A ready to bake refrigerated batter containing one or more food grade edible hydrocolloids and having a high yield stress value at refrigeration temperature (>1500 Pa@ 4.5.degree. C.). The batter bakes into products with specific volumes, textures, and overall product quality typical of bakery products made from conventional low yield stress batters. With a high yield stress value, the batter is stiff and sliceable; therefore, it can be formed into shapes convenient for the end user to bake. The stiff, sliceable batter can be used to make muffins, muffin tops, cakes, cupcakes, drop biscuits, scones, pancakes, cinnamon buns, donuts, waffles, brownies, and other bakery products made from batters. The batter can be pumped, extruded, or molded and subsequently sliced, scored, wire cut, stamped, or rolled into many different formats due to the fact that it retains its shape at refrigerated temperatures. Examples of such formats are: individual pieces of any shape (round pucks, hexagon pucks, cubes, etc.) cylinder shaped logs that can be sliced into individual pieces scored or unscored rectangular blocks that can be broken or cut into individual pieces flat sheets The refrigerated pieces can be placed directly onto a baking pan, muffin pan, aluminum muffin cup, cake pan, etc. and immediately baked in the oven to yield a product with a high specific volume. The batters of this application can be made to be stable for more than 75 days at refrigeration temperatures using conventional unmodified atmospheric packaging such as plastic films or plastic pails. Preferably, the packaging material have good moisture and oxygen barrier properties. The invention batter can also be stored frozen.