Need advice from all you bakers out there....

[InnBloom]

Love to cook....don't particularly love to bake. Largely because if I want it for breakfast I don't want to have to get up and start mixing batters early in the morning. So here are some questions:
If you're making banana bread or that luscious cranberry cake that was posted the other day (or something like that), what happens if I mix it up the night before? Best to put it in the pan in the fridge over night, or put in the pan in the morning (or no difference)? Cold batter and cold pan must affect cooking (and temperature??) time.....any rules of thumb out there?
And even better, as long as I'm mixing up one recipe, what about making 2 or 3 and keeping them? Fridge okay? Bad idea? Freezer?
I realize some things are better made the day before, but I'm talking about what to do if you want it warm from the oven.
And what about yeasty things? Totally different rules?
What tips do you have for "fresh from the oven" without getting up hours earlier to bake?

 

[egoodell]

We make all our muffins on one day and freeze the batter in muffin tins. Once frozen keep in a zip lock bag.
That morning, pull out what you need. Put a little water in the empty muffin tin pockets and bake at original tem for original time.
They are as fresh as the day you made the batter.
RIki

 

[EmptyNest]

You can make, bake and freeze just about any quickbread, muffin and yeast breads. I made alot of things in advance and just thawed or nuked them to heat up. No one ever complained about any of it.
Muffins take very little time to make. I usually did them fresh.

 

[Country Girl]

I make my scones ahead of time, freeze them, and then bake them in the morning. Muffins are so quick I usually bake them the day of and freeze leftover batter. Banana bread (and other breads) are great made the day before and served at room temperature. I do find that yeast items are a lot of work and time so I don't often bake things with yeast.

 

[gillumhouse]

I have started putting a muffin tin (I make mini muffins - one pan is a dozen) in the freezer and b aking the other 2. When I have only one couple, I take it out as soon as I walk into the kitchen and turn on the over. When overn is ready, in they go for regular bake cycle.
As for yeasty things, if you want a bread (not biscuits) to go weith those plates of bacom & eggs, make a batch of the Gillum House Rolls that is in the Recipes here. Mix them up whenever - afternoon before/night before... - just put waxed paper or plastic wrap over it and cover with a damp dish towel, then put it into the fridge. You use only what you need and put it back in the fridge. Let the rolls raise and they bake in a hot oven 425 in 15 minutes. The English muffin bread (yeast) can be mixed up in 5 minutes, raise for 10, beat down, put in pans, raise another 15 (in a warm area - my problem is it keeps over-raising on me), ande bake at 350 for the same 30 minutes that you bake the quiche or egg bake....
My normal routine is to enter kitchen, turn oven on, mix up muffins and while they bake, mix up English muffin bread. Make coffee, mix up eggs, take muffins out of oven (16 min), put muffin bread & eggs in oven. Plate muffins and put on table, fix fruit dish, and put everything on the table I set the night before. By the time I have put the juices, water, creamer, salsa, jams on the table, the entree is done. Of course, guests coming in to chat about the day upsets everything. Sometimes I am smart enough to put the coffee pot & creamer on the buffet in the dining room.

 

[InnBloom]

I have started putting a muffin tin (I make mini muffins - one pan is a dozen) in the freezer and b aking the other 2. When I have only one couple, I take it out as soon as I walk into the kitchen and turn on the over. When overn is ready, in they go for regular bake cycle.
As for yeasty things, if you want a bread (not biscuits) to go weith those plates of bacom & eggs, make a batch of the Gillum House Rolls that is in the Recipes here. Mix them up whenever - afternoon before/night before... - just put waxed paper or plastic wrap over it and cover with a damp dish towel, then put it into the fridge. You use only what you need and put it back in the fridge. Let the rolls raise and they bake in a hot oven 425 in 15 minutes. The English muffin bread (yeast) can be mixed up in 5 minutes, raise for 10, beat down, put in pans, raise another 15 (in a warm area - my problem is it keeps over-raising on me), ande bake at 350 for the same 30 minutes that you bake the quiche or egg bake....
My normal routine is to enter kitchen, turn oven on, mix up muffins and while they bake, mix up English muffin bread. Make coffee, mix up eggs, take muffins out of oven (16 min), put muffin bread & eggs in oven. Plate muffins and put on table, fix fruit dish, and put everything on the table I set the night before. By the time I have put the juices, water, creamer, salsa, jams on the table, the entree is done. Of course, guests coming in to chat about the day upsets everything. Sometimes I am smart enough to put the coffee pot & creamer on the buffet in the dining room..

