How did you create your gram standard for The Baker’s Appendix?
JR: I weighed almost every single ingredient in there, personally, on two different scales. I also did a ton of online research, looked at what some other sources were saying, and checked it against what I got when I weighed something in my kitchen. It was a long process of conducting research paired with active measuring and weighing.
Why is it important for bakers to measure ingredients by weight instead of relying on cup measurements?
JR: Accuracy. For example, 125 grams of flour by weight is always 125 grams of flour. Whereas, when you tell someone to measure a cup of flour, everyone will measure differently. Some people do the dip-and-sweep, some people spoon and level, some people pack it in, and some people are really light with it. Each of those will give you a different amount of flour, so your chance of succeeding with a recipe imrpoves when you use gram measurements.
Is there a branch of baking you would say is more important to weigh ingredients?
JR: I would say cakes, for sure, because they can be so finicky and the mass you’re creating is so large. But also pastries and breads—anything that relies on a very delicate balance happening between your ingredients. You can get away with so much more in a cookie.
I would love to see just a page of what this book is before i buy several copies for myself and for friends & fellow chefs and cooks.
Hey Karianne,
Thank you for reaching out! On Amazon, you could use their feature to look inside to the book for a few pages, seeing some of her conversions. However, I can give you an idea of how the book is set up. In the first section, Jessica lays out an exhaustive list of weight conversions. From dry to wet ingredients, she offers volume to grams conversion on just about every baking ingredient under the sun. In the next section, she offers her tried-and-true recipes for basic baked goods including vanilla cake, sugar cookies, and a list of her favorite frosting recipes. After that, she gives her “MacGyver” baking tips, offering information on substitutions, DIY extracts, and other baking hacks.
We think it’s a worthy book to keep close at hand–enough so that we are basing our own measurements on her standard! I hope this has been helpful in giving you an idea of what the book really entails. Happy baking!