Contemporary Baking

1. Contemporary Baking

2. Basic Ingredients • Baking, unlike cooking, leaves little room for error – if a recipe is not followed precisely, the texture and taste will be affected • Ingredients include: • Flour • Liquids • Fats • Sugar and Sweeteners • Eggs • Leavening agents • Salt • Flavorings

3. Wheat Flour • Wheat flour is the main ingredient in many baked goods giving them structure • The classification of flour is based on the type of wheat it come from: • Hard wheat • I.e., Bread flour • Has a high gluten content – gluten is a firm, elastic substance that affects the texture of baked goods. Without gluten, a dough would collapse • Soft wheat • I.e., Cake and pastry flour • Has a low gluten content making it perfect for cakes and cookies

4. Wheat Flour

5. Liquids • The most common liquids used in baking are water, milk and cream. • Accurate measurement of liquid is important because too much or too little can affect the outcome of the baked product. • For example, adding too much water in pie dough will cause excess gluten formation, which may result in a tough texture.

6. Liquids • Water • It has many uses besides moistening dry ingredients. • Water is necessary for gluten structure to form in flour. • Water temperature is used to adjust temperatures in dough. • Because water is tasteless, odorless, and colorless, it does not affect the flavor or color of baked products. It also adds no fat or calories.

7. Liquids • Milk • Its protein, fat, and sugar content make it a valuable addition to baked products, ice creams, and custards. • Milk also improves the flavor and texture of bread and other baked goods.

8. Liquids • Other Dairy Products used include: • Buttermilk, yogurt and sour cream • These products contain live bacteria that convert milk sugar into acid. The acid in buttermilk, for example, provides a whiter, more tender crumb in biscuits.

9. Liquids • Cream • Heavy cream has a high fat content. • This fat content allows it to tenderize baked goods. • Cream is often whipped for toppings, chilled desserts, and fillings such as pastry cream. It is used as a liquid ingredient in custards, sauces, and ice creams.

10. Fats • Fats surround or enclose, the flour particles and prevent long strands of gluten from forming. This tenderizes the baked goods. • Fats also add to the flavor, moistness, browning, flakiness, and leavening, depending on the type of fat. • Solid fats are referred to as shortening. Oils are made solid by a process called hydrogenation. I • In hydrogenation, the oils are made solid by adding hydrogen to the oil.

11. Fats • Vegetable Shortening • Vegetable shortening has a fairly high melting point, which makes it ideal for forming flaky pie dough. • Oil • Oil is a fat that is extracted from plants such as soybeans, corn, peanuts, and cottonseed. • They are liquid at room temperature and neutral in flavor and color because they are highly refined. • Oil causes baked products to be more tender. • Oil is used in quick breads, some pie crusts, deep-fried products like donuts, and rich cakes like chiffon.

12. Fats • Butter • Butter can be purchased with or without salt. • Unsalted butter is used in baking because of its pleasant flavor. • Because butter is soft at room temperature, however, doughs made with butter are sometimes hard to handle. • Margarine • Margarine is typically a hydrogenated vegetable oil that has color, flavor, and water added. • While they cannot match butter’s superior flavor, they are less likely to spoil and are usually lower in saturated fat.

13. Sugar and Sweeteners • Sugars and sweeteners add a sweet, pleasant flavor to baked products. Flavor, however is not their only contribution to, or role in, baking. The other functions of sugars and sweeteners include: • Creating a golden-brown color • Stabilizing mixtures such as beaten egg whites for meringues • Providing food for yeast in yeast breads • Retaining moisture for a longer shelf life. • Tenderizing baked products by weakening the gluten strands • Serving as a base for making icings.

14. Sugar and Sweeteners • Sugar is produced from sugar cane or sugar beets. • The cane or beet is crushed to extract the juice. • The juice is then filtered and gently heated to evaporate the water. • Through a series of heat-induced steps, the sugar is crystallized and separated from the dark, thick molasses that forms. • It must be refined to produce sugar grains of different sizes.

