c/baking-fails-and-wins

Update on my sourdough starter named Bob

My neighbor yelled over the fence, 'Bob smells like a brewery, you sure he's alive?' and I realized I'd been feeding it with pineapple juice for a week by accident. Anyone else have a starter that survived a weird feeding choice?

I thought the 'room temperature butter' rule was just baking snobbery until my cookies spread into one giant sheet.

My buttercream turned into soup on a 90-degree day

I was making a birthday cake for my friend last Saturday and it was super hot outside. I had just finished a batch of Swiss meringue buttercream and went to answer the door. Came back five minutes later and the whole bowl was a runny, melted mess. The AC just couldn't keep up with the kitchen heat. Has anyone else had a frosting disaster like this and managed to save it?

My brother-in-law insisted I should always weigh my flour, not scoop it. I finally tried it on a batch of chocolate chip cookies.

My sourdough starter just gave up on me after 8 months

I mean, it was going strong since last fall, survived a move and everything. Then last week I went to feed it and it was just this flat, gray liquid on top. I tried feeding it twice a day for three days straight with my usual 50/50 mix of whole wheat and all-purpose, but nothing. It's weird, it felt like losing a pet. Anyone have a good method for restarting one from scratch that doesn't take forever?

My attempt at mirror glaze for a birthday cake turned into a full day project

I wanted to make a fancy mirror glaze cake for my friend's party last Saturday. The recipe said it would take about 30 minutes to make and pour. My first batch seized up into a weird rubbery blob, so I had to start over. It actually took me almost 5 hours and three tries to get a smooth, shiny finish that didn't look lumpy. Has anyone else had a simple-sounding glaze recipe completely derail their baking plans?

I finally looked up how much sugar is in a real New York cheesecake

I was trying to copy a recipe from Junior's in Brooklyn and the article said their classic slice has 52 grams of sugar. That's more than a can of soda! I always thought the sour cream topping was the heavy part, but nope, it's all in the filling. Has anyone else cut the sugar in a cheesecake recipe without ruining the texture?

Appreciation post: My chocolate chip cookies turned into puddles because I used melted butter

I was rushing and didn't let it cool, so they spread across the whole sheet. Anyone have a good trick for chilling butter fast when you're in a hurry?

Warning: I learned the hard way that a 'crumb coat' is not just for fancy cakes.

I was at a big family picnic in Portland last summer, bringing a simple two-layer chocolate cake. It was hot, maybe 90 degrees, and I skipped the crumb coat because I thought it was just for smooth, perfect frosting on wedding cakes. I just slapped the final buttercream on. By the time we cut it, the whole thing was a mess of dark crumbs floating in white frosting. It looked gray and dirty. My cousin said it looked like a storm cloud. That one fail changed my whole view. Now I do a thin crumb coat on every single cake, even a basic birthday one, and chill it for 20 minutes before the final layer. It takes a bit longer, but the cake always looks clean. Does anyone else have a simple step they used to skip but now swear by?

Tried a new trick with my pie crust and it actually worked

Ngl, my crusts always got soggy on the bottom, so I tried preheating a baking sheet in the oven for 20 minutes before putting the pie on it. The bottom came out crisp and golden for the first time ever. Has anyone else tried this or got another fix for a soggy bottom?

My sister called my sourdough starter 'a pet with no payoff'

She said it after my third flat loaf this month. Made me realize I was so focused on keeping it alive, I forgot to actually bake with it right. Anyone have a foolproof schedule for a 1-cup starter?

Rant: I had to pick between a recipe's bake time and my oven's temperature

The recipe said 25 minutes at 350, but my oven runs hot so I went with 20 minutes instead. I checked at 15 and the edges were already burning, so I pulled it out early. Has anyone else had a recipe time be totally wrong for their oven?

My sister-in-law watched me toss a failed loaf and just said 'save the croutons'

I was about to throw a rock-hard sourdough in the compost after it didn't rise at all. She was over for coffee and pointed out I could cube and toast it. Now I keep a bag in the freezer for failed bakes. What's your best salvage move for a baking disaster?

My friend said my pie crust looked like a 'sad, pale frisbee' and I finally fixed it.

She was right, it was tough and bland. I started using ice water and a full stick of frozen butter, grated in. Do you chill your dough for an hour or overnight?

Tried to make a cake with leftover coffee instead of water

I had about a cup of cold brew left over from yesterday and thought, why not add it to a boxed chocolate cake mix for extra flavor? I swapped it in for the water, same amount. The batter looked fine, but after baking, the cake was SO dense and barely rose. It tasted okay, but the texture was like a brick. I learned that coffee is more acidic than water, and I think it messed with the leavening. Has anyone else tried this and gotten a better result? Maybe I should have adjusted the baking soda or something.

My five-year-old said my cookies looked 'sad' and I can't unsee it

I was decorating some simple sugar cookies yesterday, just slapping on some royal icing, and my kid walks over. She points at one and goes, 'Daddy, why does that snowman look so sad?' I looked at my lopsided faces and messy lines and just started laughing. I'd been so focused on them being 'good enough' that I forgot they're supposed to be fun, you know? Now every time I look at a bake I'm wondering if it has the right vibe. Anyone else have a kid totally roast their decorating skills?

My sourdough starter finally doubled after a full week of looking sad

I started it last Monday with just flour and water from my tap in Phoenix. For six days it just sat there like a flat, bubbly pancake and I was sure I killed it. This morning I opened the jar and it had actually risen up to the rubber band mark I put on it. Has anyone else had a starter take that long to wake up in a dry climate?

My sourdough starter finally doubled in size after 12 days and I almost cried.

I followed a guide from a baker in Portland and kept it in my oven with just the light on, which finally gave it the consistent warmth it needed. Anyone else have a stubborn starter that took forever to get going?

My chocolate chip cookies turned into flat puddles last week

I tried a new recipe from a blog and followed it exactly. The dough looked fine, but after 12 minutes in the oven, they spread into one giant, greasy mess on the sheet. I think the recipe called for way too much melted butter. I had to throw the whole batch out. Has anyone else had a cookie disaster with melted butter instead of softened?

Overheard a baker at the county fair say she never measures vanilla extract, just pours until it 'feels right'

So I was at the new bakery on Elm Street and saw the weirdest thing

They had a whole display case of these perfect looking cupcakes, but every single one had a giant thumb print smashed right into the frosting. The girl behind the counter just shrugged and said the owner's kid 'helped' decorate that morning. Has anyone else seen a bakery just roll with a fail like that?

Hot take: My trusty 20-year-old KitchenAid mixer finally gave out mid-brioche dough.

The motor just smoked and died last Tuesday, right as I was adding the last of the butter. Anyone have a good fix, or is it time to finally upgrade?

Bought a fancy $80 cake pan that warped in the oven

I was so excited to make a tall layer cake for my sister's birthday, but the pan bent completely out of shape during the preheat. Now my batter is all over the oven floor and I'm out the money. Has anyone found a brand of bakeware that actually holds up?

I used to bake my sourdough at 450 for the whole time and got bricks

For years my loaves came out dense and hard. I finally read a tip from a baker in Portland to start at 500 for 20 minutes, then drop to 450 with the lid off. The first time I tried it, my crust was perfect and the inside was actually airy. I can't believe I wasted so much flour on doorstops. Anyone have other temp tricks for a gas oven?

I finally baked my 100th loaf of sourdough and the milestone loaf was a complete pancake.

After 99 attempts (some good, some truly awful), number 100 somehow forgot to rise at all, which felt like a cosmic joke from my starter, Frank. Has anyone else had a big baking milestone go hilariously wrong?