GRAINSTORM Baking Help
Baking Tips & Troubleshooting
Bake like a pro
One of the great things about GRAINSTORM baking is how relatively easy, fast and foolproof it is. Even still, knowing and following simple baking best practices will ensure you are getting the best results.
- preheat your oven thoroughly, flip it on a good 30 minutes before you start
- use convection if you have it—you'll get a better rise, more even baking and nicer browning; don't adjust temperature down but expect cooking times a few minutes shorter
- use good quality bakeware for best browning and even results
- consider learning to bake by weight: this is how pro bakers and european households do it; baking by volume is fussy, messy and much less accurate by comaprison
- set a timer! one of the key tricks to consistent results is proper baking time. use a timer and note your results for next time so you can adjust. Don't leave it to your intuition to judge when it is done (or risk getting busy and forgetting); take the scientific approach for no-worry results every time
- let your baking cool in the pan at first, but remove to a cooling rack after a few minutes to avoid sticking and mushy bottoms
Working with GRAINSTORM muffin & loaf bases
Muffin & Loaf Bases
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Important baking tips
- add other items like fresh or dried fruit, nuts, seeds etc. to the wet mix BEFORE you add the grain (this avoids over-mixing)
- DO NOT OVER-MIX! Once you add the grain mix, just fold gently, as little as possible. We recommend by hand with a spatula, but if you are using a mixer, be very gentle and short. Over-mixing will shorten your rise and make the product tough.
- DO NOT OVER-BAKE. The robust texture of the product is most appealing when moist. Over-baking will dry out your muffins or loaves in a more noticeable way than with conventional white flour baked goods.
Adjusting cooking time and temperatures
Cooking time and temperature depend on two main variables: size and fullness of the baking pan and moisture content of the batter.
Package directions call for muffins at 400F or 18-22 minutes; loaves at 350F for 50-60 minutes. These are good starting points. If you have added a lot of extra fresh ingredients (like shredded apples, say) this adds to the baking time in two ways: first, you have added volume to the recipe and if you make the same number of muffins, each one will be larger and require more baking time. Second, you have increased the moisture content of the recipe which will add to the baking time as well. As a rule, the farther the distance to the centre of the product, the longer it needs to cook and the lower the temperature needs to be to keep the product from overcooking or even burning on the outside. Here are a few ballpark settings to get you started.
- loaf pan: 350°F for 50-60 minutes
- bundt pan: 350°F for 40-50 minutes
- mini-loaves: 400°F for 20-25 minutes
Judging doneness
The most reliable way to judge doneness is by feel of the product. When touched lightly, the indent caused by your finger should spring back. If an indent remains, you need a bit more time. Keep in mind that leaving your baking in the oven too far past this done point will create an overly dry product.
Troubleshooting
Not rising enough
GRAINSTORM baking does not rise in the same way as white flour as the grain is much heavier and coarser. However you should expect a decent rise and a pleasing rustic crumb. Muffins tend to rise a little better than loaves. Poor rise can be caused by:
- over-mixing
- oven not fully pre-heated
- opening oven door while baking
- under-baking
- oven too cold
- too much moisture in recipe (i.e. fresh fruit or liquids)
- substituting something for yogurt that does is not reacting with baking soda
Collapsing in the center
The heavy weight of GRAINSTORM batter can cause large loaves in particular to sag in the center when cooling. This is most likely to happen when there is lots of extra ingredients, if the loaf pan is over-full or if there are other rising issues at work as well. A little sag can be normal, but, again, you should expect a nice crumb. If the sag is excessive, run through the checklist above and also try baking smaller loaves and/or putting less fresh ingredients in.
End product is too dry
The most common cause of this is over-baking. See above for adjusting time and temperature and judging doneness. The other common cause of dryness is not enough moisture in your batter. When adjusting base recipes, be sure you keep the moisture content of your batter within a reasonable range of base formula. Another cause is reducing the fat content of the recipe too low.
Sticking to muffin pan
There are three main causes of this:
- letting the finished product cool completely in the pan instead of removing to cooling rack half way through
- poor quality or conventional bakeware that is not well greased (only the best silicon or non-stick bakeware can do without greasing)
- fat content cut too low in recipe
Help with GRAINSTORM Cookie Baking
Cookies
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visual direction sheet
Important baking tips
- add other items like fresh or dried fruit, nuts, seeds etc. to the wet mix BEFORE you add the grain (this avoids over-mixing)
- DO NOT OVER-MIX! This is not as critical with cookies as with muffins, but still good practice for the best crumb. Once you add the grain mix, just fold gently, as little as possible. We recommend by hand with a spatula, but if you are using a mixer, be very gentle and short.
- preparing batter according to instructions will yield a loose batter which will stiffen up as it sits and the raw oats absorb the fats. We recommend a minimum of 15 minutes, but an hour is better. Overnight is even better!
- cookies will spread in the oven, so don’t make them too big; we recommend a generous teaspoon per cookie, twelve to a sheet
- a good quality non-stick cookie sheet will not require greasing; untreated or older baking sheets should be rubbed with just a thin coating of butter; we like silicon cookie sheet pads
- for best texture and to avoid sticking, remove to cooling rack after 3-4 minutes
Controlling cookie texture
By adjusting fat content and baking time, you can produce either a soft, crispy or chewy cookie.
- thin and chewy: follow the recipe on the package and do not over-bake
- thin and crispy: add a little extra fat and cook until well-done
- thick and soft: substitute milk for olive oil on original instructions, bake larger