My normal routine is to enter kitchen, turn oven on, mix up muffins and while they bake, mix up English muffin bread. Make coffee, mix up eggs, take muffins out of oven (16 min), put muffin bread & eggs in oven. Plate muffins and put on table, fix fruit dish, and put everything on the table I set the night before. By the time I have put the juices, water, creamer, salsa, jams on the table, the entree is done. Of course, guests coming in to chat about the day upsets everything. Sometimes I am smart enough to put the coffee pot & creamer on the buffet in the dining room.

Whoa! Back up. Speaking only for myself, not gonna get the first sentence done before the start of the second!! I take it you're a morning person??

Kidding aside, Thanks for the tips. I've seen you mention the English muffin bread before but it SOUNDS complicated, so I never looked at it closely. Now I will!! So you freeze the muffins right in the tin? Excellent.

 

[egoodell]

You can make, bake and freeze just about any quickbread, muffin and yeast breads. I made alot of things in advance and just thawed or nuked them to heat up. No one ever complained about any of it.
Muffins take very little time to make. I usually did them fresh..

That's true muffins take little time. But I like to sleep in. We serve breakfast at 8:30. I come downstairs at around 7 - 7:30 depending on if I make potatoes or not. Fruit course takes a couple of minutes and put out on the table. Make pancake batter. Cook bacon or sausage. Put in frozen muffins at 8am. All ready and not up early.
RIki

 

[egoodell]

I have started putting a muffin tin (I make mini muffins - one pan is a dozen) in the freezer and b aking the other 2. When I have only one couple, I take it out as soon as I walk into the kitchen and turn on the over. When overn is ready, in they go for regular bake cycle.
As for yeasty things, if you want a bread (not biscuits) to go weith those plates of bacom & eggs, make a batch of the Gillum House Rolls that is in the Recipes here. Mix them up whenever - afternoon before/night before... - just put waxed paper or plastic wrap over it and cover with a damp dish towel, then put it into the fridge. You use only what you need and put it back in the fridge. Let the rolls raise and they bake in a hot oven 425 in 15 minutes. The English muffin bread (yeast) can be mixed up in 5 minutes, raise for 10, beat down, put in pans, raise another 15 (in a warm area - my problem is it keeps over-raising on me), ande bake at 350 for the same 30 minutes that you bake the quiche or egg bake....
My normal routine is to enter kitchen, turn oven on, mix up muffins and while they bake, mix up English muffin bread. Make coffee, mix up eggs, take muffins out of oven (16 min), put muffin bread & eggs in oven. Plate muffins and put on table, fix fruit dish, and put everything on the table I set the night before. By the time I have put the juices, water, creamer, salsa, jams on the table, the entree is done. Of course, guests coming in to chat about the day upsets everything. Sometimes I am smart enough to put the coffee pot & creamer on the buffet in the dining room..

My normal routine is to enter kitchen, turn oven on, mix up muffins and while they bake, mix up English muffin bread. Make coffee, mix up eggs, take muffins out of oven (16 min), put muffin bread & eggs in oven. Plate muffins and put on table, fix fruit dish, and put everything on the table I set the night before. By the time I have put the juices, water, creamer, salsa, jams on the table, the entree is done. Of course, guests coming in to chat about the day upsets everything. Sometimes I am smart enough to put the coffee pot & creamer on the buffet in the dining room.

Whoa! Back up. Speaking only for myself, not gonna get the first sentence done before the start of the second!! I take it you're a morning person??

Kidding aside, Thanks for the tips. I've seen you mention the English muffin bread before but it SOUNDS complicated, so I never looked at it closely. Now I will!! So you freeze the muffins right in the tin? Excellent.
.

Yes freeze the muffin batter in the tin. Once frozen, pop out and put in zip lock baggies in the freezer. I always spray the tin with non stick when I go to bake, and learned to let them sit a little before removing once out of the oven, especially blueberry muffins.
RIki

 

[InnBloom]

You can make, bake and freeze just about any quickbread, muffin and yeast breads. I made alot of things in advance and just thawed or nuked them to heat up. No one ever complained about any of it.
Muffins take very little time to make. I usually did them fresh..

That's true muffins take little time. But I like to sleep in. We serve breakfast at 8:30. I come downstairs at around 7 - 7:30 depending on if I make potatoes or not. Fruit course takes a couple of minutes and put out on the table. Make pancake batter. Cook bacon or sausage. Put in frozen muffins at 8am. All ready and not up early.
RIki
.

