Go-To Guide: Baking

Whether it’s the holiday season, a weekend, or just a regular old Tuesday, we love baking. And that’s a good thing. Literally nobody has ever said, “I’m tired of delicious baked goods.” Baked goods are obviously wonderful to eat and they can be fun to make, but baking is different than cooking. If cooking is an art, then baking is a science. Specifically, it’s chemistry. It’s precise. But if you’ve got the right recipe, the right ingredients, and the right bakeware, chances are you’ll end up with something great.

We can help with the bakeware part. Here’s your handy-dandy go-to guide to all things baking.

If you have a good set of bakeware, you can tackle sweets and carbs from A to Z. Start with the essentials, and as you figure out what you like to make, you can level up from there. Here are the must-have pieces you should keep in your kitchen:

Cake Pans

An 8- or 9-inch cake pan should cover most needs. If you like layer cakes, get two in the same size. If you’re a serious beginner (or just like to keep things easy) we love a springform pan, which has sides that can be removed from the base. It makes it much easier to remove your cake from the pan, and it’s especially useful for things like cheesecake. It’s also a good idea to keep a 9-inch by 13-inch cake pan around for sheet cakes (think: birthday cake for a crowd), cinnamon rolls, and yule logs for the holiday season!

Pie Pan, Loaf Pan, Muffin Pan

Pie is arguably the best dessert. We’re not going to have that argument right now, but there are just so many great things about pie. We love how you can keep the fillings seasonal—berries in the summer, apples or pumpkins in the fall, sweet potatoes in the winter. And they all go really, really well with a scoop of ice cream. We also appreciate that though pies are impressive, they’re actually pretty easy to make. In conclusion, get yourself a pie pan.

Next up, the loaf pan. Baking bread can be intimidating, but fresh-baked bread is soooo much better than... basically anything. A loaf pan is also great for banana bread, which is simple to make, the perfect way to use up extra-ripe bananas, and is one of those foods that’s just as good for breakfast as it is for a snack or dessert.

Muffin pans are also a must-have. You’ll need them if you want to make muffins and cupcakes, of course, but they’re also awesome for a whole host of other things. Use them to make egg muffins, aka frittata cups: Just crack some eggs into a bowl and combine with your favorite fillings (vegetables, bacon, anything you like!) and some milk, if that’s your thing. Bake them in the oven, and you’ve got a super easy to-go breakfast. Muffin tins are also the perfect vessel for mini quiches, mini stratas, and more.

Baking Sheet and Casserole Dish

Baking sheets and casserole dishes are kitchen necessities, even if you’re more of a cook than a baker. These two things are true kitchen workhorses, and we use them all the time. Baking sheets are for cookies, clusters, and kolaches of all kinds, and they’re also perfect for easy dinners. Season your protein and vegetables, throw everything on a baking sheet, put the whole thing in the oven, and tackle the rest of your to-do list (or turn on Netflix) while dinner makes itself. Casseroles are great for casseroles, of course. We love making a baked ziti or lasagna at the beginning of the season and freezing it for a night when there’s no time to cook.

To understand what kind of bakeware will work best for you, you’ll need to understand some of the features, starting with material. The most commonly used ones are:

Aluminum: Aluminum is a great conductor of heat and is good at cooking your food evenly. It’s usually nonstick or anodized. But buyer, beware. Aluminum is soft and bends pretty easily. Look for the heaviest gauge aluminum bakeware you can find!

Aluminized Steel: This is what many of the pros use. It conducts heat well, but is more durable than aluminum on its own. It can have a traditional surface or a nonstick one.

Cast Iron: Cast iron is awesome. It’s very durable, retains heat, and bakes food evenly. It can be coated in enamel, which makes it easy to clean, or can be uncoated, which requires some extra work to prevent rust. It’s also heavy.

Ovenproof Glass: Glass is dishwasher-safe, and very easy to clean. It also allows you to look at your food from all sides while you’re baking it, which can help you assess how done something is. Finally, we love it because you can bake in it, serve in it, and then store in it, meaning you’ll ultimately have fewer things to clean. The downsides? It doesn’t conduct heat as well as other bakeware, and it’s breakable.

Ceramic: Like glass, ceramic is also breakable. But it’s a better insulator of heat than glass. Many ceramic baking dishes are also pretty, so they make great serveware as well.

Silicone: Silicone can be used in the microwave, oven, and freezer. It’s also dishwasher-safe, flexible, and if you drop it, it won’t break. It provides even heat distribution, and your food lifts out of it easily. Just don’t leave it near an open flame!

Carbon Steel: Carbon steel heats quickly and is heavy and durable. It’s prone to rusting, but if you season it and care for it, it can build up a nonstick coating.

You’ve got all your bakeware, but that’s not all you’ll need. Here are some extras to make the process much easier—and more fun!

Wire Cooling Racks

When you pull those fresh-baked cookies out of the oven, it’s a good idea to transfer them to a cooling rack so they don’t continue to bake on the hot sheet pan. It also keeps moisture from building underneath them as they cool.

Mixing Bowls and Whisk

Mixing bowls are for mixing ingredients. Some recipes require a few different groupings of ingredients (wet and dry, for example), so it’s best to get a few. They come in a variety of different materials and with different features (no-slip grips, covers, etc.). Find the set that works best for you and mix away!

Your whisk is what you’re actually going to be using to do said mixing. Choose your shape, size, and material, and you’re ready to go.

Rolling Pin

Rolling pins are for shaping and flattening out dough, particularly for pastries and cookies.

Measuring Spoons and Cups

We’re really trying to drive this point home, if you can’t tell: Baking is precise. You’ll need to measure ingredients. Get some measuring cups and spoons in several sizes.

Cookie Cutters, Cookie Presses, and Decorating Supplies

Here’s where things get fun… and slightly less precise. Cookie cutters, presses, and decorating supplies are a great way to make baking fun for everyone! Use cookie cutters or a press to make the actual cookies, then have kids (and adults, let’s be honest) decorate them. Use different frostings, sprinkles, and candy for a seriously delicious and fun activity, perfect for any occasion.

The main rule with baking is to follow the rules. Especially as a beginner baker, just stick to the recipe. It’s really easy to fudge it and play with ingredients and measurements when you’re cooking—a can of diced tomatoes may work just as well on your pasta as a jar of sauce. If your recipe calls for baking powder, however, do not use baking soda in its place. It doesn’t work like that. Be methodical, be precise, follow the instructions, and you’ll be winning dessert, the holiday season, and your office bake-off in no time! Want more?

Check out our buying guide to bakeware.