BISCUIT MAKING Kshs 5 200 1 Biscuit classification

BISCUIT MAKING Kshs 5, 200

1: Biscuit classification Ø " Biscuit " is a french word which has evolved from the old french word "bescoit" which in turn was derived from the Latin "bis coctus" meaning "twice cooked". Originally this term was used to refer to a class of goods which were partially baked and then toasted prior to serving in the same way that teacakes etc. may be served today. Ø So greatly do biscuits differ that is almost impossible to attempt their classification passing as they do from "dry" to "sweet", "hard to soft", "flaky"to"short" and "plain"to"fancy" or from one combination to another. Ø The simplest form of biscuits of this nature were discovered in the ancient tombs of Egypt which date back to approximately 4, 000 B. C In fact there are some people who declare that the changing of a cereal into a palatable food was the first trade problem successfully tackled by man.

• From these early beginnings there was very little development and at the beginning of the nineteenth century we find biscuits being manufactured for seafarers in a similar way to that in which they were made six thousand years previously. These "sea" or "ships" biscuits as they were variously called were almost entirely free from water and completely solid, which made them difficult to digest. However, despite their lack of popularity among sailors they provided the basis of a seaman's diet, and as at this time the British Navy was expanding, the demand for these biscuits increased. This lead to biscuit making evolving as a separate commercial enterprise, rather than being, as it had been until now, part of the bread-making and confectionery trades. The pioneers of the biscuit making industry in Great Britain were Mr William Meredith, founder of Meredith and Drew, who started making biscuits for ships using the Port of London in 1830 and Mr Johnathan Dodgson Carr, founder of Carr's of Carlisle, who did the same thing in Carlisle in 1831. These were closely followed by other firms such as Macfarlane's of Edinburgh, Peek Freans of London and Huntley & Palmers of Reading.

Ø Biscuits are put into groups, or are classified by the degree of enrichment. This has a bearing on the dough characteristics and also on the method of manufacture. Ø Hard doughs types are generally low in both sugar and fat, they are both crispy yet quite hard in texture and rather dry in the mouth. The dough itself has a high water content and is well mixed giving body and strength to the dough. Hard doughs are often laminated. Ø Short dough types contain higher proportions of fats and sugar making them shorter and more tender too eat. The doughs contain little water and are not mixed to develop a structure like hard doughs. As the sugar level increases to high proportions (Ginger Nuts) the biscuits flow easily during baking and are hard to bite into.

2: Product types in brief • Crackers – Low fat, little sugar. When the fat level varies it affects the texture of the cracker. Semi-Sweet – Medium sugar levels but the fat content is still low. Types include Tea Fingers and Morning Coffee.

Short-Sweet – A large family of biscuit types all containing quite high levels of sugar and fat. They include shortcakes and sweetmeals. Cookie types – These are similar to the above but with higher fat and sugar levels, which result in increased flow. Snaps and Crunchies – These have very high sugar levels making the cooled biscuits hard with a crisp snap such as ginger nuts

3: Selection and Role of Ingredients Ø Flours used in biscuit manufacture are normally referred to as ‘soft’ or ‘weak’ as they contain around 8 – 9% gluten forming protein which helps prevent toughening and shrinkage in the biscuits. Hard dough’s however may use a higher protein content flour as they rely on the development of structure in the dough to help with the processing and final characteristics

Ø Chemical additives A number of chemicals may be added to biscuit doughs either to assist with lightening/aeration or to help modify the gluten structure produced during the mixing of hard doughs. Ammonium bicarbonate can be used for aeration, it produces ammonia gas, carbon dioxide and water on heating and therefore leaves no residual salts in the product. It is readily soluble but is very alkaline giving softer dough’s which require less water for a given consistency.

Ø Fats used in biscuit manufacture include white shortening, cake margarine and butter and are responsible for creating shortness, thereby reducing toughness and shrinkage. The greater the proportion of fat present the less likelihood of shrinkage. Products such as crackers and semi sweet types which are low in fat – are referred to as hard dough types.

Ø Sugar is an essential part of most biscuits, it sweetens, assists with colour development, helps in preventing toughness and creates flow and hardness in such varieties as ginger nuts. Caster sugar would be the main choice but brown sugars would be selected to give increased flavour and colour in darker crumb types such as Digestive.

Ø Sodium Bicarbonate is also an important aerating agent which will produce carbon dioxide but does leave a residual salt which can give an unpleasant aftertaste, together with a yellowing of the crumb and surface discolouration. The action of heat on sodium bicarbonate releases only half of its potential carbon dioxide but if combined with an Acid ingredient ( Acid Calcium Phosphate or Acid Sodium Pyrophosphate) it will release twice as much carbon dioxide and the after taste will be greatly reduced.

• Dough mixing is an extremely important part of the production process. The recipe and mixing method for any particular biscuit are specific to that product, and are aimed at producing a finished product of the right quality and size. Mixing methods for hard and soft biscuits vary substantially. • The main features in dough mixing are: Ø The preparation before mixing, ensuring that all the ingredients for the mix are available in the right quantities. Ø The sequence of charging the ingredients into the mixer must be as specified and the same for each batch. Ø The water content must be as prescribed. Ø The mixing method must be as specified, with attention being paid to mixing times and speeds, dough temperatures and consistency.

