One thing I learned quickly is you can modify any recipe once you learn the basics behind baking. When I started this site, you will notice I made a lot of mistakes. I also learned a lot of science along the way on how to bake and how sugar, fats and flour work together to make anything from bread to cake. As I create recipes, I find myself goofing off a bit.

Take for example, my cinnamon roll recipe. If you look at them and other sticky buns, I tell you to divide the dough into two. But why? Truthfully, it’s because I’ve always seen bakers do this. Cookbooks tell you to do this. I decided to see what happens if you make a giant rectangle. This guy was over 33″ long (84 cm) and 13″ wide (33cm).

Jackson supervised very well. He was telling me not to goof off on the job. Here is where it became a bit tricky: rolling up the dough. It is a little on the heavy side and wants to stretch. You just have to go slow.

The beauty? You only have two wonky end pieces instead of four. Many recipes tell you to throw them away. I say bake them. Waste not, want not.

The result? Beautiful, delicious cinnamon rolls. Consequently, I encourage all of you to tinker, test and tweak recipes. Push the boundaries. You may have a disaster, but I guarantee you’ll have a lot of success and plenty of fun. If you could modify any recipe, what would it be and why?