Chapter 4 Bakeshop Ingredients

Flours Provide bulk and structure to baked goods. They are produced when grain kernels are ground to powder. Grains are grasses that bear edible seeds. Wheat flour is the most important ingredient in the bakeshop.

Flours Consist of five nutrients: Fat (<1%) Minerals (<1%) Moisture (<15%) Starches (63-77%) Proteins (up to 70%)

Classification of Wheat Winter wheat Spring Wheat

Types of Flour Among the primary types of wheat flour: Cake flour Pastry flour All-purpose flour Bread flour High-gluten flour Vital Wheat Gluten Durum flour

Protein Content of Flours

Specialty Flours Among the types of flour used in the bake shop are the following specialty flours: Whole-wheat flour and wheat germ Nonwheat or composite flours such as: Rye flour Cornmeal Oats Rice flour

Sugars and Sweeteners Are carbohydrates Provide flavor and color and tenderize Provide food for yeasts Serve as preservatives and act as creaming or foaming agents Are classified as either: Simple or single Complex or double

Sugars and Sweeteners They come in many forms: Turbinado Sanding Granulated Brown Superfine or castor Powdered or confectioner’s Fructose

Liquid Sweeteners Achieve the same benefit as sugar except for leavening Corn syrup Glucose Invert sugar Honey Malt Maple syrup Molasses

Sugar Syrups Sugar is a key ingredient in the bakeshop. It can be incorporated in its dry form or when liquefied into a syrup. Sugar syrups take two forms: Simple syrups, mixtures of sugar and water Cooked syrups, made of melted sugar cooked until it reaches a specific temperature The syrup’s density is dictated by the purpose.

Stages of Cooked Sugar

Fats Are the general term for lard, butter, margarine, shortening and oil. They provide color, add moisture and richness. They also assist with leavening, help extend shelf life and produce tender baked goods. With proper mixing fat particles are distributed evenly causing fat and liquid to emulsify.

Types of Fats Butter is the fatty substance produced by agitating cream. Butter contains at least 80% milkfat and may or may not contain salt. It comes in many forms: Salted butter European-style butter Whipped butter Clarified butter

Types of Fats (cont.) Lard is rendered pork fat. Margarine is manufactured from animal or vegetable oil. Oil may be extracted from a variety of plants; unlike butter or solid fats, oil blends thoroughly into a mixture Any fat is a shortening and tenderizes the product. Hydrogenation process hardens liquid fats Consumption of excess trans fats, a by product of hydrogenation, is a risk factor for diseases

Milk and Dairy Products Provide texture, flavor, volume, color and nutritional value for cooked or baked items. Highly perishable, milk is an excellent breeding ground for bacteria. Pasteurization destroys pathogenic bacteria Milk can be: Whole Evaporated Sweetened condensed Dry powder

Milk and Dairy Products Cream is rich milk containing at least 18% fat Half-and-half Light cream, coffee cream and table cream Whipping cream Heavy cream Clotted cream Cultured dairy products are produced by adding specific bacteria to fluid dairy products Buttermilk Sour cream Crème fraîche Yogurt

Cheese Cheese is milk protein coagulated and then separated (whey from curd). One of the oldest and most widely known foods to man, cheese comes in various forms: Fresh Cream Farmer’s, baker’s and quark Mascarpone Ricotta

Eggs Eggs leaven, flavor, thicken, enrich and tenderize yeast and extend shelf life of some baked goods. Yolk is the bright yellow portion containing most of the minerals and vitamins and all the fat. Albumen, or egg white, is clear, containing half the protein. Chalazae cords anchor the yolk in place.

Composition of an Egg

Egg Grades

Thickeners Starches are thickening agents Cornstarch Arrowroot Tapioca Gelatins are thickeners derived from collagen Granulated Sheet or leaf

Fruits Add flavor, moisture, texture, body and taste to baked goods Are organs developed from the ovary of a flowering plant containing one or more seeds They are a perfect snack food and a key ingredient in the pastry chef’s pantry

Berries Small, juicy fruits that grow on vines and bushes worldwide Thin skinned with many tiny seeds, they must ripen on the vine Blackberries Blueberries Cranberries Currants Raspberries Strawberries

Citrus Thick bitter rind, with colored skin known as zest Flesh is segmented and juicy, acidic and aromatic with flavors ranging from bitter to tart to sweet Grapefruits Kumquats Lemons Limes Oranges Tangerines

Exotics Improved transportation has increased availability of exotics Figs Gooseberries Guava Lychees Persimmons Pomegranates Prickly pears Star fruits

Grapes The single largest fruit crop in the world, owing to wine making. They are berries that grow on vines in large clusters and are classified by color Red flame grapes Thompson seedless grapes Concord Ribier Emperor

Melons Members of the gourd family, they can be divided into two groups: Sweet (cantaloupes and honeydew) Watermelons Sweet melons have tan, green or yellow netted or farrowed rind with dense, fragrant flesh. Watermelons have thick, dark green rind surrounding crispy, watery flesh.

Pomes Tree fruits with thin skin and firm flesh surrounding many small seeds Quince Apples

Pomes Pears

Stone Fruits Or drupes, are related to the almond They have thin skins, soft flesh and one woody stone, or pit. They are fragile, easily bruised, difficult to transport and have a short shelf life. Apricots Cherries Peaches and nectarines Plums

Tropicals Native to hot, tropical or subtropical regions, now readily available All can be eaten fresh, without cooking Bananas Dates Kiwis Mangoes Papayas Passion fruits Pineapples

Purchasing Fresh Fruit Grading is based on size, uniformity of shape, color and texture as well as absence of defects. Ripened fruit becomes softer, its acid content declines and it becomes sweeter, more flavorful and aromatic. Ripening can be delayed by chilling.

Purchasing and Storing Preserved Fruit Extend the shelf life of fruits in essentially fresh form They are: Irradiation Acidulation Canning Freezing Drying

Flavorings Are used to give baked goods, creams and confections flavors Salt Emulsions and extracts (such as vanilla) Coffee Chocolate Herbs and spices Nuts Alcoholic beverages