Little Bitty City Pretty

I’ve seen posts online where people shared a photo of their sweet breads that are dry and/or flat… asking “what did I do wrong”? One photo of a banana bread in particular stood out for me (the photo below). My guess, by looking at this photo, a couple things went wrong. The moisture content was too low and they probably used a dark nonstick loaf pan to bake it. 

For sweet breads to have a moist bakery style texture, moister content is important. You don’t want it to be too thick or heavy when you pour it into your baking pan. It needs to be a tad thicker than pancake batter .. and sometimes even looser (like for pumpkin bread). My tip would be to use 4-5 big, ripe bananas for banana breads, and for other breads add more milk, buttermilk, etc that already have those listed in the ingredients, ONLY if the batter seems too thick. Don’t be scared to tweak your recipes!

Another factor for a good bake is use light colored pans like stainless steel for lighter crusts and even baking. Dark pans absorb heat fast and focus that heat on the bottoms and edges, creating tougher, dry sides. I like to lightly grease my pans and add a thin coat of flour, then turn the pan upside down to tap out any excess flour stuck on the sides and corners. You can also line your pans with parchment paper for less mess, but cutting it to size can be a pain at times.

I would strongly recommend getting a little oven thermometer to hang from the middle rack, so you can turn on your oven light and see the temperature easily and know your oven is at the correct temp without opening the oven door and letting heat escape. Making sure your oven is properly heating is also very important. 

In winter months, baking can take a little longer because our homes are cooler and your oven has to work a little harder to stay at the programmed temperature. Keep that in mind while you’re baking and add an additional 5-10 minutes to your bake time. Once you’ve done it a couple times you won’t feel so nervous about leaving your bake in longer. 

Cookies are a favorite in our home. They’re not only delicious, but they’re fun to make, easy to eat on the go, and storing them is easy peasy. Here’s some tips I recommend for scrumptious homemade cookies.

• Use real butter instead of oils. Nothing beats the rich flavor and tender crisp texture that butter delivers. Cream it at room temperature with sugar for light, airy dough that bakes up golden.
• Chill your dough overnight. This is the secret to thick, flavorful cookies. Chilling allows the flour to absorb moisture fully and develops deeper taste. Roll into balls, cover tightly, and refrigerate 8–24 hours before baking.
• Choose fresh, local ingredients. Eggs, real vanilla, and unbleached flour make a noticeable difference. For healthier options, try local honey or stone-ground flour. Fresh means better flavor and texture every time, and we love supporting our local venders!
• Use an oven thermometer. A cheap thermometer ensures accuracy. Most cookies need a true 350°F for even browning.
• Adjust for seasonal temperature changes. Your oven heats differently in cool weather than in summer. Cold kitchens and dense dough can cause under baking, while a hot oven in warm months spreads cookies too thin. In winter, let dough sit out 10–15 minutes before baking if it’s very cold.
• Avoid dark pans and sheets. Stick to light colored aluminum or stainless steel for gentle, even heat. Dark pans absorb too much heat and brown bottoms too fast. Light pans give you that perfect golden underside every time.
• Shape cookies right after baking. For perfectly round edges, gently swirl a round cutter around each cookie while it’s hot and puffy. Do this within 1–2 minutes of pulling from the oven. Cool fully on the sheet for crisp bottoms.

Line your pans with parchment for easy release and cleanup.

Put these to work in your next batch, your cookies will turn out bakery perfect every time. Got a go to trick? Drop it in the comments!