By JENNIFER MATHEWS
The First Step To Doubling A Recipe, According To Ina Garten
Baking is delightful yet tricky, as slight adjustments can ruin the final result. During an "Ask Ina" YouTube session, chef Ina Garten tackled the challenge of scaling up recipes.
Garten explained that multiplying all the ingredients by a common number doesn't work in some recipes and mentioned her own failed attempt at scaling up her sheet pan brownies.
The chef advised testing a larger batch when the results are not critical. Recipes with baking soda or powder are particularly challenging to double, requiring fine adjustments.
For every cup of all-purpose flour, use 1 to 1¼ teaspoons of baking powder or ¼ teaspoon of baking soda. For recipes containing baking soda, use ¼ teaspoon for every cup of flour.
Some recipes with acids like buttermilk, sour cream, kefir, or citrus will include both leaveners. Use an additional ¼ to ½ teaspoon of baking soda for every cup of liquid added.
Garten also recommends weighing ingredients for greater accuracy, as the scoop and level method can unintentionally increase the flour content and leave you with a dry end-result.