Chapter 8 1 Bakeshop Basics Bakeshop Basics No

Chapter 8. 1 Bakeshop Basics

Bakeshop Basics • No small amount of time, effort, and precision go into creating delicious desserts. • It is important to know the general ingredients that go into baked goods as well as how they are used and in what proportions. 2 8. 1 Chapter 8 | Desserts and Baked Goods

Strengtheners • Provide stability – Ensures the baked item doesn’t collapse once it is removed from the oven. – Examples include flour and eggs • There are SIX types of flour and each have different properties – – – 3 8. 1 All-purpose flour: good for general production Bread flour: high amounts of gluten Cake flour: low gluten and very soft Durum flour: even higher gluten content than regular bread flour Pastry flour: characteristics fall in between bread and cake flours Semolina flour: a type of durum; used for pasta Chapter 8 | Desserts and Baked Goods

Shortenings/Fats • Characteristics: – Make baked goods moist – Add flavor – Keep the baked item fresh longer • The more thoroughly it’s mixed in, the more it will affect the texture. – Fats that are rubbed or rolled into dough will have a flaky texture – Creamed fats will have a cake-like texture • Examples: – Shortening, butter, margarine, oils, lard, shortening 4

Sweeteners • Characteristics: – add flavor and color to baked goods • Heat causes the sugar to turn brown and caramelize • Examples: – Molasses, Brown sugar, Turbinado sugar, Granulated sugar, Confectioners sugar, Super -fine sugar, Corn syrup, maple syrup, and honey 5

Leavening Agents • Characteristics: – Allows the dough or batter to rise/increase in volume – React with moisture or sweetening agents to produce carbon dioxide which causes bubbles – Measure carefully! • Examples: – Baking soda, baking powder, yeast, air 6

Eggs • Characteristics: – Add flavor – Yolk helps emulsify oil and liquids – Provides moisture and binds ingredients together – Aids in browning • Examples: – Shelled eggs and egg products 7

Liquids • Characteristics – Provides moisture that allows the gluten to develop • Examples: – water, milk, cream, melted butter 8

Flavorings • Characteristics: – Affect the item’s taste and color • Examples: – Cocoa, spices, salt, and extracts – Common spices are cinnamon, nutmeg, mace, cloves, ginger, caraway, cardamom, allspice • Salt improves the texture of bread and controls how yeast ferments • Need to be measure accurately so they do not over-power the flavor of the finished product. 9

Difference in Baking • In other types of cooking, flavors can be adjusted during the cooking process. • Baking is different—once the dish is prepared and placed in the oven, there is no opportunity for change. – Because of this, formulas are used instead of recipes. – A formula is a recipe format in which all ingredients are provided as baker’s percentages. – Helps ensure that measurements are performed consistently and accurately. 108. 1 Chapter 8 | Desserts and Baked Goods

Baker’s Percentages • A Baker’s Percentage is the weight of a particular ingredient expressed as a percentage based on the weight of the main ingredient in the formula. – If flour is the main ingredient in a formula, its bakers percentage is set to 100% and all other ingredients in the formula are expressed as a percentage based on the weight of the flour.

Baker’s % Example • If the formula also uses sugar and the baker’s percentage for sugar is 50%, it means that no matter how much flour is used to prepare that formula, the weight of the sugar used will always be equal to 50% of the weight of the flour. • THE TOTAL SUM OF BAKER’S PERCENTAGES IN A FORMULA WILL ALWAYS BE GREATER THAN 100%!!!!

Baker’s % Example Ingredients Baker’s Percentage Bread Flour (main ingredient) 100% Water 75% Fresh yeast 2% Salt 1% TOTAL 178% • Two important rules when using Baker’s Percentage: – All items must be weighed (not measured by volume). – All measurements must have the same unit of measure.