I do love the way you think!

 

[gillumhouse]

I have started putting a muffin tin (I make mini muffins - one pan is a dozen) in the freezer and b aking the other 2. When I have only one couple, I take it out as soon as I walk into the kitchen and turn on the over. When overn is ready, in they go for regular bake cycle.
As for yeasty things, if you want a bread (not biscuits) to go weith those plates of bacom & eggs, make a batch of the Gillum House Rolls that is in the Recipes here. Mix them up whenever - afternoon before/night before... - just put waxed paper or plastic wrap over it and cover with a damp dish towel, then put it into the fridge. You use only what you need and put it back in the fridge. Let the rolls raise and they bake in a hot oven 425 in 15 minutes. The English muffin bread (yeast) can be mixed up in 5 minutes, raise for 10, beat down, put in pans, raise another 15 (in a warm area - my problem is it keeps over-raising on me), ande bake at 350 for the same 30 minutes that you bake the quiche or egg bake....
My normal routine is to enter kitchen, turn oven on, mix up muffins and while they bake, mix up English muffin bread. Make coffee, mix up eggs, take muffins out of oven (16 min), put muffin bread & eggs in oven. Plate muffins and put on table, fix fruit dish, and put everything on the table I set the night before. By the time I have put the juices, water, creamer, salsa, jams on the table, the entree is done. Of course, guests coming in to chat about the day upsets everything. Sometimes I am smart enough to put the coffee pot & creamer on the buffet in the dining room..

My normal routine is to enter kitchen, turn oven on, mix up muffins and while they bake, mix up English muffin bread. Make coffee, mix up eggs, take muffins out of oven (16 min), put muffin bread & eggs in oven. Plate muffins and put on table, fix fruit dish, and put everything on the table I set the night before. By the time I have put the juices, water, creamer, salsa, jams on the table, the entree is done. Of course, guests coming in to chat about the day upsets everything. Sometimes I am smart enough to put the coffee pot & creamer on the buffet in the dining room.

Whoa! Back up. Speaking only for myself, not gonna get the first sentence done before the start of the second!! I take it you're a morning person??

Kidding aside, Thanks for the tips. I've seen you mention the English muffin bread before but it SOUNDS complicated, so I never looked at it closely. Now I will!! So you freeze the muffins right in the tin? Excellent.
.

I freeze the muffins in the tin and leave it in the freezer until needed. The muffin bread is soooo simple. I half the recipe if I only have one couple. 2 cups flour, 1 tblsp yeast, 1 tblsp of sugar, and 1/4 tsp of baking soda in the sifter. Add the water hot from the tap. Mix it well, add another cup of flour, mix and cover to raise. Come back and mix with spoon again and put in pans. DONE! As SS says, easy peasy! and my most asked question? Can we have our leftover bread? (Each gets a loaf and may have eaten only half a loaf or they eat one and ask if they can take the other.

 

[InnBloom]

I have started putting a muffin tin (I make mini muffins - one pan is a dozen) in the freezer and b aking the other 2. When I have only one couple, I take it out as soon as I walk into the kitchen and turn on the over. When overn is ready, in they go for regular bake cycle.
As for yeasty things, if you want a bread (not biscuits) to go weith those plates of bacom & eggs, make a batch of the Gillum House Rolls that is in the Recipes here. Mix them up whenever - afternoon before/night before... - just put waxed paper or plastic wrap over it and cover with a damp dish towel, then put it into the fridge. You use only what you need and put it back in the fridge. Let the rolls raise and they bake in a hot oven 425 in 15 minutes. The English muffin bread (yeast) can be mixed up in 5 minutes, raise for 10, beat down, put in pans, raise another 15 (in a warm area - my problem is it keeps over-raising on me), ande bake at 350 for the same 30 minutes that you bake the quiche or egg bake....
My normal routine is to enter kitchen, turn oven on, mix up muffins and while they bake, mix up English muffin bread. Make coffee, mix up eggs, take muffins out of oven (16 min), put muffin bread & eggs in oven. Plate muffins and put on table, fix fruit dish, and put everything on the table I set the night before. By the time I have put the juices, water, creamer, salsa, jams on the table, the entree is done. Of course, guests coming in to chat about the day upsets everything. Sometimes I am smart enough to put the coffee pot & creamer on the buffet in the dining room..

