What is baking yield?

Baking yield refers to the amount of finished product you get from a recipe. It's basically the ratio of the weight or volume of the final baked goods to the weight or volume of the ingredients used.

Here's a breakdown:

* Yield in Weight: For example, a recipe that yields 1 kg of bread means you'll end up with 1 kilogram of bread after baking.

* Yield in Volume: A recipe that yields 12 cupcakes means you'll get 12 individual cupcakes.

* Yield in Number of Servings: Sometimes, recipes will state the number of servings the baked goods will provide, which can be helpful for planning.

Why is baking yield important?

* Scaling Recipes: Knowing the yield helps you to scale recipes up or down to make more or less.

* Ingredient Purchasing: It helps you determine how much ingredients to buy.

* Portioning: Knowing the yield lets you accurately portion out servings for sharing or selling.

Factors Affecting Yield:

* Ingredient density: Some ingredients are denser than others, impacting the final product's weight or volume.

* Baking time and temperature: Overbaking can lead to shrinkage, affecting yield.

* Recipe variations: Changes to the recipe, such as adding extra ingredients, can alter the yield.

Example:

Let's say you're making cookies. Your recipe yields 2 dozen cookies (24 cookies). If you need 3 dozen cookies, you need to scale the recipe by 1.5 (3/2 = 1.5).

In short, understanding baking yield helps you create delicious and successful baked goods every time!