FOD 1020Contemporary Baking

Ingredients

Flour Cereals such as wheat, oats, corn, and rice

are commonly used to produce flour.

For baking, wheat flour is most commonly used. Flour has a protein in it called gluten.

This gluten in flour gives structure to baked products.

There are different types of flour depending on the use:◦ All purpose flour – This can be bleached or

unbleached and used for most baking

◦ Whole Wheat flour – This has more fibre, nutritional value and gluten. Usually this gives a more even product. It is normally safe for muffins and breads to substitute half of all purpose flour with whole wheat flour without detrimental results.

Flour . . .

There are different types of flour depending on the use:◦ Cake flour (or Pastry flour) – This has less gluten

and is therefore superior for delicate cakes and pastries

◦ Bread flour – This has more gluten and provides more structure to baking, specifically breads.

When the flour mixes with a liquid, leavener and heat, the dough rises and the gluten coagulates or thickens and hardens.  Heat occurs when placed in the oven. 

Flour . . .

Eggs are one of the most versatile ingredients in baking. They have various functions depending on the recipe chosen.

Eggs

Eggs as a Binder:

When eggs are added to cookie dough, the protein in the eggs holds together or binds all the other ingredients. The heat of the oven causes the egg to coagulate (or thicken) and the cookie hardens. Eggs will also bind crumbs or hold nuts to a product.

Eggs

Eggs as Leaveners:

Egg whites are protein, and when beaten can trap air bubbles inside. These air bubbles rise in the oven and the egg white coagulates or hardens, keeping  volume of the cake. An example would be angel food cake.

Eggs . . .

Eggs as Thickener:

Some baked products may have a filling such as lemon filling or Boston Cream Cake. The eggs in the filling coagulate and hold the mixture together.

Eggs . . .

Eggs as an Emulsifier:

This occurs when an egg holds two ingredients together that do not normally mix (for example, oil and water). If you have oil it floats on the water. Eggs are primarily protein and water in the egg white and fat in the yolk. When an egg is added to the oil and liquid and mixed completely, the egg will emulsify the fat keeping it in tiny droplets dispersed throughout the liquid.

Eggs. . .

Recipes call for various types of fats.

Fat is the ingredient that adds tenderness to a baked product. Always use the fat dictated by the recipe or the result may not be the same.

Some fats are more plastic than others. The thicker the fat, the more plasticity it has.

Fats

Shortening: Shortening is a very plastic fat made from vegetable

sources. The name shortening is used because in baked products it shortens the gluten strands. When shortening is cut into the flour, it forms small chunks of fat. When these melt in the oven, flaky, tender pastries are created.

Shortening is a semisolid fat made from hydrogenated vegetable oil

Shortening has a high smoke point for deep frying dough’s, and  it also helps cookies keep their shape better. This is because it has a higher melting temperature.

The industry is producing shortenings which have less Trans fats to make them healthier.

Fats . . .

Butter: Butter is animal fat (made from cow’s milk),

and it is high in saturated fat and cholesterol. Butter and margarine are equal in calories and fat. Butter contains fat soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. It gives wonderful flavour to baked products.

Fats . . .

Margarine: Margarine is made from vegetable oils.

Margarine is high in polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, but it also contains some saturated fats. The more solid the margarine, the worse it is for you,.

Trans fat raises the levels of bad cholesterol and lowers the levels of good cholesterols, which makes it worse than saturated fat. Softer versions, like margarine in a tub, are lower in trans fats than margarine in a solid stick form but they do not give the same result in baking.

Fats . . .

Lard: Lard is an animal fat in a solid

hydrogenated form. It, too, shortens the gluten strands and is mainly used for pastry.

Fats . . .

Oils: For baking, vegetable oils are used. They

are lighter than olive oil and give a tender product. If a recipe calls for melted fat, you can substitute vegetable oil.

Olive oil is a healthy choice for frying or roasting. Deep frying should only be done with 100% vegetable oil, as it has the highest smoke point and is less likely to ignite.

Fats . . .

Butter/Margarine: In recipes that call for butter, a solid margarine could be used. Do not, however, substitute the spreadable margarines, as the result will not be the same.

Never melt the butter unless the recipe calls for melted butter.

Fats . . .

Leaveners add lightness and volume to baked products.

The air that is produced by the leavener rises in the oven. The protein of the eggs and flour in the baked product hardens in the oven, and the product keeps its height.

Leaveners

Egg Whites as Leaveners: Egg whites are protein. When beaten, the friction traps air

bubbles. The egg whites go through stages: foamy, slightly stiff, and the stiff peak stage in chiffon and angel food cakes or even in soufflés.

