Basic Baking Ingredients

Here is a list of staple ingredients to keep stock for the majority of your baking needs.

Plain Flour

This will be the most used ingredient during baking, there are many brands to choose from and will take a few experiments on the type that will suit the goods you are making. Whilst there are a lot of brands, there are also many types of flour in terms of its strength, gluten content, protein and texture. Plain flour is generally multi purpose, so you can use this to make a lot of recipes, however as you develop your baking or cooking skills you will notice how using certain types of flour more specific for its flavour or texture will make a difference to the results.

Cornstarch

This is a handy ingredient in baking that is usually mixed with flour to get a crunchy or crumbly texture. Or to thicken sauces, stews, gravies or desserts.

Baking Powder and Baking Soda

Both ingredients help baked goods rise with the balance of acidity level, however whilst the names are similar they are not interchangeable, there is a good difference within its chemistry. Essentially, baking powder is used when the recipe does not include any acidic ingredients and baking soda is used when the recipe already includes an acidic ingredient.

Salt

Not only an ingredient to enhance flavour and balance sweetness of goods but can also help to develop the toughness of dough and add texture, for example, as crunchy salty toppings. Especially used in recipes that requires unsalted butter.

Sugar

(Icing, caster, brown, coconut)

The type of sugar and quantity will vary the flavour, texture, moisture and density on the outcome of the goods when baked. There are plenty of variations to choose from depending on preference and also the suitability for a specific recipe.

Butter / Spread / Oils

As butter has a high fat content and made from milk, it produces a creamier fuller flavour. Most baking recipes requires butter but you can also bake with spreads and oils. There are a lot of brands to choose from but aim to go for higher quality as you can really tell the difference in terms of taste. Some recipes will probably do better with the use of spreads or oils instead of butter as sometimes it may be too drying for certain goods. You can also mix butter and spread, combining them can make a change to the moisture and texture.

Eggs

Aim to find the best quality eggs you can as you can really see the difference with the yolk colour and the baking results. Some recipes will only require the egg yolk or the egg white so when separating them you can store them in the fridge or freezer for future use. Eggs effect the overall structure of the baking in helping act as the binder to most ingredients.

Flavourings and Extracts

(Chocolate, lemon, pandan, vanilla, frozen fruits)

Keeping flavourings and extracts in your stock will help give a variety of options on the goods you bake. In particular chocolate powder, chocolate bars or lemon juice as an alternative to fresh lemons. Extracts are also not just limited to vanilla, there is a whole range of flavourings such as almond, caramel, coconut, banana, ginger, there is lots to choose from.

For something unique try pandan, it is a fragrant leaf with a similarity to vanilla but its fragrance is rounder, earthy and sweet. It is great for natural flavouring and colouring, whilst the taste is very mild the aroma really imparts an umami feel to the recipe. This is something I use often and is also a main ingredient in a lot of Indonesian dishes. I like to use fresh leaves but pandan extracts are still a great option. Pandan is incredibly versatile as its not only used for sweeter dishes but can also be incorporated into savoury recipes.

Fruits, Nuts, Seeds and Oats

Having a few bags of frozen fruits in the freezer is handy when you get the urge to bake a recipe but don't quite have enough fresh fruits to use. For most recipes you don't need to wait until the fruits have defrosted and you can also make them into jams or sauces.

Nuts, seeds and oats have a long shelf life, and using these will add flavourful texture and crunch to baked goods.

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Keeping ingredients well stocked will come in handy during those moments when you fancy baking a recipe. It will save a lot of time of having to obtain them last minute and majority will last quite a while when stored properly. This list is a good starter to get you going and you will find your own favourite ingredients will change and vary as you begin to personalise the recipes to how you prefer them to be.