Food styling and photo by Kelly CA © Sarah Phillips, baking911.com

Although I love everything about cooking, except the cleaning part of it, it doesn’t mean I am an expert at everything. Like a lot of women, there is one category of cooking that did not come as naturally to me as others—baking. It’s taken me years to understand and appreciate the subtle science behind the art of this craft, and I still don’t always get it right.

I say “science” because it is absolutely true. There is a reason your mama and grandmama sifted flour, used room temperature eggs, and waited to combine certain ingredients at specific times. Now, they might not have had to know that there was a scientific explanation for these actions, but they still knew it was the best way to get the moistest, fluffiest, chewiest or flakiest results possible for their baked goods.

It’s a pretty common thing to hear someone say, “I love to cook but I hate to bake!” and that is probably just because that person needs a couple lessons and some simple baking tips from Sarah Phillips, the CEO and founder of Baking911.com. Sarah put her 25 years of professional baking experience to incredible use by creating a site that is an amazing resource for bakers of all skill levels.

At Baking911.com, you can find answers to basic questions like “How to test for doneness” or more advanced questions like “How to crystalize ginger.” There is even a glossary of baking terms and an excellent breakdown of how baking actually works. Last but not least, there are hundreds of incredible recipes complete with step-by-step instruction, gorgeous photos and the “hows” and “whys” of baking.

I absolutely love this site because Sarah takes the time to demystify the science behind baking so that you are set up to win. And don’t we all need a solid win now and then?

Live the moment,

Cheryl Najafi