Ingredients and Techniques for Baking FACS Standards 8

Ingredients and Techniques for Baking FACS Standards 8. 5. 1, 8. 5. 2, 8. 5. 3, 8. 5. 4, 8. 5. 5, 8. 5. 6, 8. 5. 7 Kowtaluk, Helen and Orphanos Kopan, Alice. Food For Today. Mc. Graw Hill-Glencoe. 2004.

Ingredient Basics • Common to all baked goods: • Flour, Liquid, Leavening agents, Fat, Sweeteners, Eggs, Flavorings • Generally nutritious, but many are high in fat, sugar, and calories

Flour • Proteins and starch in flour make up most of a baked product’s structure • GLUTEN – protein that affects the texture of a baked product and helps determine how the product will rise • STARCH – helps absorb some of the liquid added in most baked goods

Types of Flours • All – purpose flour – most popular in the U. S. ; gives good results for most products • Bread flour – highest gluten content and five bread a strong structure • Cake flour – contains less gluten and gives cake a tender structure

Whole-Grain Flour • Weaker gluten than all-purpose; some have no gluten at all, explaining why products rise less and are heavier textured • Include: rye, wheat, and cornmeal • Generally used with all-purpose flour in equal proportions

• Stir, rather than sift • Should be stored in refrigerator because of the fat • Store other flours in cool, dry place in airtight containers

Liquid • Play a role in physical and chemical changes during baking • Water and milk – most common • Milk adds flavor and nutrients and helps baked goods brown

• To reduce fat, use fat-free milk • Buttermilk adds slightly tangy flavor, makes mixture more acidic and affects the kind of leavening agent needed

Leavening Agents • Substance that triggers a chemical reaction causing a baked product to rise, make products less compact, and softer texture • Types – air, steam, and yeast

• AIR – trapped in mixtures that are beaten; trapped air expands the product rises • Angel Food Cake leavened by air in beaten egg whites

• STEAM – in products that contain a lot of water; as water heats, turns to steam, expanding, causing product to rise • Popovers and cream puffs leavened by steam

• YEAST – microorganism producing CO 2 • Needs food, liquid, and warm temperature to grow • Yeast forms available – active and quickrising dry and compressed yeast • Usually has an expiration date on package

• BAKING SODA – used whenever buttermilk, yogurt, sour cream, or other acidic liquid is used, producing CO 2 gas

• BAKING POWDER – made of baking soda and powdered acid – cream of tartar • Most common – double-acting, releasing CO 2 when first mixed with a liquid and remaining released when heated

Fat • Although adding calories, also adds richness, flavor, and tenderness • Solid or liquid – not easily substituted for one another • In place of butter or margarine, use regular margarine, but not soft, whipped, or liquid margarines or spreads

• May contain air, water, or oil, affecting the end results • Can substitute sold shortening for butter or margarine • Any oil can be used as long as it has a mild flavor

• Usually can’t be eliminated, often can be reduced or partially substituted with other ingredients • Applesauce or puréed dried fruits – common substitutes

• Refrigerate lard, butter, and margarine • Store shortening and oils at room temperature unless label states otherwise

Eggs • Add flavor, nutrients, richness, color, help form structure • When beaten, add air • To reduce fat and cholesterol, use 2 egg whites or ¼ cup liquid egg substitute for one whole egg

Sweeteners • Sugar – most common • Helps make products tender, adds sweetness and flavor, help brown crust • Granulated and brown – common sweeteners; could also use honey, molasses, corn syrup, powdered sugar; some sugar substitutes are okay; others are not

• Store most in tightly covered containers in cool place; some should be stored in refrigerator after opening – follow label instructions

Flavorings • Fruits, vegetables, nuts – add flavor, texture, nutrients • Herbs, spices, extracts in small amounts add flavor • Sweet spices – cinnamon and nutmeg 0 enhance the flavor enough to cut back slightly on sugar

• Extracts – flavorings in liquid form • Most common – vanilla and almond • Store herbs, spices, and extracts in tightly, closed containers in cool, dry place

Combining the Ingredients • Success depends not only on ingredients, but the order in which they are combined • Changes take place affecting the texture of the finished product during mixing process

Role of Gluten • When flour and liquid mix, gluten is developed, becoming strong and elastic, forming network of tiny air cells • Air, steam, and gas produced by leavening agents trapped in cells • When heated, trapped gases expand product rises

• The longer the mixing time, the greater the gluten is developed

Batters and Doughs • Amount of liquid in comparison to flour determines batter or dough and affects how you should handle mixture • Batters have more liquid than doughs • 4 kinds of batters and doughs: pour batter, drop batter, soft dough, and stiff dough

Pour batter • Thin enough to pour in steady stream • Cakes, waffles, pancakes

Drop Batter • Thick, usually spooned into pans • Quick breads, cookies

Soft Dough • Soft and sticky, but can be touched and handled • Rolled biscuits, yeast breads, some cookies

Stiff Dough • Firm to the touch, easy to work with and cut • Piecrust, some cookies

Methods of Mixing • Several basic methods for combining ingredients • Unless recipe states otherwise, all ingredients should be at room temperature; 30 minutes long enough

Kneading • Work dough with hands to thoroughly mix ingredients and develop gluten • 4 step process: • Turn dough out on lightly floured surface • Using heel of hands, push down on edge of dough nearest you

• Fold dough in half toward you and give a quarter turn • Continue pushing, folding, and turning for the time directed by the recipe

Preparing to Bake • Pans chosen affect results of baking • Use size and type of pan instructed • If pan too big or too small, final product will not bake properly • If you use glass, lower temperature by 25 o. F • Dark pans retain more heat than light ones

• If using dark pans, reduce temperature of oven 10 o. F • Most recipes are for light-colored metal pans • Glass or special microwave bakeware safe for use in the microwave oven

Pan Preparation • Must be prepared properly for baked good to be easily removed from pan • Prepare pan before mixing ingredients • Read recipe carefully

Methods for Pan Preparation • Grease and flour – lightly grease pan with fat and dust with flour • Spray with vegetable oil cooking spray – easiest method; may not work for all products

• Line pan with paper – cut parchment paper the shape of the pan bottom • Grease the pan; line the bottom of pan with paper (rich cakes – fruitcakes) • Some products require no added grease – product will not rise if pan is greased

Conventional & Microwave Baking • Most batters and doughs baked – dry heat produces required changes – product browns, develops a crispy crust • Microwave produces a moist product with no browning or crust development – steamed texture and very tender and moist

• Unless otherwise instructed, preheat conventional oven, making sure racks are in proper place • Checked baked product about 5 minutes before baking time complete • Only certain cakes, quick breads, and cookies can be microwaved successfully

Removing Baked Products from Pans • Some products need to be removed immediately; others cool a few minutes, then removed; others remain in pan until completely cool • Use cooling racks so products cool quicker and stay crisp

Storing Baked Goods • Perishable baked products need refrigeration • Some baked products stale in the refrigerator, so store at room temperature if eaten within 3 days • To store longer, freeze in airtight freezer containers