7 Baking Fails and Buddy Valastro's Advice for Fixing Them

Professional baker Buddy Valastro shares his take on why your baking flops happened, plus expert advice for avoiding those mistakes again.

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Problem: The biscuits turned out tough and dense.

Buddy's Take: "The dough was likely overmixed. Have a lighter go at it next time."

Problem: The egg whites never stiffened.

Buddy's Take: "Work clean. There may have been fat present in the bowl while whipping; fat inhibits protein from bonding."

Problem: While baking, all the blueberries sunk to the bottom of the muffins.

Buddy's Take: "The batter was maybe too thin. Lightly coat your berries with flour before putting them in."

Problem: The bottom of the cake is burned, but the inside is raw.

Buddy's Take: "The temperature might have been too high in the oven. Use an oven thermometer to determine what the actual internal temperature is prior to baking again."

Problem: The bread dough failed to rise while proofing.

Buddy's Take: "You may have mixed the yeast with too hot of water and killed the yeast. Use a thermometer to check the water before mixing."

Problem: The brownie batter looks lumpy.

Buddy's Take: "Dry ingredients weren't sifted, [or] the butter might have been too cold or it was mixed incorrectly. Take your time when preparing brownies to sift and mix properly."

Problem: The frosting turned out gritty.

Buddy's Take: "Granulated sugar isn’t fine enough in most cases. Use finer sugar or melt it prior to mixing."

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