using these steps:

• Add small cubes of very cold butter to flour and salt and stir together to coat.
• Using a round-bladed knife, cut through the butter to make the pieces smaller, but still fairly lumpy.
• Add cold water and lemon juice to form a fairly soft, rough-textured dough.
• Shape your dough into a small rectangle, then roll, fold, and chill several times to create flaky layers.

Classic puff pastry incorporates a large block of butter into a base dough through repeated rolling, folding, and turning cycles to build numerous delicate flaky layers. Lemon juice helps preserve the color, while strong flour provides extra elasticity and gluten structure to withstand frequent handling.

• Rub a small amount of fat with flour and salt, add water and lemon juice, knead briefly for a couple of minutes, and chill for 30 minutes.
• Shape butter into a square about 1cm thick between baking paper.
• Place butter in the center of the rolled-out dough and fold the dough corners over it to form an envelope shape.
• Roll the dough into a rectangle, fold into three layers, seal the edges, give a quarter turn, and make a hole in the dough to mark the fold count.

Chocolate caramel puffs combine bought puff pastry with dark chocolate and caramel sauce to create a quick Viennoiserie-style bake.

Choux Pastry and Meringues

Choux pastry uses a high proportion of liquid and eggs, relying on steam and beating technique to create an inner cavity during baking.

The pan-cooked paste must form a thick ball and cool slightly before eggs are added gradually to achieve a glossy, soft dropping consistency without cooking the eggs prematurely. You can see this demonstrated in Vanilla Chouquettes and Passion Fruit Éclairs.

• Cut butter into small pieces, add sugar, salt, and water to a pan, heat until melted, and bring to a rolling boil before tipping in flour all at once.
• Beat vigorously with a wooden spoon over heat until the mixture forms a thick paste that pulls away from the sides.
• Transfer to a bowl and beat for 3-4 minutes until it stops steaming to evaporate excess moisture.
• Add beaten egg a tablespoon at a time, beating thoroughly until the paste becomes glossy with a soft dropping consistency.

Whisked sponges rely entirely on trapped air from whipped eggs instead of chemical raising agents to achieve a light and fluffy texture. Whole eggs and sugar are whipped until pale and voluminous, passing the ribbon test before flour is gently folded in.

• Whisk eggs and sugar at high speed for at least 5 minutes until the volume increases about five-fold into a pale, mousse-like consistency.
• Check readiness using the ribbon test, ensuring a distinct ribbon trail falls back into the bowl.
• Sift flour into the bowl and gently fold it into the foamy mixture using a light touch.
• If adding melted butter, ensure it is cooled, drizzle it carefully over the surface, and fold in using a large metal spoon.

French meringue requires spotlessly clean equipment and gradual sugar addition at the soft peak stage to create a stiff, glossy structure. Adding sugar too early dissolves it and softens the mix, while adding it too quickly causes syrup to seep out during baking.

• Put egg whites in a large bowl and whisk until they form soft peaks.
• Add caster sugar gradually, one spoonful at a time, whisking well between each addition.
• Continue whisking until all sugar is incorporated and the meringue reaches the stiff peak stage.

3. Easy Baking and Quick Techniques

Simple recipes and clever shortcuts build confidence while delivering professional results.

Financiers derive their signature moist texture and nutty aroma from almond batter combined with browned butter.

• Melt unsalted butter in a small pan until it foams, then cook for 2-3 minutes until golden and nutty.
• Combine ground almonds, cornflour, icing sugar, lemon zest, and salt in a bowl.
• Add egg whites and beat into a thick paste, then stir in cooled browned butter.
• Chill covered bowl in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight.
• Spoon batter into greased and lined loaf tins, filling no more than half-full.
• Sprinkle with flaked almonds and blueberries, bake at 200 degrees C for 15-17 minutes.

You bake individual loaf tins filled with 100g ground almonds, 125g icing sugar, 4 medium egg whites, and 125g blueberries, then finish them with a lemon icing ribbon.

Tarts and Tartlets

A light and buttery soured cream pastry provides an effective alternative to yeasted dough for French pissaladières.