The stiff peak stage has shiny peaks which will not fall out of the bowl when turned upside down. The air incorporated rises in the warm oven and the protein in the egg coagulates around the air bubble, keeping the height of the baked product.

The egg white cannot have any fat in it – (no bit of yolk) or the volume and stiff peaks will not be formed. Bowls must be glass or ceramic, and impeccably clean and free of grease. Beaters or whisks must be very clean as well. DO NOT use plastic bowls or beaters!

Often an acid such as cream of tartar or vinegar will be used to stabilize the egg foam and give better volume.

Leaveners . . .

Baking Soda: This leavener (bicarbonate of soda) requires

an acid to be in the mixture. When an acid is added and a liquid, air

bubbles are produced and trapped in the baked product making it light and fluffy. Acids such as lemon juice, buttermilk, etc., will set off this chemical reaction.

If you cut open the cooled cake, it should have small air bubbles throughout.

Leaveners . . .

Baking Powder: This leavener produces air bubbles when a liquid and

heat are added. It has an acid in the baking powder mixture and therefore when liquid is added it will form bubbles.

There are two types of baking powder, single acting and double acting.

When mixed with a liquid it produces CO2 which raises the batter or dough. Double acting baking powder was developed in 1867. It gives off CO2 when liquid is applied, but also in the heat of the oven.

Baking powder and baking soda are NOT interchangeable in recipes.

Leaveners . . .

Yeast: Yeast is a single celled organism which

multiplies when fed sugar in a warm moist environment, producing CO2, which results in bread rising. Directions must be followed exactly, or you could “kill” the yeast.

There are different types of yeast for fast rising products and for bread makers.

The Egyptians were known to have yeast as a leavening agent some 5000 years ago.

Leaveners . . .

Sourdough: Sometimes a culture is used to produce air in a

baked product such as in sourdough biscuits or sourdough bread.

This is made from a milk product bacteria and fed flour and sugar. It produces air when it ferments.

This type of leavener was popular in the early settler days and in the Far North as sourdough could withstand the cold temperatures.

It gives a distinctive sour taste to breads and muffins.

Leaveners . . .

Steam as a Leavener: Some products such as popovers or

Yorkshire pudding have a high percentage of liquid in the batter.

At a very high temperature (400 – 500’F), the liquid would change to steam and rise in the oven. The protein in the egg or flour/egg mixture would coagulate in the oven and the popover would keep its height.

Steam leavened products usually have open holes in them.

Leavener . . .

Liquids provide moisture and assist in binding all the ingredients together.

Milk will help the sugar dissolve in the mixture and it will also react with the leaveners to give off carbon dioxide.

Liquids which are acidic are always used with baking soda.

The liquid hydrates the protein in the flour (gluten) and helps it develop and stretch in the rising process.

Liquids

Sugars provide ◦ browning, ◦ tenderness, ◦ sweetness and ◦ crispness to baked products.

Sugar is made from sugar beets grown in Alberta and also from sugar cane (imported).

Sugars

Brown Sugar: Brown sugar is less refined than white

sugar. It is golden brown or dark brown, depending

on the source and the amount of refinement.

If the brown sugar is hard, soften it by adding a piece of bread or a cut apple to the bag. You can also microwave the brown sugar for a short time until it softens

Sugars . . .

Granulated Sugar/White Sugar: This is finely ground and used for most

baking.

Sugars . . .

Confectioner’s Sugar/Icing Sugar: This is a very fine powder form of granulated

sugar. It is actually white sugar which has been pulverized at high speed to turn it into a powder.

Icing sugar is delicate and always sifted when measured. It is used for delicate baking, icings, and sprinkled on cakes and cookies.

Molasses, honey, applesauce, and artificial sweeteners are also used to sweeten baked products.

Sugar . . .

Honey: Honey is sweeter than sugar. In place of one cup of sugar, use ¾ of a cup

of honey plus one tablespoon. You will need to reduce the liquid in your

recipe  by two tablespoons if you use honey

Sugar . . .

Molasses: Molasses is less sweet than sugar. Use 1 1/3

cup of molasses and reduce the liquid by 5 tablespoons to substitute for 1 cup of sugar.

Artificial Sweeteners: Artificial sweeteners can be up to 16 times

as sweet as sugar. Artificial sweeteners must be used

according to the package instructions.

Sugar . . .

Although these products are not absolutely necessary, they contribute greatly to the overall flavour. To make a baked product special, one could add ◦ spices, ◦ liquid extracts, ◦ nuts, etc.

Flavouring Agents