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Once you understand the rules of baking, you can then start breaking them and experimenting with the ingredients, Darci told us earlier.
"Baking is a science. Every ingredient has a purpose," Darci said. "Leaveners provide lift. Gluten/flours provide structure. Eggs [act as] binders. Liquid / oils [provide] moisture. Sugars [give] tenderness and sweetness,” she explained what the main ingredients do.
Meanwhile, pie artist Jessica told us earlier that there are certain chemical reactions that need to happen for pastry to become pastry, and for cake to become cake.
“If you alter certain variables (heat, time, acidity, etc.) you may get a result you aren’t thrilled with... That said, you may be pleasantly surprised!" she noted the pros and cons of experimenting with recipes.
"And what better way to learn, 'Oh! That’s what an egg does in this recipe' or, 'Oh! That’s why they say to chill the dough overnight first' than by jumping in and trying it? If you’ve got the time, and are cool with learning from failure (something I do all the time) tinker away!" she said that baking mistakes are learning opportunities.
But if you’re pressed for time or that oh-so-rare thing called patience, you should definitely stick to the baking recipe as-is. Don’t go changing anything if you need everything to go perfectly! Leave the experimentation for times when you can afford to mess up.
