Interview for a baker?
Hi everyone, I'm doing a project for school and I need to interview a baker for it, so I was wondering if I could interview any of you for it?
Just some simple questions; that's all!
1. How do you make your cookies?
2. Do you prefer your cookies soft in the middle or a little crunchy?
3. How do you prepare for cooking?
4. How much does each ingredient usually cost?
5. Most recipes say to use unsalted butter when making cookies. Does using salted butter make a big difference in the result?
6. Can I substitute oil for butter? How much would I use?
7. How do I need to alter a recipe if I use a convection oven?
8. How do I know if my baking powder and baking soda are still fresh?
9. What do you think are the most important skills to have as a baker?
10. Any advice for baking?
Thanks to anyone who answers! :)
1. I prefer drop cookies, using a larger or smaller scoop to portion them.
2. Crunchy.
3. I read the whole recipe, then prepare all the ingredients, so that I have them at hand when I need them ("mise en place").
4. I buy mostly organic ingredients, so they are a bit more expensive. - You would have to be more specific what ingredients you mean, since I use a lot of different ones.
5. Salt can mask the fact that butter is not very fresh anymore. I never use salted butter, but if I would use it, I would reduce the overall salt content of the recipe.
6. I sometimes do. If you weigh your ingredients instead of using volume measures, you can use the same amount in weight.
7. If the oven does not auto-convect, you have to reduce the temperature by 25 degrees for baking with convection.
8. Don't know - they last very long. My yeast supplies I keep in the fridge.
9. Passion, patience and perseverance.
10. Don't go by the kitchen timer but by what you see and feel, and don't be too impatient. I got some burns, because I was too much in a hurry to open the oven door wide enough :)
Good luck with your project!
Karin (Karin's Bäckerei)
Hehe, I like mine crunchy too. c:
Thanks so much, Karin! Have a great day!