Prep & Assembly
Combine
Bring separate ingredients together into one mixture
Combining brings separate ingredients together into a single mixture — folding wet into dry, stirring components into a bowl. It's the catch-all gathering step before mixing or cooking. Add ingredients in the order a recipe calls for and bring them together just until unified.
Combining brings separate ingredients together into a single mixture — folding wet into dry, gathering components in a bowl. It's the catch-all step before mixing or cooking. Add things in the order a recipe calls for and bring them together just until unified.
- Difficulty
- Easy
How to do it
- 1
Gather and measure the components.
- 2
Add them to the bowl in the called-for order.
- 3
Stir or fold gently until just unified.
- 4
Stop before overworking delicate batters.
Common uses
Tips & pitfalls
- Combine dry ingredients first so leaveners disperse evenly.
- Add wet to dry, not dry to wet, to avoid lumps in batters.
- "Until just combined" means stop at the first uniform moment.
Good to know
- Tool
- Bowl and spoon, spatula, or whisk
- Best for
- Batters, doughs, dressings, fillings
- Cue
- Components gathered into one mixture
Also called
bring together
Dishes that rely on it
Related
Whisk
Beat ingredients smooth and aerated with a looping wire motion
Sift
Pass dry ingredients through mesh to aerate and remove lumps
Strain
Pour through mesh to separate solids from liquid for a smooth result
Filter
Pass liquid through fine material to clarify out the smallest particles
Rice
Press cooked potatoes through small holes for fluffy, lump-free texture
Mash
Crush soft cooked food into a rustic, creamy purée
Grind
Crush food into a coarse to fine texture, from spices to meat
Grate
Shred food into fine bits against a sharp-toothed surface