Adventures in Ratio Baking: Behind the Scenes

Just something fun I’d thought I’d do! Take a look at my process for not just ratio baking, but how I put together a baking post.

When I first started ratio baking, it was chaotic. I had no idea what I was doing, or what I needed to add to anything. I kept forgetting to add basics like baking powder and vanilla extract because they aren’t included in the ratio. Honestly, I was all over the place in the kitchen. But it was good because it made me create a baking corner so everything I would need was in the same place.

Things are still trial and error, but I have more successes now. Still, it’s kind of a laborious process to actually get the post up. Enjoy the fun with me!

Step One: Decide to bake

Self-explanatory, right? I’m always in the mood to bake. Not always in the mood to eat. It also depends on my kids and what they have going on for the day, like school. Sometimes there isn’t time to bake, but I like to imagine I am.

Step Two: Decide on what to bake

Ah, that’s the question! What to make? Cookies? Cake? Bread? Pudding? Muffins? Try out pasta again? Should it be new and different, or one of the same old things I make all the time because I have a family of people who don’t like to explore much? Usually, I have a list in my head of what I want to make. It ranges from really simple like a chocolate mug cake that’ll take less than 5 minutes to a towering chocolate mousse cake that I’ve still only created in my dreams.

Step Three: Gather everything I need

Now that I know what to make, I check the ratio and take out what I’ll need. Without a recipe, I only have my mind to guide me. So, I take out all the ingredients and my scale to make sure I don’t miss anything. Especially if I’m adding in something different, like coconut or cocoa powder. You have no idea how many times I’ve made something chocolate and almost forgotten the cocoa powder. It also helps to take a pen and paper (usually a paper towel in my case) to jot down what I need and how much everything weighs, or should weigh.

Step Four: Weigh everything and combine

I weigh each ingredient in the ratio and mix at the same time. I also put everything away as I use it so I don’t add it twice. This is the fun part, though. I love mixing it all together and my daughter loves to laugh at the sound the mixer makes. She also tries to stick her hands in because it’s funny. Mommy is less amused.

At this point, I think I should take some in-process pictures. A second later, I forget to do just that. By then, almost everything has been mixed in, so I just shrug and make a note to remember next time. Which, in actually, turns into never almost every time. If you look through my recipes and adventures in ratio baking posts, you’ll see very few pictures for this reason. Oh, this post is a perfect example! Look at how lovely my imaginary pictures are!

Step Five: Bake

Ah, baking. I’m done. I think. Nope. I finally remember to take at least a pre-baking picture. About a quarter of the time.

Step Six: Wander off and do something else

What else am I supposed to do while waiting for it to cool off, or otherwise be ready for me to consume? Probably take post-baking pictures. Most likely I’m fending off kids and telling them it’s too hot. Or playing some bizarre game I can only survive by going with the flow.

Step Seven: Sit down to start writing the post

When the kids are down for nap/quiet time or sleeping for the night, I finally get to sit down and start pecking out the adventure in ratio baking post. This actually goes really fast, especially if I get to it the day I baked. Everything is fresh in my mind and easy for me to recall. It’s simple. I write a bit about why I baked it, explain I’m a ratio baker using weights, list the ingredients, write out how to mix and bake, and end with a picture of the finished product. Voila!

Step Eight: Oh. Wait. Oops.

Well, the intention was to include a picture of the finished product. If only I’d actually taken said picture. Well, it can wait until later.

Step Nine: Later comes

Later usually means after at least I have enjoyed a piece. Or three. Sometimes I remember when retrieving the first slice, but usually it’s when it’s already half gone. Oh well. Part of a baked good is better than none, right? Next time I’ll remember to get a picture right away. Psst! That doesn’t usually happen, either.

Step Ten: Finishing the post

Okay, I have a picture. I can always make it again later and take pictures then. That is totally the intention. One month later, I haven’t baked it again, so I start thinking maybe I should finally finish that post. One of two things happen: 1) I either decide to us a somewhat decent picture and call it a day or 2) I bake it again and about 75% of the time remember to get a kind of good picture before it’s all gone.

Step Eleven: Making the graphic

Well, maybe no one will notice I use the exact same picture for the graphic and the post. If I make it a bit transparent…and add a few text boxes…and a bunch of words that maybe sound funny…or just sad…or boring…and use a pretty green color. Voila! I can absolutely pretend they are not the same picture.

Step Twelve: Hit schedule

It’s been a month. Or two. Maybe even four at this point. I don’t know. Time slips through my hands now that we’re in the thick of a pandemic. But the post is finally ready! Yes, the cake I said I made last weekend was actually made a lot of weekends ago. Yes, it was delicious. Yes, it looked better in person. No, I probably will not make it again right now when we’re suffering from heat wave after heat wave. But the post is done and I can schedule it for some distant Friday and forget about it.

Step Thirteen: The post posts

Well, it’s out of my hands now. Yup, it looks as good as it’s going to. Yeah, I’m not kidding anyone with the pictures. But I did say it tastes great! I’m not going to lie and say it tastes great when it was actually very questionable. I’ll say it tastes funny. I mean, that’s why it’s under Adventures in Ratio Baking. It’s an adventure. It’s not supposed to be good. But I like to try to make it good on the first try. Eh, I’ll make it again one day, and will maybe remember to take fresh pictures that look nicer.

Step Fourteen: Crickets

Other than chocolate cake and bread, let’s be honest, I probably haven’t remade it. Oh, but my Too Many Types of Cake post seemed to gain in popularity. Those original pictures (that are no longer there. I think)…yikes! Hurry and bake new cakes and get some prettier pictures up. Right now! I never want to eat a cake again. Well, I’ll make a different kind of cake. And then never remake that one.

Step Fifteen: Shrug

Well, I had fun. Maybe someone else will have fun. Or a good laugh. And now I can forget it forever. Or until I decide it might actually be time to make biscuits again. Then I’ll have to look back at the post in question so I remember how to make them. At least they’re useful to me!

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Well, I hope you had as much fun reading this as I had writing it. It really is how I do my Adventure in Ratio Baking posts. It’s also usually how I do my recipe posts.