Many dread the kitchen because they don’t know what to cook or how to prepare it. Cooking a delicious dinner or baking yummy treats doesn’t have to seem scary. With this quick guide to baking for beginners: 5 steps to becoming a better cook, you’ll master the most basic skills and start creating tasty food every time.

Step #1: Read the Recipe a Few Times Before Beginning

Read the recipe at least twice before starting. You’ll understand the steps, ingredients, and equipment needed. Doing so prevents you from feeling overwhelmed in the kitchen or having to scrap the entire recipe after a misstep.

Step #2: Prepare Your Ingredients

Preparing your ingredients is also known as “mise en place.” This French term translates to “everything in its place.” After thoroughly reading and understanding the recipe, gather the ingredients and equipment before you begin. Place them on your counter in the order they appear in the recipe. It will save time in the kitchen, minimize stress, and ensure you don’t forget an essential ingredient along the way.

Step #3: Measure Carefully

Believe it or not, cooking and baking are different. Baking refers to bread, brownies, and cakes while cooking entails mixing and heating ingredients of all kinds. It’s always essential to closely measure the ingredients when baking because a mistake will affect the baked good’s texture, taste, and ability to rise.

For example, too much flour can make your cake dry, while too little can make it dense. You can more freely add spices and sauces as you wish without messing up a dinner dish. However, as a beginner, try sticking to a recipe to strengthen your foundational knowledge of the effect various ingredients have on food.

Step #4: Learn How To Hold a Knife

Knife skills are essential because they are potentially dangerous tools. It doesn’t matter if you’re slicing strawberries for a tart or chopping vegetables for a stir fry. Learning this information as a beginner baker is a valuable step to becoming a better cook to ensure you’re safe in the kitchen.

Hold the knife firmly, pinching the blade between your thumb and forefinger. Practice makes perfect. The more you use a knife, the more comfortable you’ll become.

Step #5: Taste the Food Throughout the Process

Food is always the best gift for loved ones, whether you’re making dinner for friends or bringing a dessert to an event. So, you’ll want it to taste incredible! An easy way to inspect your progress is to taste the food along the way. Tasting as you cook makes you more familiar with textures and flavors.

It’s also important to adjust the seasonings or sweetness levels of each dish so it comes out perfectly. Bring your kids in on the fun to taste the many flavors. They will love helping mom out in the kitchen and adore a quick snack.

Learning how to be a better cook will make your life and the lives of those around you so much sweeter. Take your time, continue practicing, and you’ll become a wonderful chef!