Professional Chefs Are Telling People Not To Make These Common Kitchen Mistakes, And I'm Taking Notes

"Home bakers (and particularly Americans) are so terrified of over-baking things that they wildly, tragically underbake them. Some things (brownies, snicker doodles) are best if you just barely bake them, but a lot of things (particularly breads, viennoiserie, some cookies, etc) need to get properly, richly browned. Colour is flavour! Raw flour doesn't taste good! Gelatinise your starches, caramelise some sugars, and crisp up that crust, people!"

"Home bakers (and particularly Americans) are so terrified of over-baking things that they wildly, tragically underbake them. Some things (brownies, snicker doodles) are best if you just barely bake them, but a lot of things (particularly breads, viennoiserie, some cookies, etc) need to get properly, richly browned. Colour is flavour! Raw flour doesn't taste good! Gelatinise your starches, caramelise some sugars, and crisp up that crust, people!"

Home bakers, especially Americans, often avoid browning and therefore underbake many items. While some baked goods like brownies and snickerdoodles benefit from being barely baked, many breads, viennoiserie, and some cookies require full, rich browning to develop flavor. Proper baking gelatinises starches, caramelises sugars, and crisps crusts, creating desirable textures and deeper taste. Pale, underbaked goods retain raw flour flavors and lack caramelised complexity. Encouraging higher baking colour and heat transfer will improve flavour and texture outcomes. Bakers should prioritise colour as flavour and not be afraid to achieve a properly browned crust.

Read at BuzzFeed