Kitchen Tools 101: The Versatile Giant Spatula
The oversized or giant spatula usually comes in metal or silicone. It’s a supersized version of one of the most essential baking tools ever. In fact, the NewGen Baker chefs list it as one of their top kitchen tools ever.
Whether you’re a newbie or more experienced, we know you can relate to the frustration of transferring pizza dough to your oven, only to watch it either fall or break apart. Without ample support, larger baked goods can suffer this same fate.
The giant spatula isn’t just for pizza either. Read on to discover just how versatile this tool is and why you need it in your kitchen.
- Use a giant spatula for baking cakes with more than one layer.
A layer cake is one of the more special desserts to cook up for your celebrations. That’s because it takes a little more time and effort to bake and decorate. Maybe you’re planning on baking a layer cake for a quarantine birthday or to kick of summer vacation for your kids. Whatever, the case a giant spatula is your best friend when it comes to moving your cake onto the cooling rack. It also makes flipping it easy.
Tip: See how much a giant spatula can help you with our scrumptious recipe for Luscious Pink Rose Layer Cake.
- The giant spatula makes flipping hotcakes easy-peasy.
What better way to say: “Good morning!” than a fresh and piping hot batch of hotcakes? Believe it or not, we’ve had a lot of questions from our readers on how to cook hotcakes right. Many of these are centered around flipping a hotcake to cook both sides evenly. A regular-sized spatula doesn’t do the job as well as a large one. If you don’t have a hotcake turner, your giant spatula will do the trick.
Tip: If you don’t believe us, try it for yourself with our recipes for Jiggly Japanese Style and Tiramisu Souffles Hotcakes. Don’t forget to use quality hotcake mixes to make your brekkie extra yummy.
- A giant spatula made from metal does double-duty as a dough cutter.
As we mentioned earlier, a giant spatula can be made from various materials. One in stainless steel has an edge that’s sharp enough to slice dough evenly. Whether you’re baking bars, crackers or square pastries or crackers, consider using a giant spatula. Also, it lets you cut corners on washing more kitchen tools when you’re done. No cutters, no problem.
Tip: Try using your giant spatula to cut these baked goodies into squares before popping them into the oven: Cinnamon Apple Puff Pastries and Strawberry Cream Cheese Pocket Pies.
- Transfer pie crust from a baking sheet with a giant spatula.
Moving crust from a baking sheet onto your pie can be tricky. It’s a delicate baking task that requires patience. Things can get difficult if your dough is sticky. Oftentimes, we use our fingers to peel the dough from the sheet, then gingerly transfer it to the pie pan. If you aren’t careful, you’ll need to start over. This doesn’t always Remember that in some pie recipes, this needs to be done twice. First, you line the bottom with dough, then add the filling. To get that flaky, golden crust this dessert is known for, you need to cover the filling with another layer of dough. Simply slide your giant spatula under your dough and quickly transfer it to the pan with a giant spatula.
Tip: Test this method out on this delish pie recipe your family will love: Banana Cream Pie with Caramel Fudge.
- Include a giant spatula in your breadmaking tools.
Breadmaking is one of the most challenging kitchen skills. It takes a lot of practice and understanding the science of baking. It’s also equally rewarding because it’s not often that truly delicious bread can be found in the grocery. When you make it yourself, there’s a sense of pride and satisfaction from providing your household with a food essential. A giant spatula works well with bread dough in many ways. These include, transferring a hot loaf to a cooling rack, scoring the bread, and dealing with sticky dough. The larger the loaf, the more you need a giant spatula.
Tip: See how much easier it is to bake our Floral Focaccia Bread with a giant spatula.
- Try these other cooking hacks using a giant spatula.
Another use for the giant spatula is for the stovetop. It’s handy for making sure that food doesn’t stick to the bottom of your pot. Make sure that your giant spatula is made from silicone, so you don’t scratch the bottom of your favorite cookware.
There is a type of giant spatula that is used especially for grilling. It’s made from steel and has holes to let the juices fall through. Use it for flipping burgers, steaks, and fish you’ll be grilling up for summer barbecues.
Do you have more giant spatula uses you want to share with other readers? Leave them in the comment section below. We’ll leave you to your online browsing for this tool. It that may be just what you’re missing in your kitchen.
