Hey Reader,

I have answered some version of "how long do I bake this for?" so many times this week 😭

And by the fifth time, I realised this needs an email. Not just a comment reply.

Because every single time, the real answer is the same. And I keep almost saying it bluntly and then softening it.

So I'm just going to say it here instead. 👇

You don't need to know the baking time. You need to know your bake.

I know that sounds like I'm being difficult but hear me out 😅

The same recipe behaves differently in every oven. The same batter takes longer as a cake than it does as muffins. The same cake that takes 25 minutes in your oven might take 35 in mine. And if you're baking multiple pans at once? Your oven is working harder, so add more time.

So when a recipe says "bake for 30 minutes" it's giving you a starting point. Not a hard and fast rule but a starting point.

And I nearly said this out loud every single time someone asked me this week, but held back.

So I'm saying it here instead. 🙈

If you're pulling your cake out at exactly 30 minutes because the recipe said so and wondering why it's underbaked... the recipe didn't fail you. You just stopped watching too soon 💀

I know it FEELS safer to follow the time. It feels like if you do exactly what the recipe says, it should work. But no recipe writer in the world can account for your specific oven, your specific pan, your specific kitchen temperature on that specific day.

What actually works is focusing on what your bake is showing you 👇

🔸 Your bread is supposed to get a deep golden crust? Bake it until it does.

🔸 Your cake needs to pass the toothpick test? Bake it until it does.

🔸 Your cookies should look slightly underdone in the centre when they come out? Pull them then.

Your bake will tell you when it's ready. You just have to learn to read it 🙌

This is honestly one of the biggest shifts I see in my students once they stop chasing the clock and start actually LOOKING at their bake. Their results get so much more consistent, because they're finally responding to what's in front of them, not a number on a page 💕

So if you've been blaming your oven, or the recipe, or yourself every time something doesn't turn out right...

Stop looking at the timer. Start looking at your bake. That's it. That's the whole thing 😊

Like this? Grab my FREE resource on learning how to BAKE BEYOND RECIPES. {It has a free 7 day access, get it and watch it quickly!}​

Want to dive deeper into my courses? I teach everything from baking to making your own recipes inside each one of my courses!

Check them out here: SEE ALL COURSES.

Always rooting for your success,
Shubhangi
Redolence Baking School
Your eggless baking journey is just a click away! 🧑‍🍳✨

P.S. This is exactly the kind of thing we go deep into inside my courses 🍞✨ Understanding your bake beyond the recipe so you get consistent, confident results every time. Drop me a message and I'll send you the details! 💕