- Many recipes note that warm water should be added to yeast, because hot water may kill the yeast. Test a simple bread recipe using different temperatures of water to see what works best for the bread. Ensure that you measure ingredients correctly each time for the most accurate experiment; change only the temperature of the water each time. Compare how long it took for the bread to cook, and how the bread looked after cooking. You may find that one test yields light and fluffy bread, whereas another test yields dense bread. Compare the results with the temperatures of water to determine what happened.
- Since adding salt to water increases the boiling point --- and cooks pasta quicker --- many pasta recipes instruct the chef to add salt to the water at the beginning of the boiling process.
Test to see if the time when you add the salt impacts the boiling temperature or boiling point of water. Measure out the same amount of water into the same type of pot, using the same temperature water at the beginning of each process, and expose the pot to the same strength of heat each time. Add the same amount of pasta each time, and record how long it takes to fully cook the pasta. Vary only the time when you add salt to the boiling process. Record what happened to the temperature of the water, and analyze the data to determine when is the best time to add salt to water. - Quick breads --- breads that cook quickly without yeast --- commonly use baking soda or baking powder as a leavening agent to make the bread fluffy. Test a recipe following the directions exactly, then substitute an ingredient to see if the bread cooks and tastes the same. Retest several recipes, to see if the results are the same. For example, test recipes that call for baking soda and another recipe that calls for baking powder. Research to determine if you should use the same quantity of the ingredient or if can substitute ingredients with varied amounts.
- Determine which method of cheesecake baking yields a better cheesecake. Traditional cheesecake baking methods cook cheesecake at a low temperature then set it on the counter covered by an inverted bowl. The New York method cooks the cheesecake at a high temperature for about 15 minute, reduces the temperature for about an hour, and then allows the cake to cool in the oven with the door ajar. The water bath method cooks the cake in a shallow pan of water to keep the cake moist. Follow the same cheesecake recipe for each method, and compare the cake's appearance --- if there are any cracks --- and the moistness to determine which method is best.
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