• Rub flour, chilled butter, and salt together into a crumb mixture.
• Stir in soured cream and cold water with a round-bladed knife to form a dough.
• Gather into a block, wrap, and chill in the freezer for 15 minutes or fridge for 30 minutes.
• Fry sliced red onions in olive oil with oregano for 12-15 minutes until soft and deep golden.
• Roll out pastry into round pieces, fold the edges to create a 10cm tart case with a shallow rim.
• Brush edges with beaten egg, fill with onion mixture, olives, and anchovies, then bake at 200 degrees C for 20 minutes.

You can also use 200g plain flour, 125g chilled unsalted butter, and 5 tablespoons of soured cream with 400g red onions.

Pâte sablée provides a crisp snap for delicate pastries and biscuits, holding its shape without blind baking when paired with a nutty filling.

• Beat softened butter and golden icing sugar with an electric whisk for about 5 minutes until creamy.
• Add egg yolk, beat to combine, then add flour and salt on low speed until clumping.
• Knead into a smooth ball by hand, wrap, and chill for 15 minutes in the freezer or 30 minutes in the fridge.
• Roll out to the thickness of a 1 pound coin and stamp out rounds to line a 12-hole shallow bun tin.
• Place halved pecan nuts into cases and bake for 15 minutes at 180 degrees C.
• Spoon caramel onto centers, sprinkle with sea salt flakes, and bake for a further 6-7 minutes.

Freezing and grating a solid block of butter directly into flour creates a fabulously flaky, light crust for tarts.

• Put plain flour and salt in a bowl, add chilled butter as a single block, and coat in flour.
• Lift the block, grate a little into the bowl, and dip back into the flour to coat.
• Continue grating until all butter is shredded, frequently coating the block to prevent caking.
• Drizzle cold water and stir with a round-bladed knife until dough clumps, then knead briefly into a smooth ball.
• Chill in freezer for 15 minutes or fridge for 30 minutes before rolling out.

Spiced Bakes and Pastries

Rough puff pastry layered with gingerbread spices and sugar creates light, flaky, spiced biscuits.

• Stir strong white flour, butter cubes, and salt, then add lemon juice and cold water to form a lumpy dough.
• Roll dough into a rectangle, fold bottom third up and top third down, and press edges with a rolling pin.
• Give a quarter turn clockwise, press with a rolling pin, repeat rolling and folding, then chill in freezer for 15 minutes.
• Repeat rolling, folding, and sealing twice more without chilling.
• Combine sugar with cinnamon, ginger, and allspice, sprinkle onto worktop, and roll dough into a thin square.
• Fold edges to form a flat log of eight layers, freeze for 30 minutes, slice into 1cm slices, and bake at 190 degrees C for 15-18 minutes.

You use 200g strong white bread flour and 140g chilled unsalted butter for the 15-18 minutes baking time.

Rolling puff pastry into a tight log before slicing and pressing into tins creates the characteristic spiral base of Portuguese custard tarts.

• Roll out bought puff pastry into a rectangle, roll up tightly from a short side into a narrow log, and cut into 12 even pieces.
• Roll each piece cut-side down into a 10cm circle, fit into greased muffin tray holes, and prick bases with a fork.
• Line pastry cases with foil squares, fill with baking beans or rice, and blind bake at 200 degrees C for 12 minutes.
• Whisk egg yolks, vanilla extract, caster sugar, and cornflour in a jug.
• Heat single cream with cinnamon until just before boiling, pour into egg mixture, and stir smooth.
• Pour custard into pastry cases and bake for 18-20 minutes until pale golden and custard has a slight wobble.

Macarons and Advanced Patisserie

Choux pastry relies on a rolling boil of water and butter before adding flour all at once, followed by gradual incorporation of eggs to achieve a soft dropping consistency.

• Melt butter with sugar, salt, vanilla bean paste, and water in a pan, then bring to a rolling boil.
• Tip in sifted flour all at once and beat with a wooden spoon to form a thick paste.
• Beat on the heat for 1-2 minutes until smooth and pulling cleanly from the pan sides, then cool slightly.
• Add beaten egg a tablespoon at a time, beating thoroughly until absorbed and glossy with a soft dropping consistency.
• Shape or pipe onto baking paper, glaze with reserved egg, and bake at 180 degrees C.

