Baking Cupboard Inventory

Who this is for

A stock list for the baking shelf. Flours, sugars, raising agents, chocolate, decorations and the rest each get a line with pack size, level and dates, and a second table records the tins and equipment you own. Check it before the next bake and the shopping list writes itself.

Home bakers with a cupboard of half-used bags, people planning a big bake for a birthday or a sale, and anyone who has started a recipe and found the baking powder empty.

What this helps you track

• Every baking ingredient, with its type and variety
• Pack size and how much is left
• Opened and best-before dates, so old stock gets used first
• What to buy before the next bake
• The tins and equipment on hand, with sizes and condition

How to use it

1. Write where the baking things are kept, the date you checked and the next bake you have planned.
2. Take out each bag and tub and give it a line: the ingredient, the variety, the pack size and how much is left.
3. Copy the best-before date from the pack and write the date opened if you know it.
4. Tick Reorder for anything low, past its date or needed for the next bake.
5. List your tins and equipment in the second table with sizes, so you can match them to a recipe before you start.
6. Check the sheet again before each bake; the browser version saves in your own browser.

Formats

• Printable PDF (A4 and US Letter)
• Fillable PDF with form fields
• Fill in online, saved in your browser

The printable is laid out inside a box that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the two files are identical and neither one is scaled. The fillable PDF has real form fields. The online version keeps what you enter in your own browser and builds the completed PDF on your device.

How to print

Download the A4 or US Letter file to match the paper in your printer, open it in a PDF reader and print at 100% — not "fit to page", which shrinks the writing space. Both files leave a 14 mm margin, which clears the unprintable edge on home printers. To print the online version with your entries in it, use the Print this sheet button, which prints only the sheet and none of the page around it. More on printing.

Questions

Why record the variety as well as the ingredient?

Because plain, self-raising, strong and wholemeal flour are not interchangeable in most recipes, and the same goes for sugars. A line per variety stops you thinking you have what the recipe needs.

How do I record the level of an open bag?

Use whatever works for you: a weight if you have kitchen scales to hand, or full, half and low. The column is free text so it takes either.

Why list tin sizes?

Recipes are written for a particular tin, and finding out you only have the wrong size with the batter already mixed is a common frustration. The size column is free text, so use whatever measurement your tins are marked in.

Can I use this for bread flour and yeast?

Yes. If you bake bread often, the home bread baking log records each bake and pairs well with this cupboard list.