When baking can I combine dry ingredients ahead?

[BeachBum]

Can I combine the dry ingredients ahead for my favorite muffins/breads etc to make life easier? That is what takes so long in baking--combining those darn dry ingredients!
I assume when doing bread I need to leave the yeast separate...but when doing cookies or muffins etc can I combine the flour, soda, salt and baking powder ahead?
thanks.

[blazedog]

Sure you can -- that's a homemade mix. Alton does it for pancakes by the way.

The only problem would be that different recipes have slightly different ratios of dry ingredients but if you are making the same recipe over and over again, it would work as the dry ingredients wouldn't interact adversely -- at least not per Alton.

[patissac]

Definetly! I do it all the time, it saves a whole lot of time too combining the dry together first the day before or night of.

[Kathy B]

It really isn't any different than chopping vegetables in the AM to add to a soup in the evening.

I often mix up the dry ingredients for pancakes or muffins the night before. In the morning I just add a few items, mix and go.

I also sometimes mix the dry ingredients for something I want to make in the evening while dinner is cooking (i.e. if something has to simmer for 15 minutes or if everything is ready but DH won't be home for another 10 minutes). Just efficient use of your time!

[BeachBum]

So it sounds like doing 4 or 5 bags of "muffin mix" then putting them in the pantry would be fine?
Wow, this is really going to be a time saver! Yes, we certainly have our favorites that we eat over and over again. Pancakes will definitely go on that list too!

[Beth]

Sure. I put all the dry ingredients for scones in my processor at night and then in the morning just whir in the butter and add milk, egg and maybe vanilla and they're ready to cut and bake. I've done it for muffins too, but not for cookies. No reason you can't though.

[swedish cook]

I get nervous and terribly clumsy a few hours before guests arrive. Prepping has become a way of life. For baking I keep measured butter and milk in the fridge, dry ingredients measured and mixed at room temperature. As for all other cooking I chop veggies, grate lemon rind, press juices and everything measured 1-2 days ahead of time. I admire cooks who confidently prepare food in the last minute - but if you're not one of them, there is an alternative. Go for it!

[Aubergine]

go for it! i never have, b/c my baking is always spontaneous whimsy. but i have at least two cookbooks that detail similar procedures. both are 70's oldie-but-goodies, "Better than Store Bought," and one of the T-L Good Cook series books. moreover, that's the principle behind giving gifts of things such as a cookie-mix-in-a-jar. it's even possible to mke your own bisquick-type mix, i.e., using shortening, and keep it on hand.

[HealthyinMN]

Can I combine the dry ingredients ahead for my favorite muffins/breads etc to make life easier? That is what takes so long in baking--combining those darn dry ingredients!
I assume when doing bread I need to leave the yeast separate...but when doing cookies or muffins etc can I combine the flour, soda, salt and baking powder ahead?
thanks.

Like the others have said, you sure can! I do this when I want to wake up and make fresh pancakes or muffins on the weekends. There are even some muffin recipes where the batter can sit in the fridge for a couple weeks!

You could even do that with dry bread ingredients if you use instant yeast.