7 Easy Baking Ideas Perfect For Beginners And Beyond

Baking can be similar to a scientific experiment where you combine ingredients, use equipment to cook the ingredients and hope for a delicious treat. While baking, you must use the right ingredients with the right measurements, and any alterations here can result in a completely different recipe than the one intended. That said, if you are a beginner and want to improve your baking skills, look for simple but timeless recipes that you can treasure and return to in the days to come. You may be pleasantly surprised at how many recipes you can make. Here are some to get you started on your baking journey. These recipes are simple and do not require complex tools or techniques.

7 Delicious Baking Recipes

Explore this hand-picked selection of baking recipes for beginners that will satisfy your sweet tooth and delight your friends and family. From classic chocolate chip cookies to moist banana bread and indulgent brownie bites, these recipes cover a range of baking delights.

Ragi Chocolate Cake

The Ragi Chocolate Cake is a delightful treat for those who enjoy indulgent gooey desserts. With its easy preparation and delicious flavour, it's a favourite for beginners as they do not require advanced tools and equipment. This particular recipe for making cake stands out as a gluten-free dessert option, making it a great choice for those looking for guilt-free indulgence. The ingredients are simple and wholesome, including ragi flour, jaggery, cocoa powder, baking soda, milk, oil, and vanilla extract. To prepare, you just combine the dry and wet ingredients in a tin, ensuring a thorough mix. After 25 to 30 minutes in a preheated convection oven or an Oven Toaster Grill (OTG) at 375°F, you're rewarded with a warm, chocolaty delight that's both satisfying and gluten-free. Whether you're a fan of mini cakes or new to the concept, this Ragi Chocolate Cake is a must-try for its quick preparation and rich taste.

Easy-To-Make Bread

This is another easy baking recipe that yields a delicious, rustic loaf. In a mixing bowl, combine flour, salt, and yeast, then add just enough water to form thick, chunky dough. Let it rest, covered, for 12-18 hours at room temperature, allowing it to become puffy and develop bubbles. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Shape the dough into a ball on a floured surface, place it on parchment paper, and cover it. Transfer the dough with parchment into the hot oven, bake covered for 30 minutes, then uncover and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes until golden brown and crispy. Note: This is an easy recipe and unlike many bread recipes that demand extensive kneading, multiple rounds of rising, this one is knead-free and stress-free.

Banana Bread

A slice of this will treat you well at breakfast and will provide you with the nutrients of banana, and it also makes for a great dessert. Preheat the oven to 350°F and butter a medium sized loaf pan. In a mixing bowl, combine bananas, yogurt, butter, eggs, and vanilla. In a separate bowl, mix flour, walnuts, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda & powder, and salt. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet banana mixture until fully incorporated. Transfer the batter into the prepared pan. Bake on a lower oven rack for about 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Let it cool in the pan for 5 minutes before enjoying either warm or at room temperature. This banana bread recipe is easy to make and yields a delicious loaf. Toast it up and serve with a bit of whipped cream for a true treat.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

These cookies are sure to become your new favourite treat. They are based on almond flour, but you can substitute almond flour for regular flour. This almond and chocolate chip cookie recipe is grain free, egg free and refined sugar free. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper and keep it aside. In a spacious bowl, blend almond flour, maple syrup, baking soda, and nut butter. Mix with wooden spoon or blend with hand mixer until batter is dense and ingredients have been blended well. Add sea salt and any other mix-ins like chocolate chips, nuts, etc. For best results, chill batter for 40 minutes in fridge. Scoop the cookie dough using a medium-sized scooper. Roll into a ball then roll each dough ball in pure raw cane sugar or sugar free sugar, if desired. Push down with palm or back of a measuring cup. Once flattened, repeat the process until you have about 10-11 cookies. Place in oven on centre rack and bake for 9-12 minutes. The edges will become golden and a little crispy in around 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely before serving.

Brownie Bites

These brownie bites are soft and chewy on the inside with a subtle crispiness on the outer layer, a combination that's truly delightful. These tiny bites of delectable chocolate brownie are generously adorned with extra chocolate chips because, there's no such thing as an excess of chocolate. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a small cupcake mould or tin. In a medium pot, melt the butter, then add sugar, cocoa powder, and salt, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat, add vanilla and eggs, and mix well. Incorporate flour and chocolate chips well. Spoon the brownie mixture into the tins and bake for 15 minutes. After baking, run a knife along the edges of the brownie bites to lift them out of the pan. Allow them to cool before serving.

