Baking Ingredients Functions

Wheat Varieties 4 Hard wheats contain greater quantities of the proteins glutenin and gliadin, and are used to produce strong flours. Strong flours are used to make breads and yeast products. Soft wheats are used to produce weak flours often used in cakes, cookies, and pastries. Flour

FLOUR Function: Provides structure in batter and baked product Gluten is the protein in flour (from wheat, barley, rye or triticale). It develops long strands when mixed with liquid. These strands form a structure that traps air as the bread rises. Types of Flour

FLOUR A. All purpose flour (a.p.) blend of hard and soft wheat B. Cake flour- soft wheat, produces less gluten, makes cakes/products more tender C. Bread flour- has higher gluten, makes dough more elastic and helps with rise

SWEETENERS Functions: Sugar gives a sweet flavor, helps tenderize the product and gives it color and texture. It also: Increases keeping qualities. Acts as a creaming agent with fats. Acts as a foaming agent with eggs. Provides food for yeast. Examples: granulated sugar, powdered sugar (confectioners), brown sugar, honey, molasses, corn syrup

SWEETENERS A. granulated sugar- standard white, comes from sugar cane or sugar beets Powdered sugar or Confectioner’s sugar: ground to a fine powder and mixed with a small amount of starch to prevent caking. Dissolves instantly. Brown sugar: contains varying amounts of caramel, molasses, and other impurities. Non-Nutritive sweeteners-sugar substitutes.

FAT The major function of fats in baked items are: To tenderize gluten. To add moistness and richness. To increase keeping quality. To add flavor. To assist in leavening when used as a creaming agent. To add flakiness. Types: Butter, margarine, lard, oil, shortening

FAT Butter: Best flavor Richness 100% saturated fat (different properties) Some fat may be replaced with applesauce, soft fruit puree, yogurt.

LIQUIDS Functions: Liquid dissolves the ingredients and forms a mixture. Combines with protein in flour to form gluten Examples: water, milk, buttermilk, fruit juice The functions of milk in baked products are: The water content in milk enables gluten development. Adds texture. Adds flavor. Provides crust color. Provides keeping quality. Provides nutritive value.

EGGS Function of eggs in a recipe:  Structure  Emulsifying fats and liquids  Leavening  Moisture  Flavor  Color  Nutritive value

EGGS Most standard recipes require a large egg (about ¼ cup) If a recipe calls for one egg and you want to cut the recipe in half, how might you half an egg? Answer: 1 large egg = 1/4 cup. Crack egg into bowl and mix with fork. Pour out approximately 1/2 or 2 tablespoons of egg.

LEAVENING AGENTS Leavening is the production or incorporation of gases in a baked product to increase volume and to produce shape and texture. Function: An ingredient that adds or produces gas in a dough or batter. The gas makes the product rise and/or have a light texture. Leavening agents in baking are:  Baking Powder  Baking Soda  Yeast  Air  Steam

LEAVENING AGENTS  Baking Soda (sodium bicarbonate): if moisture and an acid are present, soda releases carbon dioxide gas.  Baking Powder: a mixture of baking soda plus one or more acids. Double-acting baking powder has two acids that release gases with moisture and heat.  Air i s incorporated into all doughs and batters during mixing. (creaming & foaming) The formation of air cells is important even in products leavened by yeast or baking powder because the air cells collect and hold the leavening gases.

Leavening Agents  Steam When water turns to steam, it expands to 1100 times its original volume. Because all baked products contain some moisture, steam is an important leavening agent.  Yeast Fermentation is the process by which yeast acts on sugars and changes them into carbon dioxide. Yeast is a living organism. It is sensitive to temperature.

SPICES & FLAVORINGS Function: Add flavor Measure spices and flavorings carefully to get the right taste or flavor. Sweet spices: Cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, anise, ginger Savory: Herbs, basil, oregano, pepper Extracts: Vanilla, maple, lemon, almond Fresh flavorings: Citrus peel, zest or juice Vanilla is the most important flavoring in the pastry shop: Vanilla beans Vanilla extract

FLAVORINGS Salt Adds flavor Controls yeast action and strengthens gluten In yeast preparations too little makes texture dense and heavy; flavor will be flat or yeasty

Chocolate and Cocoa 4 Chocolate and cocoa are derived from cocoa or cacao beans. The beans are fermented, roasted, and ground, yielding chocolate liquor, which contains cocoa butter. Cocoa is the dry powder that remains after part of the cocoa butter is removed from the chocolate liquor. Dutch process cocoa is processed with an alkali to make it darker and more easily dissolved in liquids.

Chocolate & Cocoa Unsweetened chocolate is straight chocolate liquor. Sweet chocolate is bitter chocolate with the addition of sugar and cocoa butter. Milk chocolate is sweet chocolate to which milk solids have been added. Cocoa Butter is the fat pressed out of the chocolate liquor. White chocolate is made of cocoa butter, sugar, and milk solids. Technically, it should not be called chocolate because it does not contain cocoa solids.