Claire Saffitz Tackles Your Top Baking Questions: Subscriber Q&A Session

Claire Saffitz Tackles Your Top Baking Questions: Subscriber Q&A Session
In this engaging YouTube session, culinary expert Claire Saffitz takes on the challenge of answering her subscribers' most pressing baking questions. Join her as she shares valuable insights, expert tips, and practical advice, turning the video into an interactive and informative baking Q&A experience. Whether you're a seasoned baker or just starting out, Claire's expertise promises to unravel the mysteries behind your top baking queries, making this session a must-watch for anyone looking to enhance their baking skills.

#clairesaffitz #dessert #baking

Video Series:
Producer/Director: Vincent Cross
Camera Operator: Calvin Robertson
Editor: Hal McFall
Assistant Editor: Asher Rogers
Theme Song: Michael Guggino

Animation Credits:
Character Designer/Animator: Jack Sherry
Character Rigger: Johara Dutton
Background/Prop Designer: M. Cody Wiley
Background Illustrator: Jagriti Khirwa

[CSaffitz]

If I missed your question, drop it in the comments below. And make sure to press that subscribe button! We're diving into some holiday recipes starting next week, and there might even be a sneak peek at the wood-fired oven we've been building for the past year.

[MaryanaMaskar]

What's the recipe for that gorgeous loaf in the back?

[angierose]

The customer is not always right! Yes Claire! Thank you!

[asianshell]

Claire loving on Felix at the end was the best part. He's so adorable with his little mustache.

[PlantNative]

I made Claire’s vanilla birthday cake for my daughter’s 18th and it was spectacular! Quite enjoy Clairified segments. I learn stuff I didn’t know I needed to.

[wateasa]

8:30 hey that’s me! Thank you Claire will be swinging at layer cakes again

[martindc]

On the question of cake doming: Cakes develop a dome because the batter that is against the side of the pan cooks quickly, and once it is fully cooked and stuck to the side of the pan, the edges of the cake won't rise above it. So the cake bulges in the middle. There are two solutions to this problem. The first - which I've been doing for years - is to use Magic Cake Strips. These are strips of reflective fabric that you soak in cold water, then wrap around your cake pan and secure with provided pins. These keep the cake from adhering to the outside of the pan until the cake is fully risen. A similar technique, which I only recently saw Julia Child do, is once you've poured the batter in all your cake pans, tilt and turn the pans so the batter coats the sides of the pan a half inch or so above the mass of the batter. This also allows the cakes to complete their rise before the batter sticks to the side of the pan. Happy baking!

[laurasourdough]

Claire, I just found your channel a couple months ago while searching for help on sourdough bread. I’ve been watching videos in order by popularity and now here I am at the “bottom” and almost finished. I don’t know if you or your team will even see this since you have so many commenters, but I have learned SO much from you. I’ve been a home baker since I was 13 baking chocolate chip cookies and red velvet cakes. And I’ve been baking sourdough bread since January 2024. My 22 yo daughter and I have been baking layer cakes and cookies together since she was 16. I have Dessert Person and we are going to bake our way through it this summer before she moves to Chicago with her boyfriend in September (she graduates from college in 2 weeks). You have such an engaging way of sharing your love of desserts, and I feel excited to try some new baking challenges with my daughter with your help. Thank you and keep laughing!

[captainjustin]

I'm a very comfortable home cook that makes dinners for my family 5x a week and I have always HATED baking. Too finicky, too precise! I used to just watch Claire for the calming viewing pleasure (and cats) but over time, I have been won over to baking by her clear instructions, very human approach and the fun and not-too-precious presentation of these videos. I've wowed people with her Forever Brownies, Almond Butter Banana Bread, Focaccia, and Tiramisu Icebox Cake. So I just wanted to say THANK YOU CLAIRE!! Maybe someday I'll move on to the more challenging recipes 😅!

[saranovaa]

“Customer is always right” - “incorrect” 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻❤

[ctkachuk]

Really hot water may not be a good idea with many pastry brushes. I will admit that I am not an avid baker and I am applying my knowledge of paint brushes here but I believe that many pastry brushes are basically identical to paint brushes. Firstly the ferrule is not the bristles of a brush but the part that holds the bristles (on paint brushes this is usually metal). The reason really hot water may not be a good idea is that the bristles are often held in place with some kind of glue. Hot water softens the glue and can lead to bristles coming dislodged. Your best bet is to use warm soapy water and scrub with a rough sponge from the ferrule towards the top of the bristles. Also when using the brush to not dunk the brush all the way into the eggwash (paint) as it will soak up into the ferrule and make it harder to clean. Only go to about 2/3rds of the way up the bristles. Hope this is helpful.

[lesliedausey]

Yes, yes, yes to your comment about learning from mistakes.
I loved watching you do the Gourmet versions of things with my daughter a few years ago because you are such a great example of a growth mindset. Even now, when she faces difficulties (whether cooking or otherwise), I encourage her to be like Claire and try again a new way.
I even have to remind myself of the same thing sometimes.

[Ottokae]

Please keep adding faces on the utensils and everything they’re the best so

[itsivana]

I've been in kitchen baking my entire life, my dad is a chef so I learnd loads about cooking from him and my mom and grandma always made cakes and desserts so I feel more then comfortable in kitchen. But it's always nice to learn new things or remember why I do things the way I do. Thanks Claire :)

[miketomas]

@ 6:05 - Gaud I love your editor.. never let them go..

[julieblair]

Pastry brush: put some soap in your palm, wet the brush, and swipe the brush back and forth and swirl in your palm. Do the same under running water to rinse. I switched to one-piece silicone bristle brushes. All that wood and metal and bristles being wet grosses me out.

[AmeliaBell]

There are no words for how excited I got when I saw my name pop up on the screen! Claire, thank you so much for answering my question, it genuinely made my day/week/month. Looks like I'm gonna try making panna cotta and focaccia and I'll report back!

[train_with_tim]

I loved the self-awareness in your Blueberry Muffin video with your mom where you call yourself out for always trying to improve upon a recipe.

This made me wonder how many iterations you’ll make of a recipe when you’re testing before declaring it ready to print? How do you decide you’re done editing?

[davidcabby]

The Q&A Session we've all needed!!

[kaygee]

Hey Claire. Don't have a question, just wanted to say that I make cookies for my grandchildren, decided on a riff of Oreos. I did see your Oreo cookie video from awhile back and was thoroughly impressed. However, I wanted to use a different recipe for the filling, and happened on your Paris Brest episode on NYT Bakes. Dear, I'm tellin' ya. THAT was one of the absolute best tasting things I have eaten, sweet or savory. I was with my middle daughter at the time, and we were both so amazed at how good tasting it was. I did make the chocolate cookies, did use the filling, some were little cups with the filling spooned in. Middle dear daughter was so impressed with how the cookies came out, she (ahem) stole a batch from her nephews. There were lots so they didn't miss them...thank goodness. Anyway, just wanted to say how very impressed with you and your baking skills (cooking as well) I am. You got mad skills, chica.