Baking Equipment 101

I’m a huge believer that you don’t need loads of fancy equipment to be a fabulous cook. The same holds true for baking. So I encourage you to start with what you have, rather than feeling like you need to go out and invest in loads of new stuff.

If you are limited in your equipment, I’ve included a recipe index by equipment type [LINK PLEASE CAROLINE] so you can easily find something that works.

Now lets look at each equipment type in detail so we’re both on the same page…

Scales

My biggest recommendation for baking equipment is to invest in a set of digital scales. They aren’t expensive and make your baking a million times more reliable (and more tasty)!

It’s much quicker and easier to weigh ingredients than scooping into cups. Plus there’s less to clean up.

If you’re not convinced and want to stick with your cups and spoons, please email me (jules@thestonesoup.com) and ask for a refund. I’ll be truly happy to return your money if you aren’t going to love (and use) this book.

All my baking recipes are written by weight so they aren’t going to work well for someone using cups (unless you want to spend hours with online converters).

Measuring Spoons

For smaller quantities of ingredients, where it doesn’t make sense to weigh, I use a set of measuring spoons. This is especially useful for those recipes only needing 1/8th teaspoon pure stevia powder.

I have read that Australian tablespoons are different and contain 4 teaspoons, compared with American tablespoons (3 teaspoons) but have never actually seen a set of these ‘unicorn’ Australian spoons. I’ve double checked and my tablespoon is definitely a 3 teaspoon type.

Oven

I’ve baked in so many kitchens with so many ovens over the years. Each has had their unique quirks so I encourage you to get to know your oven.

Mine is electric and I always use the Fan Assist setting because it gives more even baking due to a more even heat distribution. That being said, my oven certainly isn’t perfect and I always get more browning at the back than the front.

My rule of thumb is to use 180C (350F) for baking cakes and sweet things and 200C (400F) for savoury. Now that I’ve written that I’m sure there are savoury recipes in this book where I’ve used 180C (350F)!

If your oven doesn’t have a fan you can either increase the set temperature by 20C (50F) or just expect the baking time to be on the longer side. When I cook with an old oven that doesn’t have fan assist, I tend to vary the baking time rather than remembering to use a different set temperature but it’s up to you.

Cake Tins / Pans

While I have inherited a lovely collection of cake tins from my mum and have accumulated many under my own steam, there are only a handful of tins I use on a regular basis.

About 90% of the recipes in this book can be made with the following:
1. Loaf Pan 24x12cm (9x5in)
2. Spring Form Pan 20cm (8in)
3. Muffin Tray (12 x 1/2 cup)
4. Baking Tray (cookie sheet)

And these ones are used for only 1-2 recipes each:
1. Spring Form Pan 23cm (9in)
2. Rectangular Brownie Tin 16x26cm (6x10in)
3. DEEP Tart Tin with removable base 22cm (8.5in) x 5cm (2in)
4. Pie Dish (ceramic) 20cm (8in)

If you’re not sure, best to measure your pan so you know how big they are. I have a small tape measure I keep in the kitchen for this reason! To check how big your muffin tray is, measure out 1/2 cup water and use it to fill one of the holes. Too easy!

Mixing Bowls

I have two mixing bowls I use for baking. One is enamel and the other ceramic. They both double as my every day salad bowls. You just need something large enough to comfortably hold the mixture. I’ve been known to use a soup bowl for small batches of cookies.

Cooling Rack

It’s important to allow your bakery treats to cool properly, especially if you don’t want them to have soggy bottoms (no one likes soggy bottoms!).

Generally I leave things to cool on the tray / in the tin for a few minutes. Then when I’m not going to burn myself I transfer them out onto a cooling rack so the steam can escape. If cooling is critical I’ve mentioned it in the recipe directions.

Food Processor

While most of the recipes in this book can be made without one, I do love my food processor. I use it for grating vegetables like carrot and zucchini, grating cheese or finely chopping broccoli or cauliflower. A box grater will work for these jobs, however, if you don’t want to invest.

I also use my food processor for pureeing black beans or cannellini beans for the two recipes using those unusual baking ingredients! A stick blender (also called an immersion blender) can be used to puree.

When I’ve already got my food processor out, for example to grate zucchini for my zucchini cake, I weigh the remaining ingredients directly into the food processor bowl and mix using a wooden spoon. It’s a little awkward but saves dirtying a mixing bowl.

Stand Mixer
(OR a wire whisk)

Contrary to what some people think, you don’t need a fancy Kitchen Aid stand mixer to be a great baker. While a stand mixer does make life easier for whisking egg whites and creaming butter and sugar, both these can be done with a simple wire whisk (also called a balloon whisk) and some muscles.

I have my grandmother’s ‘Mix Master’ which I use for whisking egg whites when I want to make a pavlova. For everything else I use my food processor or a hand whisk.

Disposables

I HATE when baked goods stick, so I use a lot of baking paper (also called baking parchment or parchment paper). I always line the base and sides of my loaf pan, the base of my springform pans and I line my muffin tray with papers.

Foil is something I use to cover while baking, when I want to avoid the food drying out or over browning.

And I love love love getting organized with ziplock bags. Especially for freezing things. I do try to wash and reuse them so I’m not creating too much waste!

I also keep a marking pen in the kitchen so I label things for the freezer.

Bamboo Skewers

I use thin skewers to test cakes for doneness. And for cooking the occasional kebab.

Coffee / Spice Grinder

While I have a big high-tech coffee grinder for looking after my morning beans, I also have a little machine that started out life as my spice grinder. These days I use it mostly for grinding my own seeds (especially linseeds / flax seeds) and nuts.

It’s also handy on the odd occasion I want to grind granular stevia to make an icing sugar (also called powdered or confectioners sugar) substitute.

Timer

Maybe I should have put my timer in first place on the equipment list. I would be hopelessly lost without it!

I used to rely on my phone timer but often had sticky fingers that weren’t very phone-friendly. So I invested in a simple digital kitchen timer that’s super easy to set. Now I’m far less likely to get side tracked and forget about what’s in the oven.

Plus Fergal does this little timer dance whenever it goes off which always makes me smile.

A Note About Quality

One of the secrets to loving your time in the kitchen is to use good quality equipment. So I encourage you to buy the best quality you can afford. Think of it as starting a baking legacy.

I still have my grandmothers stand mixer and some of my Mum’s cake tins. These bring me joy and make me feel closer to my family whenever I bake with them.