My normal routine is to enter kitchen, turn oven on, mix up muffins and while they bake, mix up English muffin bread. Make coffee, mix up eggs, take muffins out of oven (16 min), put muffin bread & eggs in oven. Plate muffins and put on table, fix fruit dish, and put everything on the table I set the night before. By the time I have put the juices, water, creamer, salsa, jams on the table, the entree is done. Of course, guests coming in to chat about the day upsets everything. Sometimes I am smart enough to put the coffee pot & creamer on the buffet in the dining room.

Whoa! Back up. Speaking only for myself, not gonna get the first sentence done before the start of the second!! I take it you're a morning person??

Kidding aside, Thanks for the tips. I've seen you mention the English muffin bread before but it SOUNDS complicated, so I never looked at it closely. Now I will!! So you freeze the muffins right in the tin? Excellent.
.

Yes freeze the muffin batter in the tin. Once frozen, pop out and put in zip lock baggies in the freezer. I always spray the tin with non stick when I go to bake, and learned to let them sit a little before removing once out of the oven, especially blueberry muffins.
RIki
.

Part of the reason I posted this thread is that I just FINALLY defrosted my freezer. It is absolutely AMAZING how much more room there is in there when there isn't 3" of ice built up on every rack. (And don't even ASK me what I found and tossed....let's let those sad dead soldiers be my secret). But anyway....Now everything is organized and visible (and EDIBLE) and I have a New Year's resolution to keep it that way.
So now that I have space for some baked goods, I just wanted to know the best way to do it.
My other New Year's resolution regarding the freezer is to try to use it to keep something for a few days or a week rather than the long-term storage I've been doing. Somehow, things go in, but they never come out. Wish me luck!!

 

[Breakfast Diva]

I make up double batches of muffins and cook them. When they cool, I wrap them in aluminum foil (2 together), then throw them in ziplock freezer bags (large bag will fit 2 pair) then throw them in the freezer. You can take them out the night before and thaw them, or you can throw them right in the oven for 1/2 hour. They come out fresh as they can be, not dry, and if you want the tops a little crisp, just open up the aluminum foil the last 10 minutes.
I make the scones the day before and after they cool, just put them in a ziplock, then the next morning reheat them for about 10-15 minutes.
I am not a morning person, so I'd much rather prepare the muffins/scones before hand and sleep an extra 1/2 hour! You can bake them up in the afternoon when you're waiting for guests to arrive and it makes the house smell terrific!

 

[gillumhouse]

I have started putting a muffin tin (I make mini muffins - one pan is a dozen) in the freezer and b aking the other 2. When I have only one couple, I take it out as soon as I walk into the kitchen and turn on the over. When overn is ready, in they go for regular bake cycle.
As for yeasty things, if you want a bread (not biscuits) to go weith those plates of bacom & eggs, make a batch of the Gillum House Rolls that is in the Recipes here. Mix them up whenever - afternoon before/night before... - just put waxed paper or plastic wrap over it and cover with a damp dish towel, then put it into the fridge. You use only what you need and put it back in the fridge. Let the rolls raise and they bake in a hot oven 425 in 15 minutes. The English muffin bread (yeast) can be mixed up in 5 minutes, raise for 10, beat down, put in pans, raise another 15 (in a warm area - my problem is it keeps over-raising on me), ande bake at 350 for the same 30 minutes that you bake the quiche or egg bake....
My normal routine is to enter kitchen, turn oven on, mix up muffins and while they bake, mix up English muffin bread. Make coffee, mix up eggs, take muffins out of oven (16 min), put muffin bread & eggs in oven. Plate muffins and put on table, fix fruit dish, and put everything on the table I set the night before. By the time I have put the juices, water, creamer, salsa, jams on the table, the entree is done. Of course, guests coming in to chat about the day upsets everything. Sometimes I am smart enough to put the coffee pot & creamer on the buffet in the dining room..

My normal routine is to enter kitchen, turn oven on, mix up muffins and while they bake, mix up English muffin bread. Make coffee, mix up eggs, take muffins out of oven (16 min), put muffin bread & eggs in oven. Plate muffins and put on table, fix fruit dish, and put everything on the table I set the night before. By the time I have put the juices, water, creamer, salsa, jams on the table, the entree is done. Of course, guests coming in to chat about the day upsets everything. Sometimes I am smart enough to put the coffee pot & creamer on the buffet in the dining room.

Whoa! Back up. Speaking only for myself, not gonna get the first sentence done before the start of the second!! I take it you're a morning person??

