#bakeware

#bakeware

Some people bake to relax, while others need to relax after baking. Although personality factors certainly play a role in this dichotomy, having the right equipment can make all the difference. If you're trying to bake a cake but the dimensions or material of your pan aren't quite right, you'll probably have a trickier time than if you were working with the proper tools.

I would love to know which ancient Christmas wizard took a puff of Chronic and invented the bûche de Noël, the iconic dessert log that likely originated in medieval France and exploded in popularity in Europe during the Victorian era, which also tracks (that's when folks were creative hobby-maxxing with seances and hair jewelry). Next to a lamb-shaped, coconut flake Easter cake, I can't think of a holiday dessert that creates such a symphony of texture and flavor;

But as easy as focaccia is to make, its texture and quality are entirely dependent on the vessel you cook it in. Thick ceramic and glass bakeware will produce pallid, abysmally soft bakes and need parchment paper to prevent sticking-I learned this the hard way early in my focaccia-baking journey. For crispy golden burnished results, an aluminum sheet pan is the pan of choice in the BA Test Kitchen.