How to Read a Recipe Like a Baker

Learn the parts of a recipe: what it makes, how long it takes, the ingredients list, the numbers and the order of the steps.

A recipe is a set of instructions, a bit like a map. In Lesson 1 you learned to read it all before you start. Now you will learn what each part tells you.

You will learn

• The parts of a recipe
• What the numbers and short forms mean
• How to plan your time

What you need

• A recipe
• A pencil
• Your grown-up

Steps

1. Start at the topRead the title, then find how much the recipe makes. This is called the yield, like 12 muffins. Check that it is the right amount for your plans.
2. Check the timesLook for prep time, bake time and any cooling or chilling time. Prep time is how long it takes to get ready and mix. Add them up to see if there is enough time today.
3. Read the ingredients listIngredients are usually listed in the order you use them. Check every ingredient with your grown-up for allergies before you start. Watch for words like softened, packed or divided. Softened means soft but still cool, packed means pressed down firmly, and divided means the ingredient is used in more than one step.
4. Decode the numbersRecipes use short forms: tsp is teaspoon, tbsp is tablespoon, c is cup, g is gram and F means degrees Fahrenheit. Fractions like 1/2 and 1/4 tell you which cup or spoon to use. For 3/4 cup, fill the 1/2 cup and then the 1/4 cup.
5. Follow the steps in orderDo the steps one at a time, in order. Watch for waiting words like chill, rest or cool. Point out every hot, sharp or electric step, like the oven, stove, knives, mixer or blender, so your grown-up can do them.
6. Check off as you goTick each ingredient as you add it, so you never wonder if the salt went in. Tick each step when it is done, too.

Try it

• 
  Junior Bakers

  Chocolate Chip Cookie

• 
  Junior Bakers

  Vanilla Brown Sugar Muffins

Check yourself