Yup, I'm CookingNewbie :) You're right, I do not have a lot of experience with baking. I occasionally bake, but I wouldn't say anything I make is extraordinary (e.g. Cinnabon, Auntie Anne's, etc. are extraordinary to me). I'm not actually planning on baking anything in particular anytime soon. I think my questions are more part of the process for me to learn about the science behind baking, get input from experienced bakers, etc. -- so I can either apply those myself or better gauge a recipe I might want to try in the future. It's all about the science for me. And yes, "quantifiable, explai…