Achieving classic French macarons with crisp exteriors and soft centers requires blending ground almond paste with a glossy sugar meringue whipped over simmering water.

• Blend ground almonds and icing sugar in a food processor, add a portion of raw egg white, and blend into a paste.
• Whisk remaining egg white and caster sugar in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water until soft peaks form, then whip off heat until glossy and firm.
• Tint a small portion of meringue with gel food colouring, mix into almond paste, then fold into remaining meringue gently.
• Fit a piping bag with a plain nozzle and pipe rounds onto baking paper using underside templates.
• Let stand for 30 minutes until surface is not sticky, then bake at 170 degrees C for 10-12 minutes.

4. Advanced Patisserie and Classic Bakes

Intricate gateaus, laminated doughs, and elaborate pastry constructs demand rigorous adherence to multi-step methods.

You need strict control over temperature and timing to succeed with complex French classics. Precise measurements prevent failures when you handle layered lamination or delicate sugar work.

Gateaus and Sponges

Angel cake requires careful folding of flour into a soft meringue to achieve its light and airy texture. You can pair it with coconut cream for a dairy-free dessert.

• Position the oven shelf on the lowest rack and preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan), 350°F, Gas 4.
• Brush metal pudding moulds with oil and dust with flour, tapping out excess.
• Sift together 65g plain flour and 75g icing sugar.
• Whisk 6 medium egg whites with ½ teaspoon cream of tartar and a pinch of salt until frothy, then gradually add 75g caster sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste to form soft peaks.
• Gently fold in the flour mixture using a large metal spoon.
• Divide among moulds 1cm below the rim and bake for 10-12 minutes.

Baking individual angel cakes in 150ml metal pudding moulds for 10-12 minutes creates light individual portions.

A hazelnut-infused shortcrust pastry serves as a base for a layered dessert featuring maple jelly and dual-layer chocolate fillings.

• Toast 25g hazelnuts and grind them in a food processor.
• Cream 75g unsalted butter with 2 tablespoons golden caster sugar, beat in 1 egg yolk, and mix in 125g plain flour, cocoa powder, ground hazelnuts, and 2 teaspoons cold water.
• Chill dough, roll out to 2mm thickness, line 6 individual 10cm tart tins, and chill again.
• Blind bake at 200°C (180°C fan) for 15 minutes, remove beans, and bake for 5 more minutes.
• Prepare maple jelly using leaf gelatine and maple syrup, set in tarts, then layer with melted white chocolate and milk chocolate mixtures.

Making individual tarts using 10cm round loose-bottomed tins and decorating with nut brittle shards gives a professional finish.

Laminated Breads and Croissants

Home-made puff pastry enhanced with cinnamon can be layered with blackberry jelly and vanilla cream to construct arlettes.

• Make dough using 190g strong white bread flour, 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon, salt, butter, lemon juice, and cold water.
• Enclose 150g butter block in the rolled dough and execute five rolling, folding, and turning cycles with intermittent chilling.
• Prepare blackberry jelly by puréeing blackberries, extracting juice, dissolving leaf gelatine in hot sugar syrup, mixing, and setting in a lined tin.
• Bake rolled pastry squares at 200°C (180°C fan) compressed between baking sheets and baking paper.
• Assemble with whipped vanilla cream, blackberry jelly rectangles, and fresh blackberries.

Assembling 12 arlettes by sandwiching blackberry jelly and vanilla cream between baked puff pastry rectangles tests your precision.

Croissant dough can be adapted for savoury fillings by rolling in prosciutto and raclette cheese before baking.

• Make dough with flour, sugar, salt, fresh yeast, and milk; knead for 10 minutes and chill.
• Roll chilled butter into a 24 x 18cm slab, enclose in dough, and perform four rolling, folding, and turning cycles with chilling.
• Roll dough into a rectangle, cut into triangles using precise edge nicks and diagonal cuts, and pair half-triangles.
• Place a slice of prosciutto and a piece of raclette cheese on each triangle, roll up into croissant shapes, brush with beaten egg, and proof for 20 minutes.
• Bake at 200°C (180°C fan) for 17-20 minutes.

