Set yourself up.
Choose a bowl with room to work and the tool specified by the recipe. Keep the ingredients ready in the state and order requested.
Three things to notice.
- Reach through the mixture and bring material from below over the top.
- Turn the bowl to work through it evenly.
- Look for the recipe’s mixing endpoint instead of counting arbitrary strokes.
Reach for the right tool.
A flexible spatula for many batters; the recipe may specify hands or a different tool for dough.
Keep the limit in view.
A batter fold and a bread-dough fold are not interchangeable instructions. Follow the method for the mixture you are making.