FOOD NEWS
Why The Order In Which You Mix Baking Ingredients Is Important
BY KAT LIEU
Every ingredient in your baking mix reacts with each other and the heat of your oven to expand, rise, and transform, which is why the order you mix ingredients is important.
Typically, you’ll first mix most of your dry ingredients together, such as flour, cocoa, or matcha powder, and chemical leavening agents like baking soda and powder.
When a recipe calls for creaming butter, it's best to cream softened butter first with sugar and then add in your eggs and liquids, and finally, the bowl of dry ingredients.
Creaming softened butter with sugar helps evenly distribute the sugar and whip and trap air into the butter mixture. This helps add to the lightness and fluffiness of your cakes.
Adding and mixing in your emulsifiers, such as eggs, and the rest of the wet ingredients next will help bind the batter or dough with the dry ingredients you introduce.
Finally, the premixed dry ingredients ensure uniformity. By thoroughly mixing them beforehand, you prevent clumping and ensure leavening agents are evenly distributed.