Two thirds of British bakers have had a kitchen disaster
As this week is National Baking Week (15.10.12 - 21.10.12), many wannabe bakers will be attempting to try their hand at some adventurous creations. But this could end in tears, with new research revealing that almost two thirds of Brits have had a Baking 'disaster'.
Despite the increase of interest in baking, largely due to the TV show, the Great British Bake Off, it seems that we as a nation are rather accident-prone in the kitchen. Half of the men surveyed and two thirds of women admitted that they had had a nightmare with their baking at least once.
Nearly 40 percent of Brits complained that their cake sunk in the middle, and a third admitted they'd burned their bakes. One in ten even revealed that they had dropped their baked goods on the floor, and then gone on to serve it.
British bakers are apparently very precious about their recipes, with a quarter of us refusing to share our secret baking tips with even our closest friends and families. And a few of us have admitted to being naughty bakers, with five percent of women and ten percent of men claiming they have baked in the nude. As the research also found that 15 percent of Brits have burned themselves while cooking, it might be a good idea to keep clothes on for baking adventures.
The survey was commissioned by baking company Whitworths, who have launched a new Baking SOS guide, to help Brits with their baking woes. Anyone wanting to ask for advice can also tweet @WhitworthsSugar, and use the #BakingSOS hash-tag.
Whitworths baking expert Kate Moore says: “It is great to see so many Brits, both male and female, inspired to bake in 2012. What this research has found is that we’re spending more time in the kitchen, but also making common mistakes that cost us time and money.
"With a few hints and tips, bakers can often rectify their errors, salvage their baking, or at least prevent the same mistake from happening on their next bake".
Kate also offered some simple pieces of advice for would-be bakers. She said: "For example, if you find your cakes tend to sink in the middle, check that your baking powder hasn’t passed its used-by date and try not to open the oven door frequently during baking as a rush of cooler air will affect the cake’s size. And when baking biscuits or cookies, minimise the risk of them spreading by chilling the dough beforehand and always pre-heat your oven before baking”.
Check out Whitworths Baking SOS guide at: whitworths-sugar.co.uk/baking-sos/
Tagged in Baking Food & Drink