Essential ingredients for home baking.

Starting with the basics to filling your pantry for baking. Here are a few essential ingredients you’ll be using for regular baking and cooking.

Every baker’s needs are endless. One may be a beginner or a regular baker. Here’s a list of some basic ingredients for everyday baking and some more for next level baking ingredients too. All ingredients mentioned are easy to store in the limited space available. If you are planning to bake regularly you will need to stock up on these basic ingredients. As you gain experience in baking you can opt to buy more high-quality level ingredients to experiment.

1. Flour

   All-purpose flour is simply a no-brainer. It’s easy to get your hands on or if you live in an area where freshly milled flour is available it’s a plus. Used in the most variety of baking like cakes, cookies, and muffins,  flour is a jack of all trades. Commercially available flour is a blend of high gluten and low gluten content.

High-quality flours

• Self-raising flour: Self-raising flour has a baking powder mixed in it with additional salt. This is perfect for making sponges and brownies.
• Cake flour: Cake flour is commercially available in high-end grocery stores and online retail stores. It has less gluten and protein that gives the cakes a light soft texture.

How to store flours

Store flour in an airtight container on pantry shelves or large drawers away from any heat or moisture. Moisture is the main reason for flour to get spoilt. Some commercially available flours come in zip lock bags or containers which are easy to seal and store.

2. Leavening agents

Leavening agents are food grade chemicals that help batter and dough aerate by causing slow chemical reactions to form carbon dioxide which then creates bubbles to help raise the baked goods. This process is called proofing while making bread. There are mainly two types of leavening agents, biological and chemical

• Baking powder: Baking powder is a mix of baking soda and corn starch. It is mixed with corn starch to dilute its acidity.
• Baking soda: Baking soda ( sodium bicarbonate )is pure form and alkaline in nature. It starts to react when in contact with heat or other acidic substances like citric acid or vinegar.

3. Yeast

  Natural Yeast is a biological leavening agent used in making bread and doughs. This is the slow reacting agent which makes it perfect for making bread. The use of yeast dates back centuries ago and is still the most traditionally used ingredient to date. There are three types of yeast commercially available, active dry yeast, instant yeast, and fresh compressed yeast. Active dry yeast and instant yeast are perfect for making doughnuts and pastry doughs. Fresh compressed yeast is also known as ‘ Bakers Yeast ‘ is the best for making all types of bread and doughs.

How to store natural yeast   Store active dry yeast and instant yeast in an airtight container or as instructed on the packaging for months. Fresh compressed yeast is active yeast and gets spoilt in a day. This is why it should be stored in the freezer for longer use. Commercial dry yeast can be stored in an airtight container in a cool place.

4. Sugars

• Granulated sugar:  Off the shelf white sugar. Commonly used in every household for general use.
• Powdered sugar ( Confectionary Sugar ): Powered sugar is white sugar, grinded with corn starch to avoid lumps and caking. Powdered sugar is best for preparing icing and frosting.
• Brown sugar: Brown sugar is refined white sugar mixed with molasses. Brown sugar gives bread and fruit cake a rich dark color profile. Brown sugar is perfect for baking cookies.

5. Basic dairy essentials

• Eggs: Eggs play an important role in combining all the ingredients. Always get your eggs fresh from local sources. It is important to store eggs in the refrigerator, however, make sure you keep them out until they come to room temperature before using them for baking cakes.
• Butter: Butter is every baker’s first choice for baking. Butter is very versatile and used in most recipes from frosting to cakes, cookies to bread. A standard butter will get the job done but a high-quality brand will elevate your result. Always use unsalted butter to make cakes and adjust the salt accordingly.
• Fresh cream / Milk: Milk or fresh cream will not only add moisture to your cake but also will give a richer profile.

6. Oils & Fats

Fats play an important factor in baking. Fats and oils help emulsify batter and dough to give them room to stretch while baking without losing their original form.

• Vegetable oil / Natural oil: It is ideal to use flavor-neutral oil for baking cakes.
• Butter: refer to dairy above.
• Nutralite: Nutralite or any brand butter spread can be used as a healthier alternative to butter. Nutralite has zero cholesterol and is subtle in flavor. It won’t t affect your cake much. ( This is NOT a brand endorsement. I’m not getting paid or getting any incentives from Nutralite. This recommendation is of myself. )

7. Flavourings

  Flavourings are cherry on top. Adding flavors will naturally make your baked good taste and smell good. Most baked goods require eggs and eggs after being baked give off an eggy smell. This can be masked by adding flavourings. Flavors can either be natural or artificial  ( food grade brands)

• Essence: Essence is an artificial type of flavouring. It has a strong smell and is used in small amounts. Vanilla essence is a universal flavor that’s used in most baked goods. Always keep extra vanilla essence stocked up as you’ll be using it more often than other flavors.
• Extracts:  Extracts are flavourings that are extracted directly from natural ingredients. They are a bit more expensive than essence. They add more rich flavor to your recipes. Start with buying Vanilla extract and experiment later on with different flavors.

8. Toppings and add one

   The list for toppings and add ons is a wide range. There are endless products available to cater to your requirements. For starters, there are a few essentials, to begin with, that is a must-have in every household.

Chocolate chips, compound chocolate, cocoa powder is must-haves for every baker.  1 out of 3 bakery recipes will call out for chocolate so it’s definitive to have a few bars of your favorite choice in your pantry. Dried fruits or candied fruits are yet another ingredient used in every household any time of the year. Candid fruits are perfect for fruit cakes and desserts while dry fruits go well with chocolate cakes other desserts.Dried nuts are one of the most consumed snacks in the world. They’re rich in antioxidants and can be stored for a long time.

Clearly, the list will always be endless. But this sums up the must-have basic ingredients in your pantry. Always make a list of ingredients you want to have or you would run out of. Keep that list handy as you’ll find yourself making rounds all the time.  If you are baking very often, do get all your long shelf life ingredients in large ( but moderate ) quantities. You’ll always have an excuse to bake something now and then.

Oh, the joy of having all the ingredients available in the house while going through a recipe is just priceless.