We'll admit it: Sometimes, we fudge things when we cook. After all, who needs a recipe for simple weeknight pasta? Off-the-cuff roasted chicken is a snap. We're big fans of that intuitive, little-bit-of-this, little-bit-of-that kitchen style because it makes our lives and our dinners easier. But when it comes to baking, we play by the rules. Baking is a science that requires precision, and often doesn't allow for creative liberties. Senior food editor Dawn Perry and assistant food editor Claire Saffitz, both seasoned bakers, talk us through why instructions like setting a timer, weighing flour, and using room-temperature eggs actually matter. For flakier pie crusts, moister cakes, and chewier cookies, there are just some rules that can't be broken. Follow these 11 tips to be a way better baker.

1. Use Room-Temperature Ingredients

If you've seen it once, you've seen it a thousand times. How many recipes call for room-temperature butter, eggs, and milk? It's a step you should not ignore. Many baked goods start by creaming together butter and sugar, which is made infinitely easier with gently warmed ingredients—if you've ever tried to stick an electric mixer in a brick of rock-hard cold butter, you know why. "If you're going to bake, you've got to either plan ahead or be patient," Saffitz says, adding that she often leaves eggs and butter out on the counter overnight and then begins the project in the morning—they slowly come to the perfect temperature while she sleeps. ____

Leave this baby on the counter for better cookies.

Equally important as room-temperature ingredients are same-temperature ingredients: "Add hot things to hot things, and cold things to cold things," Saffitz says, citing a fussy chocolate ganache as an example. If you pour piping hot cream over chilly chocolate, the cocoa fat can separate, making your sauce look oily and unappealing. That's why many recipes call for tempering a hot ingredient with a cooler one—it ensures that the emulsion won't seize or separate.

2. Invest in Quality Bakeware

You can bake successfully in a subpar oven—as we discuss in tip number nine, you can adjust for hot spots and ovens in need of recalibration, Saffitz says. But all bets are off when it comes to low-quality bakeware. Flimsy, thin pans and sheet trays won't conduct heat efficiently, causing your cake, pie, cookies, or pastries to bake inefficiently.

This is also important when it comes to mixing bowls—Saffitz insists on glass and metal ones that work best as makeshift double-boilers. "Never use plastic as a double boiler," she says. Another consideration? Nonstick coatings can flake off over time, imparting foreign matter into your treats—it's best to avoid them. A better way to circumvent baked-on pastries? A well-greased pan (see tip number three), a Silpat liner, or a sheet of parchment paper.

3. Butter and Flour Your Pans Generously

"I once asked someone to butter and flour a pan, and she just swiped a few streaks in it," Saffitz says. If this sends chills down your spine, you know the power of a well-buttered pan. When a recipe calls for a greased and/or floured vessel, it's for a reason: Your batter or dough has the potential to bake on and adhere to the pan, so butter it up. Consider every nook and cranny that could get sticky, and be generous and thorough with your application—that means getting into corners and at the seams where the bottom and sides meet.