If you’ve ever baked a batch of cookies, then you’re probably familiar with the usual first step of the process: bringing a stick or two of butter to room temperature. Because of its soft texture, room temperature butter is easier to cream with sugar until light and fluffy, a step that aerates the dough and contributes to the final texture of your cookies. 

What can’t frangipane do?

“Where has this been all my life?” asks Amy Coyne of @amy.bakes.bread in an Instagram reel viewed by over 11 million people. She’s talking about her croissant sourdough bread, a loaf with a crispy, flaky crust and feathery crumb that suddenly appeared and took social media by storm.

There is a wide variety of fresh pastas you can make at home without any special equipment such as a pasta roller or extruder — or even a rolling pin! What follows is a guide to some of those pasta shapes, and the best dough to make them with. 

In every episode of our new podcast Things Bakers Know, we answer baking questions from our listeners. In our recent episode all about birthday cake, one caller asked a very important question: Why did my cake fall flat as a pancake when I took it out of the oven? Below is an edited excerpt from hosts David Tamarkin and Jessica Battilana.

Over on our YouTube channel and in our On Demand bread classes (like this Intermediate Sourdough class), Martin Philip makes some of the most beautiful breads you’ll see on the internet, from open-crumbed baguettes to

At King Arthur, we're currently obsessed with biscuits.

In every episode of our new podcast Things Bakers Know, we answer baking questions from our listeners. In our recent episode all about chocolate chip cookies, one caller asked a very important question: What’s the best chocolate for chocolate chip cookies? Below is an edited excerpt from hosts David Tamarkin and Jessica Battilana.

By now, you’re probably familiar with the famous “fold in the cheese” scene from the show Schitt’s Creek (and if you’re not, you should be). Folding may seem like an intimidating technique at first — recipes are often full of dire warnings about doing this step carefully — but if you keep in mind a few fundamentals, there’s no need to fear. Usually, bakers are preoccupied with using a delicate touch and the correct motions. But one more unexpected yet crucial factor for folding success?

If you’re looking for a new recipe to try this month, we’ve got you covered. Already got your hands on some rhubarb? Add it to your coffee cake. Need a cake for graduation season? Consider layers of coconut cake covered in a flurry of coconut flakes. Eager for strawberry shortcake? We have a creative cookie version that will hold you over until fresh berries arrive. Let’s get baking! 

Making homemade granola is easy — just stir together oats, nuts, and seeds with a sticky-sweet coating, spread it onto a baking sheet, and bake until the mixture crisps, browns, and smells toasty. But coaxing a batch of granola to form those satisfyingly crunchy clusters that make it so irresistible? That takes a bit more finesse.

It’s a shame homemade pasta isn’t more of a weeknight dinner staple. Because there is no easier way to jazz up a dreary Tuesday (arguably the worst day of the week) than a few minutes working with your hands followed by a reward that takes the form of a bowl full of carbs and cheese.