Good bread and dessert start with good flour and the right pan. For the breads, desserts and Baking with Aly recipes on this site, King Arthur Baking Company carries the flours, pans and mixers, plus online classes if you want to learn a new skill.
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King Arthur Baking also carries stand mixers and kitchen appliances, including the Ankarsrum mixer from Sweden and Smeg's retro-style mixers and appliances from Italy.
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Tips for baking at home
Measure flour by weight if you can. A cup of flour can vary by an ounce or more depending on how it is scooped; if you use cups, spoon the flour in and level it off.
Use the pan size the recipe calls for. A smaller or larger pan changes the baking time, so start checking early.
Store flour airtight in a cool, dry place. Whole wheat flour keeps best in the refrigerator or freezer.
Let your oven preheat fully before the pan goes in. An oven thermometer shows whether your oven runs hot or cold.
For the baker in the family
Every baker needs an apron. Ours from Shortsleeve.com celebrates every role in the kitchen: I'm a cook, I'm a baker, I'm a recipe maker.
Use bread flour for yeast breads such as challah and rolls, because its higher protein gives a chewier crumb and a better rise. All-purpose flour works for quick breads, muffins and most cakes and cookies.
Can I make these recipes gluten-free?
Many quick breads, cakes and cookies work with a measure-for-measure gluten-free flour, which replaces all-purpose flour cup for cup. Yeast breads are harder to convert and do best with a recipe written for gluten-free flour.
Do I need a stand mixer?
No. Every recipe on this site can be made by hand or with a hand mixer. A stand mixer saves time and effort with bread dough, meringue and large batches of cookies.