Kidding aside, Thanks for the tips. I've seen you mention the English muffin bread before but it SOUNDS complicated, so I never looked at it closely. Now I will!! So you freeze the muffins right in the tin? Excellent.
.

Yes freeze the muffin batter in the tin. Once frozen, pop out and put in zip lock baggies in the freezer. I always spray the tin with non stick when I go to bake, and learned to let them sit a little before removing once out of the oven, especially blueberry muffins.
RIki
.

Part of the reason I posted this thread is that I just FINALLY defrosted my freezer. It is absolutely AMAZING how much more room there is in there when there isn't 3" of ice built up on every rack. (And don't even ASK me what I found and tossed....let's let those sad dead soldiers be my secret). But anyway....Now everything is organized and visible (and EDIBLE) and I have a New Year's resolution to keep it that way.
So now that I have space for some baked goods, I just wanted to know the best way to do it.
My other New Year's resolution regarding the freezer is to try to use it to keep something for a few days or a week rather than the long-term storage I've been doing. Somehow, things go in, but they never come out. Wish me luck!!
.

I have no place to put a freezer and a few years ago my dd & s-i-l were bringing me a deer - all nicely packaged and frozen corn-fed Iowa deer! (In WV they are like the rest of us - survive on what you find and corn fields are not found) I was wondering what to do and the man who relieved me at Chapel told me to get a freezer locker. Costs me about $50 per year. I am making meat loaf for New Years and had to get some ground venison & beef from the locker. I could not believe how neatly everything was in there! I do not go often and it is so cold I usually throw the blueberries or cranberries - whatever - in the locker and get out before I freeze!
In top of the neatly stacked meat & fruit was a pie! At first I thought I had the wrong locker, but the meat wrappers had the Iowa stamps on them. I told the guy at the counter when I returned the key that the reason he had a hard time finding my key was that someone had been in the locker and told him how I knew. I also told him #1 I have no idea if anything is missing and #2 I do not care if there is. Was just telling him to explain why the key was so difficult to find. I never have to defrost "my" freezer. (BYW - I do not think anything was missing because the loin roasts were still there and if anything was going to be taken, they would be it. Even found one package of venison sausage I had missed before!)

 

[One Day]

I make up double batches of muffins and cook them. When they cool, I wrap them in aluminum foil (2 together), then throw them in ziplock freezer bags (large bag will fit 2 pair) then throw them in the freezer. You can take them out the night before and thaw them, or you can throw them right in the oven for 1/2 hour. They come out fresh as they can be, not dry, and if you want the tops a little crisp, just open up the aluminum foil the last 10 minutes.
I make the scones the day before and after they cool, just put them in a ziplock, then the next morning reheat them for about 10-15 minutes.
I am not a morning person, so I'd much rather prepare the muffins/scones before hand and sleep an extra 1/2 hour! You can bake them up in the afternoon when you're waiting for guests to arrive and it makes the house smell terrific!.

if you bake things off the afternoon before........do you still freeze them?........or just wrap, set aside for the next morning?

 

[Breakfast Diva]

I make up double batches of muffins and cook them. When they cool, I wrap them in aluminum foil (2 together), then throw them in ziplock freezer bags (large bag will fit 2 pair) then throw them in the freezer. You can take them out the night before and thaw them, or you can throw them right in the oven for 1/2 hour. They come out fresh as they can be, not dry, and if you want the tops a little crisp, just open up the aluminum foil the last 10 minutes.
I make the scones the day before and after they cool, just put them in a ziplock, then the next morning reheat them for about 10-15 minutes.
I am not a morning person, so I'd much rather prepare the muffins/scones before hand and sleep an extra 1/2 hour! You can bake them up in the afternoon when you're waiting for guests to arrive and it makes the house smell terrific!.

if you bake things off the afternoon before........do you still freeze them?........or just wrap, set aside for the next morning?
.

If I bake the day before, I'll just wrap them and set them aside.

 

[scrambled_eggs]

I make all my muffin batters from scratch the night before and put them in a Pyrex bowl with lid and store them in the fridge. I start the oven at 7am and by 7:15 the muffin batter is put in the tins and into the oven. Then I get started on other things. I've never had a problem with this. I like having the baking smell in the morning for the guests to enjoy and the batter I don't use I just use it the next day. Things like banana bread though I like to make the night before and let them sit up. Banana bread smells great baking but need a lot of time to cool and there isn't enough time in the morning for that unless I got up at 4am which I am not going to do!