3 Items to Bake When You Need to Split Up Your Baking Time

Hello friends,

I love baking as a funtivity to make some tasty treats. However, as some of you may be able to relate, sometimes you are not able to devote hours upon hours all at once to baking. Luckily, many baked goods benefit from hands off time or splitting up time to make different components. Read on for 3 baked goods you can make if you don’t have a ton of time on hand all at once.

1) Breads-

Many bread recipes require a significant rise/ proofing time after mixing. This can range anywhere from 1-2 hours. After this first rise, and subsequent shaping, bread recipes call for a second rise. This second rise can range anywhere from 30 minutes to 1 hr 15 minutes. These rises allow you time to wash dishes, clean your home, or watch a show.

One of my absolute favorite bread recipes is the Baker Bettie Country White Sandwich Bread

Additionally, some bread recipes call for very small amounts of yeast and very long/ overnight rises. The benefit of these recipes are that you simply mix together the ingredients the day before (10-15 minutes). The next day you shape the bread, rise a second time, and bake. My favorite recipes utilizing this method are the No Knead Honey Oat Bread and Crusty Cranberry Nut No Knead Bread on the Sally’s Baking Addiction website.

2) Pies- Specifically curd and cream filled pies. Many of these recipes call for making a custard or curd ahead of time and letting it cool. Bonus points if you use a cookie crust to get everything done faster.

I recently made the Banana Cream Pie recipe from Baker Bettie’s Better Baking Book and cannot stop thinking about it. Let me explain how easy it was.

First, I made the vanilla pastry cream which took about 15-20 minutes and set it aside in the fridge to cool. Then, I went and got a haircut. Once I returned, I made the cookie crust and let it slightly cool. Then, I added a layer of sliced banana on top of the crust and then filled the crust with the pastry cream. I covered the pie and let the pie set in the fridge for a few hours.

Once ready to serve, whip some cream (or use store bought) and serve.

Another cream filled pie recipe I love is Serious Eats Double-Chocolate Cream Pie I digress from the original recipe. I make a homemade oreo crust for ease (can also use store bought) but fill the oreo crust with the chocolate filling stated in the recipe. I also skip the meringue topping and top with homemade or store bought whipped cream. This pie is a chocolate lovers dream.

3) Ice Cream (& ice cream adjacent)- Ok, not technically a baked item but ice cream inspired this post. I recently purchased an ice cream maker and found preparing ice cream (& adjacent items) are the ultimate goal in hands off bliss. Many recipes call for preparing a custard or even egg free mixture (this takes all of 10-15 minutes) and refrigerating overnight. The next day you pop the mixture out of the fridge and churn in your ice cream maker. Just make sure the ice cream bowl has been frozen ahead of time as well. I’ve been following recipes from The Perfect Scoop but there are many great cookbooks and online resources out there. From the book I have made the Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream (I would 1.5x the recipe) and Raspberry Sherbet (leave out the Chambord). Plus, my ice cream maker came with a booklet of recipes. If you are looking for a summertime sweet with minimal hands off time, ice cream (& sherbet & sorbet) may be the way to go.

Bonus- My absolute favorite item to prepare ahead of time are these Overnight Cinnamon Rolls

I always believe baking should be approachable and fun. Some recipes such as muffins can be prepared in as little as 10-15 minutes. Some recipes may take longer, but that doesn’t mean you can’t use time to your advantage. A delicious sweet with minimal time in the kitchen is a delectable win-win for all.

Happy Baking,

Mike