What To Bake This Year
Pitching you 2026 bakes
Hello, hello, hello and welcome to a brand new year here on Kitchen Projects. It is 2026 and though I can’t see into the future, I am confident there are a LOT of delicious things coming our way (and we’ll be hitting issue #200 pretty soon… WILD)
Before we jump headfirst into our regular Sunday morning programming, this edition is all about settling in. I know the first week of the year can be a tender one - we’re all just trying to figure out the vibe and what’s in store for us. So, with that goal setting spirit in mind, let me pitch you some ideas for your 2026 baking resolutions for you to lock into this year.
Already got ideas of what you want to master? Or any requests for a Kitchen Projects deep dive? Let me know in the comments! And Happy New Year.
1. It’s Time to Master Puff Pastry
Come on… you know you want to! I’m a huge believer that puff pastry is about ten times easier than you think it’ll be. And I guarantee, you’ll be blown away by just how delicious it is. I’ve said this and I’ll say it again, puff pastry is a craft project you can eat. And there’s really no end to how you can use it.
It is particularly useful at the beginning of the year, during Epiphany (the feast day is January 6th but continues for weeks after) when Galette Des Rois rules bakery counters. Read all about it here!
2. Goodbye Soggy Bottoms... FOREVER
2026 is definitely not the year of soggy bottoms. A really good, crisp tart pastry that doesn’t shrink and doesn’t sog is very much in your crosshairs. You can get my ultimate tart pastry recipe here, as well as a guide to classic short crust here. I will NEVER lie to you about how long things take to bake! And if you want some lamination-lite, then pie dough and rough puff are excellent places to start.
3. Build that layer cake!
One of first thing I ever remember properly baking was a cake for my physics teacher Dr Sargent. It was in the shape of a car and had viennese whirls for wheels and had untold amounts of food colouring in. All this to say is, it’s quite wonderful that so many of us reach for the electric mixer for the first time when someone we love has a birthday or occasion coming up. So, if layer cakes have stressed you out in previous years, let this be the year you’ll build something to be proud of, whether it’s two stacks (or five!) high. Here’s a few recipes to get you going:
Coffee & Walnut Brown Butter Layer Cake - this piece also comes with interviews with top bakers for lots of cake wisdom!
4. Bad Buttercream Be Gone!
A good companion to the goal above. Brilliant Pastry Chef Sophie Bamford taught us all about the landscape of buttercream - a perfect place to start and widen your cake vocabulary. Read it here.
5. Scared of Air?
The genoise sponge, a cake entirely leavened by air, is a cake that has troubled many before, and will trouble many after. But, with a bit of practice and a deft folding technique, you too will have the most beautiful, light sponges at your disposal. This super traditional recipe will be one you’ll use forever - read it here. If chiffon cake is more your thing, try this pandan version by Helen Goh, or if you want to understand the different between all these airy cakes, meet the family tree here.
6. Bread head
Yeasted doughs sometimes seem to live by their own rules, but learning to manipulate and control fermentation is an amazing skill to have up your sleeve that will stay with you for life. From bubbly focaccia to fluffy dinner rolls, 100% hydration ciabatta (ALSO: a dispatch… is modern focaccia just freeform ciabatta?!) to tender milk bread (make honey butter toast here), gooey semla to swirly cinnamon buns (pumpkin version, brown butter apple version), it’s truly a world worth embracing.
7. Club No-More-Split-Ganache
There’s nothing worse than coming face first with a split ganache or some kind of split chocolate mixture, especially if you’re on a deadline. Well don’t worry - it can ALWAYS be fixed. Read about that, here in a ganache special newsletter, and here in a newsletter all about truffles. And if you’re looking for a plant-based view on chocolate, look no further than Philip Khoury’s introduction to plant-based baking here.
8. Flustered By Custard?
I am British therefore I love custard in all its forms, so whatever kind of custard entices you, I am here to help facilitate it. From pourable creme anglaise to perfect custard tart, pasteis de nata to pastry cream (seen here stuffed in a cookie and here in custard slice).
9. Promotion to CFO (Chief Frying Officer)
I don’t know if I’ll ever be successful in convincing you that deep frying at home is not only FUN but also NOT SCARY, but in any case, here are a few things that are just one fry away: Beignets, Amish style Donuts, Japanese Curry Bread, Crab Beignets and Cannoli.
10. The Master of Meringue
Want to make an impressive dessert centrepiece that is good literally every time of the year? MEET MERINGUE! There are few desserts more popular than the pavlova, and whether your issue is cracking or stickiness, I’ve got your back. Everything you need to know right here!
11. Laminate… a brioche?!
Yes, laminating brioche might seem like gilding the lily, but this is a step up from regular lamination. It’s not so different from making croissants (which you can find details for in my book SIFT) and definitely a recipe for when you’re in the mood for a challenge. Read it here.
12. Chocolate Chip Cookie Chief
I KNOW, I KNOW, the world probably doesn’t need another chocolate chip cookie recipe (who am i kidding, i will always want more ccc recipes) but if you want the lay of the land, this is a good place to start learning what levers you can pull - read it here.
And if you want to know the impact of baking soda vs. baking powder in a cookie, this guide will get you there.
13. Tempering Chocolate
I used to dread tempering chocolate. I thought, I’ll never have to learn how to do that… right?! Well, turns out being able to temper chocolate is one of those ‘do once, understand forever’ kind of things. You can follow Octavia’s guide here.
14. Yes, you can-ele!
To know the canele is to love the canele – I am such a huge fan and encourager of making your own at home. The tins are my favourite investments, to be honest. I do think the canele is the GOAT of pastries and would be an amazing baking ‘scout badge’ to secure for 2026. Click here for the recipe.
Of course, whatever you decide to bake this year, I’m very excited to go on the journey with you - the Kitchen Projects Archive has 500+ recipes and you can access all of them by joining KP+.
What’s KP+? Well, it’s the level-up version of this newsletter. By joining KP+, you will support the writing and research that goes into the newsletter (including the commissioning - and fair payment - of all the writers), join a growing community, access extra content (inc. the entire archive) and more. Subscribing is easy and only costs £6 per month or £50 per year (£3.80/month). Why not give it a go? Come and join the gang!
I would love some more vegan/plant-based bakes to make for my friends with dietary requirements! Or a deep dive on some of the many cardamom scented bakes from Scandinavia!
I’d love a great peanut butter cookie that uses natural style peanut butter (the just peanuts & salt kind). All the good ones use the processed sugary peanut butter which isn’t what I’d ever put on my toast (and hence don’t buy). I’ve tried many times without success so far!