Making 16 savoury croissants filled with 16 slices of prosciutto and 200g of raclette cheese transforms a breakfast staple into a meal.

Elaborate French Classics

Paris-Brest cakes combine ring-shaped choux pastry with crème patissière enriched with home-made almond praline.

• Prepare choux pastry by melting butter, water, sugar, and salt, adding flour to form a paste, cooling slightly, and beating in eggs gradually.
• Pipe circles of choux paste onto marked baking sheets, scatter with flaked almonds, and bake at 180°C (160°C fan) for 30-35 minutes.
• Make crème patissière by heating milk and whisking it into egg yolks, sugar, and cornflour, then cooking until thick.
• Make praline by heating caster sugar and water with whole almonds until amber caramel forms, cooling, and pulsing in a food processor.
• Fold praline and whipped cream into cooled custard, slice choux rings horizontally, and pipe the filling inside.

Making 12 individual Paris-Brest pastries using a 6cm round metal cutter as a template yields consistent sizing.

The St Honoré gateau combines a puff pastry base, choux pastry border, filled choux buns, vanilla-infused crème patissière, and amber caramel assembly.

• Roll out puff pastry into a 19cm circle, prick with a fork, and chill.
• Prepare choux pastry and pipe a border around the puff pastry edge plus 14 separate 3cm round blobs.
• Bake bases and buns at 200°C for 10 minutes then 180°C for 20 minutes.
• Make crème patissière infused with a split vanilla pod, fill the small choux buns through a side slit, and spread remaining custard over the base.
• Melt caster sugar and water into an amber caramel, dip choux bun bases into it, secure them around the pastry base ring, and drizzle remaining caramel over top.
• Whip cream with caster sugar and pipe over the custard using a St Honoré or star nozzle.

Assembling a gateau for 10 servings using 14 small choux buns dipped in caramel requires speed before the sugar sets.

Conclusion

Mastering baking requires you to unite precise ingredient knowledge, strict temperature control, and rigorous technique into a cohesive kitchen practice.

You transform basic flour, fat, sugar, and eggs into professional patisserie by progressing deliberately from simple quick bakes to complex laminated doughs and layered gateaus. Follow these practical rules to ensure consistent success in your baking:

1. Weigh all dry and wet ingredients on a digital scale rather than using volume measurements to guarantee chemical accuracy.
2. Keep butter, water, and working environments cold whenever you handle pastry dough to prevent fat from melting prematurely.
3. Handle choux and sponge batters with gentle folding motions to preserve the trapped air necessary for a light texture.
4. Test oven temperatures with an independent thermometer and avoid opening the door during critical rising stages.
5. Practice each foundational method repeatedly before you attempt advanced tiered cakes and intricate decorations.

10 Key Ideas

1. Precise ingredient selection, accurate equipment, and strict temperature control form the foundation of successful baking.
2. Unsalted butter yields predictable flavors, whereas chilled butter maintains pastry flakiness and room-temperature butter is required for creamed cakes.
3. Plain flour contains low gluten for soft cakes, while strong flour develops gluten strands for yeasted doughs and flaky pastries.
4. Mastering shortcrust, rough puff, puff, and choux pastries requires strict temperature control and specific handling techniques.
5. Blind baking prevents soggy pastry bases by partially cooking empty pastry shells weighted down with baking paper and beans before adding moist fillings.
6. Choux pastry uses a high proportion of liquid and eggs, relying on steam and beating technique to create an inner cavity during baking.
7. Simple recipes and clever shortcuts like browning butter for financiers and grating frozen butter for pastry build confidence while delivering professional results.
8. Chilling and rolling rough puff pastry layers with gingerbread spices creates light, flaky, spiced biscuits.
9. Intricate gateaus, laminated doughs like croissants, and elaborate pastry constructs demand rigorous adherence to multi-step methods.
10. Assembling advanced items like the St Honoré gateau requires combining puff pastry bases, choux pastry borders, crème patissière, and amber caramel assembly with speed.