The past year has seen the majority of us pick up new hobbies to occupy our time. The coronavirus and Covid-19 pandemic saw governments around the world implement social isolation and social distancing measures, encouraging us to stay home and prohibiting us from engaging with our usual social activities. Among the list of hobbies to hit an all time high of popularity has been baking. In fact, at times of peak interest in this activity, many local stores have experienced shortages of basic baking ingredients, such as flour, baking soda and yeast. If you’ve stuck with this activity and are taking it seriously, here are a few essentials that will make the process easier and your end results all the more impressive!
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Rolling Pins
A huge number of cake, pie and pastry recipes call for a rolling pin. These can be purchased from countless retailers and it’s a good idea to have at least one on hand. There are now patterned rolling pins available too, if you’re looking for an extra special, decorative finish to your baking.
A Mixer
Mixers tend to be amongst the more costly pieces of baking equipment, but if you’re invested in this pastime, they’re more than worth the money. It will minimise the physical effort involved in baking, allowing you to carry out other steps of the process while the batter or dough is mixing. It is also ideal for people with arthritis or other conditions that can make stirring manually difficult or impossible.
Dredgers and Shakers
Many cakes call for dusted sugar on top. It’s difficult to get an even finish by hand, but this is where dredgers and shakers come into play. These pieces of equipment sift and evenly sprinkle powdered sugar over the top of your sponges.
A Palette Knife
If you want to create smooth edges on iced cakes (particularly tiered cakes), palette knives are an essential. They can also come in useful for scraping bowls and cutting butter into flour. Browse a variety to find the one that best suits your needs!
Pastry Brushes
Are you looking into making pastries? Well, if you are, a pastry brush is going to prove essential. This will allow you to evenly spread egg bastes across the top of your pastry, giving it a shiny and crisp finish.
Silicone Molds
Silicone baking molds have skyrocketed in popularity over recent years. Available in many shapes and sizes, they can make the process of baking shaped cakes and breads a whole lot easier, while making cleaning up more simple and straightforward too! Made from non-stick materials, they can be rinsed out and reused time and time again. They are also available in all sorts of designs, so you can make edible treats unique to your own or your loved ones interests – whether that’s DIY, landmarks, pets or anything else. For a variety of different molds, take a look at Shapem.
Of course, there are countless other baking tools and accessories that could prove endlessly useful for your baking ventures. But some of the options outlined above are well loved and much used by bakers worldwide!
