Top 10 Baking Tips

1. Do not overmix and do not overbake.
   
2. Carefully read the recipe before proceeding. Use the specified ingredients, and pre-measure them.
   
3. Always use metal measuring cups for dry ingredients and a glass measuring cup for liquid ingredients.
   
4. Take your time to properly preheat the oven, and practice safety.
   
5. Measure flour according to the recipe.
   
6. Use an oven thermometer, readily available in grocery stores. Ovens can vary by 50 degrees.
   
7. Properly store ingredients and use the highest quality and freshest ones possible.
   
8. Use metal nonstick baking pans, not thin disposable aluminum ones. Glass pyrex pans are preferable for pie baking.
   
9. For cake and loaf recipes that require unmolding, place the pan on a wire cake rack and let it stand for 10 minutes. Then unmold.
   
10. Before baking, always wash your hands and carefully wash any fruits and vegetables used in the recipe.

Sarah Phillips is an expert baker and the author of Healthy Oven Baking Book , (Doubleday, 1999)