Blueberry Crumb Bars

These blueberry crumb bars are incredibly simple to prepare and can be enjoyed on the go, making them an ideal dessert for picnics and summer gatherings. To start, preheat your oven to 375°F and lightly grease a medium-sized baking pan. For the crumb layer, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Blend in the butter using a fork or pastry cutter, and then add the egg (resulting in a crumbly dough). Press half of this dough into the prepared pan. For the filling, in a separate bowl, combine the sugar, corn-starch, and lemon juice. Fold in the blueberries to ensure an even coating with the sugar mixture. Spread this blueberry mixture evenly over the crust, making sure to drizzle any excess juice from the bowl over the filling. Finally, crumble the remaining dough evenly on top of the blueberry layer. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until the top has a light golden-brown colour. Allow the bars to cool completely before cutting them into squares. Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic wrap, either at room temperature or in the refrigerator, for up to 3 days.

Pizza From Scratch

This is a pizza dough recipe designed for beginners, requiring minimal ingredients like flour, yeast, sugar, salt and water and a touch of oil for pan preparation. Let the yeast bloom in water; add sugar to this mix. To create the dough, combine the ingredients either manually or with a hand-held or stand mixer. Kneading can be done by hand or with the mixer. After kneading, transfer the dough to a greased mixing bowl, cover it tightly, and let it rise for approximately 90 minutes or overnight in the refrigerator. After rising, punch down the dough to release air bubbles, divide it in medium-sized balls, and roll each portion into a 12-inch circle. While prepping the pizza toppings, cover the dough and let it rest. Finally, add your favourite pizza toppings and let it bake in an oven for about 15 minutes.

7 Baking Tips For Beginners

As a baking novice, these tips can be helpful:

Understand The Recipe: For beginners as well as pro bakers and chefs, it is essential to understand a recipe, its ingredients and steps before starting the baking process. Expert chefs across the world emphasise that reading the steps thoroughly before starting is critical. Many kitchen mishaps occur because a cook didn't anticipate a specific step. Reviewing the recipe ensures you're well-prepared and can save you from investing time, money, and ingredients in a dessert that doesn't turn out as expected.

Precise Measurement: Adhering to correct measurements in baking is crucial. Accurate quantities of ingredients ensure consistent results, taste, and texture. All chefs will advise that precision in baking will help you win.

Room Temperature Matters: It is important to bring refrigerated or chilled ingredients like butter, eggs, and cream to room temperature. Retrieve them from the fridge a couple of hours before baking. This ensures even mixing, resulting in uniform texture in your baked dishes.

Pack Sugar: When measuring sugar, firmly press it into the cup. It should hold its shape when removed. This is to ensure your recipes turn out just right.

Weigh Your Ingredients: Using a kitchen scale or an electronic scale is essential for precise baking. When measuring ingredients like crushed nuts, it ensures accuracy, resulting in the perfect texture and taste in your baked dishes.

Checking When Ready: Use a toothpick to determine if the bakes are fully done. Insert it into the cupcakes, and if it comes out clean, they're ready to be cooled.

Allow for Cooling: After baking, place your treats on a wire rack to cool. This prevents them from overcooking due to residual heat from the pan. Wait until the cake or cookies have cooled before frosting, as even slight warmth can cause the icing to melt.

Check out Crompton’s range of kitchen appliances online that are equipped with advanced technology to enhance your culinary experience.

FAQs on Baking Recipes for Beginners

What to bake when you're a beginner?

Are you unsure where to begin as a newbie baker? Begin with simple and easy baking recipes such as chocolate chip cookies, banana bread, or brownies. These delights are simple to create, tasty, and ideal for practising your baking abilities. As your confidence grows, you may try more complicated recipes.

Can baking be self-taught?

Yes. Begin with a simple dish to avoid the temptation to take on too much at first. Expand your abilities and understanding of baking techniques gradually over time. Videos on the web are great to learn from. When you come across a method that you are unfamiliar with, you might look for a video lesson to replicate the skill by yourself. Good luck with your baking!

What is the difference between cooking in an OTG versus a convection oven?

An Oven Toaster Grill (OTG) allows you to bake while also offering other types of cooking methods like toasting and grilling. A convection over typically has a fan that circulates air in the oven cavity which is ideal for even cooking. OTGs are compact and typically have heating elements on the top and bottom while an oven may also have heating elements on the sides.

What should I look for when buying an OTG?

While buying an OTG, consider its capacity for how many family members it can serve, your usage, the location of the OTG in your home, whether you’d prefer analog or digital controls and the pricing. Here’s an OTG buying guide for you.