Wash Up and Set Up

Get ready like a real baker: tie on an apron, wash your hands, read the whole recipe and set out everything first.

Every great bake starts before you touch a single ingredient. In this lesson you will get yourself, your space and your tools ready. It makes baking calmer and more fun.

You will learn

• How to wash your hands like a baker
• Why you read the whole recipe first
• What mise en place means

What you need

• Soap and warm water
• A clean towel
• An apron
• A hair tie for long hair
• A recipe
• Your grown-up

Steps

1. Dress for bakingTie on an apron to keep your clothes clean. Pull long hair back and push your sleeves above your wrists, so nothing dips into the bowl.
2. Wash your handsWash your hands first, every time. Scrub with soap for about 20 seconds, which is as long as singing the Happy Birthday song twice. Get the backs, between your fingers and under your nails, then rinse and dry.
3. Clear your spaceClear the counter and wipe it clean. If you use a step stool, check with your grown-up that it is steady.
4. Read the whole recipeRead the recipe from top to bottom with your grown-up before you start. Look for anything that takes extra time, like softening butter, which means letting it sit out of the fridge until it is soft. Point out every hot, sharp or electric step, because those are grown-up jobs. Check every ingredient with your grown-up for allergies.
5. Set out everythingMise en place (say it: meez on plahs) is a French phrase that means everything in its place. Set out every ingredient and tool before you begin. If something is missing, you find out now, not halfway through.

Try it

• 
  Little Helpers

  Strawberry Milk

• 
  Little Helpers

  Classic Vanilla Icing

Check yourself