Ø In short or soft doughs, dry ingredients and fats are generally crumbed together with liquids being added to bring the ingredients to a dough. Sometimes fats and sugar are creamed together before adding liquid and blending in the other dry ingredients. Only sufficient mixing to form a clear dough is necessary to avoid toughening. Hard doughs require intense mixing/work input to bring about the machine type characteristics required when forming the dough into biscuits. This intense mixing also results in a significant dough temperature increase.

5: Forming • Biscuits may be formed or shaped in a variety of ways. The actual forming method will be determined by the type of biscuit being produced and the characteristics of the biscuit dough. • Forming methods include: Ø Dough sheeting and stamp cutting Ø Dough sheeting and rotary cutting Ø Rotary moulding Ø Wire cutting Ø Rout Press

Ø In large scale manufacture sheeted dough is carried by the web to the ‘cutting table’ above which is the cutting head. This consists of a single or double line of cutting shells which determine the outline of the biscuit. The biscuits may also be embossed with a word or pattern during this operation. The cutting action of this head cannot be purely a vertical action because the dough piece is moving at a constant speed in a horizontal direction and would therefore drag against the cutting face. Ø To overcome this the cutting head needs to be moving in the same direction and speed of the dough sheet. In addition to this the cutting table beneath the web must also move forward with the dough sheet at the point of impact. These cutters are referred to as reciprocating cutters, as they move forward and then back after each cut.

6: Forming (p 2) Ø Biscuit dough is sheeted and cut and automatically placed on baking sheets for baking. Dough Sheeting and ‘Rotary cutting’ In this method the dough is sheeted and gauged in the usual way and then passed under a rotary cutting head. This is generally done using a two roll system, in which the pattern roller and the cutting roller are set very close together. The first roller will put a pattern onto the dough and the second roller will cut the biscuits. This roller contains the shallow cutting shells which are bolted around it. They are convex in shape to take account of the belt speed resulting in round biscuits.

10: Wire Cutting Ø The main feature of this method of shaping is that it imparts to the biscuit a rough uneven surface and an almost hand made appearance. Partly because of this and partly because of their close resemblance to American biscuits, wire cut biscuits are often referred to as Cookies. Ø The biscuit is shaped by forcing the dough through ‘dies’ or apertures, the shape of which determines the shape of the biscuit. As the dough is extruded it is cut in slices by a rigid reciprocating wire. The action of the wire turns the biscuit over as it drops onto the web

Ø This method of shaping has one big advantage over all other methods in that it is possible to incorporate coarse ingredients such as chopped nuts, coarse coconut, chocolate nibs etc. into the dough. Ø The use of these ingredients in a dough formed by a cutting head or rotary moulder would cause trouble with the cutting shells, docker pins and rotary blades.

13: Wire Cutting Ø The main feature of this method of shaping is that it imparts to the biscuit a rough uneven surface and an almost hand made appearance. Partly because of this and partly because of their close resemblance to American biscuits, wire cut biscuits are often referred to as Cookies.

Biscuit Faults Ø There are many faults which can occur in biscuits as with any baked product. These may be associated with the incorrect selection or weighing of the ingredients, incorrect processing (see module on short pastes) and incorrect baking, but one fault specific to biscuits is: Ø ‘Checking’ – this is when fine cracks appear across the surface of the biscuit causing the biscuit to break easily during handling/packing. It is thought to be as a result of variations in moisture content across the biscuit which could be caused by uneven baking or incorrect cooling. Ensuring the biscuits achieve equilibrium humidity as soon as possible helps, this can be assisted by turning the biscuits over during cooling.

Ø The biscuit is shaped by forcing the dough through ‘dies’ or apertures, the shape of which determines the shape of the biscuit. As the dough is extruded it is cut in slices by a rigid reciprocating wire. The action of the wire turns the biscuit over as it drops onto the web. This method of shaping has one big advantage over all other methods in that it is possible to incorporate coarse ingredients such as chopped nuts, coarse coconut, chocolate nibs etc. into the dough. Ø The use of these ingredients in a dough formed by a cutting head or rotary moulder would cause trouble with the cutting shells, docker pins and rotary blades

Savoury Biscuits • Savoury biscuits are a range of biscuit products which are eaten for their savoury flavours and their association with cheese and other savoury ingredients. Unlike sweet biscuits they contain only small amounts of sugar or none at all, but they do contain many other ingredients of a savoury nature including: Ø Salt Ø Cheese powders Ø Herbs Ø Seeds Ø Mustard

Ø The varieties range from the very lean ‘Water Biscuit’ or ‘Cream Cracker’ to enriched varieties such as ‘Tuc’ and butter puffs. Most of these biscuit types would be classed as ‘hard doughs’ and are likely to be produced from a laminated dough (rolled and folded like puff pastry) which gives the products a tender more flaky texture. The proportion of fat in the recipe will determine how short the texture is, with shortness increasing as the fat level increases.