Baking 101 Bakeshop Equipment Bakeshop equipment must be

Baking 101

Bakeshop Equipment Bakeshop equipment must be durable and kept well maintained. It is exposed to wet, sticky ingredients, extreme changes in temperature, and heavy production demands. • Mixers are essential to every bakeshop. There are bench mixers for small volumes(5 quarts or less) and floor mixers for larger volumes (140 quarts or more). Mixers are used to mix, knead, or whip batters and doughs. The most common mixer in the bakeshop is the bench mixer. It comes with three basic attachments: a spiral dough hook, a flat beater or paddle, and a whip. • Proofing Cabinets A proofing cabinet, also called a proofer, is a freestanding metal box on wheels that is temperature- and humiditycontrolled. Proofing cabinets can be used to proof yeast doughs allowing dough to rise slowly in a humidity controlled, low-heat environment before it is baked. They can also be used to keep foods warm.

Bakeshop Equipment • Convection Oven A convection oven has a fan that circulates the oven's heated air. This fan allows you to cook foods in about 30% less time and at temperatures approximately 25° to 35° lower than temperatures in a conventional oven. • Deck Oven A deck oven is a freestanding rectangular oven that has a series of wellinsulated compartments stacked on top of one another. Because each of these shelves has a separate door and temperature control, you can bake a variety of items at once. • Sheeter A sheeter is a piece of equipment that rolls out large pieces of dough to a desired thickness. It is used mostly for rolling and folding doughs, such as puff pastries, croissants, and Danish pastries. It also can be used to flatten pie or pizza dough.

Bakeshop Smallwares • A bakery needs many different hand tools. You need tools for mixing, cutting, scooping, glazing, and decorating. Each bakery’s needs may be different. Smallwares include: • • • Pans, Molds, and Rings Mixing and Ingredient Bowls Spoons, Spatulas, and Whisks Rolling Pins Pastry Brushes Bench Blades/Scraper Pastry Cutters Measuring Cups and Spoons Pastry Bags and Tips

• Baking is an exact science that requires precise measuring and accuracy. In baking, formulas are used. Formulas are recipes that list the exact amount of each ingredient, which are often given as percentages of the total formula. Bakeshop Formulas • Accurate and consistent measurement is so important that bakers tend to weigh most ingredients on a balance scale, which gives consistent, reliable results. Bakers refer to weighing as scaling.

Techniques Used In baking, there are several techniques that are used to combine ingredients. The technique chosen will depend on the type of baked good being made. Frequently, you will use more than one technique to produce your desired product. • Beating—agitating ingredients vigorously to add air or develop gluten. • Blending—mixing or folding two ingredients or more together until they are combined. • Creaming—vigorously combining softened fat and sugar to add air. • Cut In—mix solid fat with dry ingredients until lumps of the desired size remain. • Folding—gently adding light, airy ingredients, such as eggs or whipped cream, to heavier ingredients by using a circular movement.

Techniques Used • Kneading—working a dough by hand or in a mixer to develop gluten and evenly distribute ingredients. • Sifting—passing dry ingredients through a wire mesh to remove lumps, blend, and add air. • Stirring—moving a spoon or other implement around in (a liquid or other substance) in order to mix it. • Whipping—vigorously beating ingredients into a froth to add air.

The Big 5 Mixing Methods in Baking

Once the ingredients have been measured the next step is to mix them together. There are many ways to mix ingredients, however, the main objectives for mixing is usually the same for each: Mixing Methods • Uniform distribution of ingredients • Maximum retention of leavening agent Although the objectives may be the same, each method will provide very different results in your product. It is important to know the differences and how they affect the final product.

1. The Biscuit Method This is the mixing method that is used for pie crusts, biscuits, and scones. The dry ingredients are mixed together, then the fat, which is a solid, is cutin or rubbed into the dry ingredients. The wet ingredients are mixed together in a separate bowl and then are added to the dry; stirring just until combined. What are the advantages to the biscuit method? • The “cutting in” of the fat coats the flour granules, shortening the gluten strands (which greatly reduces the development of gluten). This makes baked products prepared by the biscuit tender. • It makes baked products flaky.

2. The Muffin Method is a technique whereby dry and wet ingredients are mixed separately and then combined until the dry ingredients just become moist. What are the advantages of the Muffin Method for making things like muffins? • Primarily, tenderness. Because there is so little mixing, very little gluten is developed • A light crumb.

3. The Foam or Whipping Method • A mechanical way of aerating the batter through beating the eggs, often the whites separately from the yolks. The whipping method is how bakers create very light cake layers in the absence of chemical leaveners. The sugar keeps the egg foam from collapsing. • The whipping method produces very light, airy baked goods.

4. Blended or Straight -Mix Method The blended or straight-mix method is the easiest of all mixing methods. Blended batters tend to be more liquid than most and are usually pourable. Oil often is used rather than butter, since oil is much more easily combined with the rest of the ingredients. With blended or straight-mix method recipes, the ingredients are all added to one bowl (usually wet ingredients first) and then just mixed together.

5. The Creaming Method The creaming method is the most common mixing method used. It creates a fine texture with a regular crumb. It is used for many cake and cookie recipes. • In the creaming method, the butter and sugar are beaten together until they have lightened in color and the mixture is fluffy. (It takes about 3 -5 minutes) • Next, eggs are beaten in one at a time. • And then the dry and liquid ingredients are added alternately to the butter mixture. Adding the flour and the liquids alternately helps the formation of gluten to develop, which creates a product that can be used for layering (without crumbling under the weight of added layers and frosting or fillings). It also ensures that the liquid will be emulsified into the batter.

Look at the following instructions from different recipes and try to guess which mixing method is being used: • “Cream the butter and sugar together. ” Guess Which Method: • “Combine dry ingredients. Add butter and cut-in until it resembles cornmeal. ” • “Put all of the ingredients in a bowl and stir together. ” • “Beat egg whites until they form stiff peaks, and then add cream of tartar, vanilla extract, and almond extract. ” • “Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Stir until just combined. ”