Ingredients and Techniques for Baking

FACS Standards 8.5.1, 8.5.2, 8.5.3, 8.5.4, 8.5.5, 8.5.6, 8.5.7Kowtaluk, Helen and Orphanos Kopan, Alice. Food For Today. McGraw Hill-

Glencoe. 2004.

Ingredient Basics

• Common to all baked goods:• Flour, Liquid, Leavening

agents, Fat, Sweeteners, Eggs, Flavorings

• Generally nutritious, but many are high in fat, sugar, and calories

Flour• Proteins and starch in flour

make up most of a baked product’s structure

• GLUTEN – protein that affects the texture of a baked product and helps determine how the product will rise

• STARCH – helps absorb some of the liquid added in most baked goods

Types of Flours• All – purpose flour – most

popular in the U.S.; gives good results for most products

• Bread flour – highest gluten content and five bread a strong structure

• Cake flour – contains less gluten and gives cake a tender structure

Whole-Grain Flour• Weaker gluten than all-

purpose; some have no gluten at all, explaining why products rise less and are heavier textured

• Include: rye, wheat, and cornmeal

• Generally used with all-purpose flour in equal proportions

• Stir, rather than sift• Should be stored in

refrigerator because of the fat• Store other flours in cool, dry

place in airtight containers

Liquid• Play a role in physical and

chemical changes during baking

• Water and milk – most common• Milk adds flavor and nutrients

and helps baked goods brown

• To reduce fat, use fat-free milk• Buttermilk adds slightly tangy

flavor, makes mixture more acidic and affects the kind of leavening agent needed

Leavening Agents• Substance that triggers a

chemical reaction causing a baked product to rise, make products less compact, and softer texture

• Types – air, steam, and yeast

• AIR – trapped in mixtures that are beaten; trapped air expands the product rises

• Angel Food Cake leavened by air in beaten egg whites

• STEAM – in products that contain a lot of water; as water heats, turns to steam, expanding, causing product to rise

• Popovers and cream puffs leavened by steam

• YEAST – microorganism producing CO2

• Needs food, liquid, and warm temperature to grow

• Yeast forms available – active and quick-rising dry and compressed yeast

• Usually has an expiration date on package

• BAKING SODA – used whenever buttermilk, yogurt, sour cream, or other acidic liquid is used, producing CO2 gas

• BAKING POWDER – made of baking soda and powdered acid – cream of tartar

• Most common – double-acting, releasing CO2 when first mixed with a liquid and remaining released when heated

Fat• Although adding calories, also

adds richness, flavor, and tenderness

• Solid or liquid – not easily substituted for one another

• In place of butter or margarine, use regular margarine, but not soft, whipped, or liquid margarines or spreads

• May contain air, water, or oil, affecting the end results

• Can substitute sold shortening for butter or margarine

• Any oil can be used as long as it has a mild flavor

• Usually can’t be eliminated, often can be reduced or partially substituted with other ingredients

• Applesauce or puréed dried fruits – common substitutes

• Refrigerate lard, butter, and margarine

• Store shortening and oils at room temperature unless label states otherwise

Eggs• Add flavor, nutrients, richness,

color, help form structure• When beaten, add air• To reduce fat and cholesterol,

use 2 egg whites or ¼ cup liquid egg substitute for one whole egg

Sweeteners• Sugar – most common• Helps make products tender,

adds sweetness and flavor, help brown crust

• Granulated and brown – common sweeteners; could also use honey, molasses, corn syrup, powdered sugar; some sugar substitutes are okay; others are not

• Store most in tightly covered containers in cool place; some should be stored in refrigerator after opening – follow label instructions

Flavorings• Fruits, vegetables, nuts – add

flavor, texture, nutrients• Herbs, spices, extracts in small

amounts add flavor• Sweet spices – cinnamon and

nutmeg 0 enhance the flavor enough to cut back slightly on sugar

• Extracts – flavorings in liquid form

• Most common – vanilla and almond

• Store herbs, spices, and extracts in tightly, closed containers in cool, dry place

Combining the Ingredients

• Success depends not only on ingredients, but the order in which they are combined

• Changes take place affecting the texture of the finished product during mixing process

Role of Gluten• When flour and liquid mix,

gluten is developed, becoming strong and elastic, forming network of tiny air cells

• Air, steam, and gas produced by leavening agents trapped in cells

• When heated, trapped gases expand and product rises

• The longer the mixing time, the greater the gluten is developed

Batters and Doughs• Amount of liquid in comparison

to flour determines batter or dough and affects how you should handle mixture

• Batters have more liquid than doughs

• 4 kinds of batters and doughs: pour batter, drop batter, soft dough, and stiff dough

Pour batter• Thin enough to pour in steady

stream• Cakes, waffles, pancakes

Drop Batter• Thick, usually spooned into

pans• Quick breads, cookies

Soft Dough• Soft and sticky, but can be

touched and handled• Rolled biscuits, yeast breads,

some cookies

Stiff Dough• Firm to the touch, easy to work

with and cut• Piecrust, some cookies

Methods of Mixing• Several basic methods for

combining ingredients• Unless recipe states otherwise,

all ingredients should be at room temperature; 30 minutes long enough

Kneading• Work dough with hands to

thoroughly mix ingredients and develop gluten

• 4 step process:• Turn dough out on lightly

floured surface• Using heel of hands, push

down on edge of dough nearest you

• Fold dough in half toward you and give a quarter turn

• Continue pushing, folding, and turning for the time directed by the recipe

Preparing to Bake• Pans chosen affect results of

baking• Use size and type of pan

instructed• If pan too big or too small, final

product will not bake properly• If you use glass, lower

temperature by 25oF• Dark pans retain more heat

than light ones

• If using dark pans, reduce temperature of oven 10oF

• Most recipes are for light-colored metal pans

• Glass or special microwave bakeware safe for use in the microwave oven

Pan Preparation• Must be prepared properly for

baked good to be easily removed from pan

• Prepare pan before mixing ingredients

• Read recipe carefully

Methods for Pan Preparation

• Grease and flour – lightly grease pan with fat and dust with flour

• Spray with vegetable oil cooking spray – easiest method; may not work for all products

• Line pan with paper – cut parchment paper the shape of the pan bottom

• Grease the pan; line the bottom of pan with paper (rich cakes – fruitcakes)

• Some products require no added grease – product will not rise if pan is greased

Conventional & Microwave Baking

• Most batters and doughs baked – dry heat produces required changes – product browns, develops a crispy crust

• Microwave produces a moist product with no browning or crust development – steamed texture and very tender and moist

• Unless otherwise instructed, preheat conventional oven, making sure racks are in proper place

• Checked baked product about 5 minutes before baking time complete

• Only certain cakes, quick breads, and cookies can be microwaved successfully

Removing Baked Products from Pans

• Some products need to be removed immediately; others cool a few minutes, then removed; others remain in pan until completely cool

• Use cooling racks so products cool quicker and stay crisp

Storing Baked Goods• Perishable baked products

need refrigeration• Some baked products stale in

the refrigerator, so store at room temperature if eaten within 3 days

• To store longer, freeze in airtight freezer containers