15. Molasses Brown Sugar • The thick, sweet, dark liquid made from sugarcane juice • This stronger color and flavor is often desirable in baked products like gingerbread • A soft-textured mixture of white sugar and molasses • It can be light or dark in color • Store in an air-tight container to prevent moisture absorption Sugars and Sweeteners

16. Granulated Sugar Icing Sugar • Often referred to as extra fine white sugar or table sugar • It is the most common sugar used in the bakeshop • Used in cooked icings, candies and other baked goods • Also known as confectioner's sugar or powdered sugar • It is granulated sugar that has been crushed into a fine powder • It is often used in uncooked icings and glazes and as a decorative dusting on baked products Sugars and Sweetners

17. Honey • A thick, sweet liquid, made by bees from flower nectar • The type of flower will affect the final flavor and color of honey • Used to give a destinct sweet flavor • Store in a cool, dry place Sugars and Sweeteners

18. Eggs • Eggs are the second most important ingredient in baked products. • Eggs come in a variety of sizes. • Formulas listing the amount of eggs by number instead of weight have based the formula on large eggs • Commercial bakeshops use egg yolks instead of while eggs when they want a richer, more tender product. • They also use egg whites in place of whole eggs when they bake low-fat products.

19. Eggs • Structure • Because of their protein content, eggs give structure to baked products such as cakes. They also help thicken some products such as custard sauces. • Emulsification • Egg yolks have natural emulsifiers that help blend ingredients smoothly. • Aeration • Beaten or whipped eggs assist in leavening because they trap air that expands when heated, caused baked products to rise. • Flavor • Eggs add a distinct flavor to baked goods. • Color • Egg yolks add a rich, yellow color to baked products. Eggs also add color to crusts during the browning process.

20. Leavening Agent • A leavening agent is a substance that causes a baked good to rise by introducing carbon dioxide or other gases into the mixture. • The gases expand from the heat of the oven, stretching the cell walls in the baked product. • The end result is a light, tender texture and good volume.

21. Baking Powder Yeast • Made from baking soda, an acid and a moisture-absorber such as corn starch • When mixed with a liquid, baking powder releases CO2 • Double-acting baking powder will give off CO2 when mixed with a liquid and when it comes in contact with heat • A living organism that breaks down sugars into CO2 gas and alcohol • Used in breads Leavening Agents

22. Steam Baking Soda • Steam is created during the baking process when water evaporates to steam and expands • Steam is important in products like puff pastries • A chemical leavening agent that must be used with an acid to give off CO2 gas • The CO2 gas is what caused the baked product to rise Leavening Agents

23. Air • Air is added during the mixing process • You can add air to a mixture by whipping eg whites, for example with angel foods cake Leavening Agent

24. Salt • It enhances the product through its own flavor as well as bringing out the flavor or other ingredients. • Salt also acts on gluten and results in an acceptable texture. • Salt can negatively react in baked goods if it is not measured accurately or if it is added at the wrong point in the mixing process.

25. Flavorings • Flavorings include extracts and spices. Although flavorings do not usually influence the baking process, they do enhance the flavor of the final baked product.

26. Assignment 1 • Using an on-line dictionary, research the definitions on page 8 of your workbook. • www.epicurious.com • www.dictionary.com • www.yourdictionary.com • www.merriam-webster.com

27. Quick Breads

28. Quick breads • Quick breads are baked goods that can be served at breakfast, lunch or dinner and include: • Pancakes • Biscuits • Muffins • Scones • Waffles • Loaf Breads • They are tender and flavorful and do not require a lot of time or equipment to produce

29. Quick Breads • They are a product with a bread- or cake-like texture, but do not contain yeast and therefore do not need rising time. • Rather, they use chemical leavening agents such as: • Double acting baking powder • Baking soda

30. Quick Breads • Ingredients and Functions: • Flour – foundation • Eggs – provide added volume and structure • Fat – used to keep the baked product moist and tender • Sugar – improve the flavor and color • Salt – adds flavor and strengthens gluten • Leavening agent – allow quick breads to rise • Liquid – adds moisture

31. The Biscuit Method The Blending Method • Cut in the fat into the dry ingredients until it resembles corn meal • Add the liquid ingredients Example: Biscuits • Combine the liquid, sugar, liquid fat, and eggs. • Add the dry ingredients to the liquid ingredients. Example: Muffins Quick Bread Methods

32. The Creaming Method • Cream together the solid fat and sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. • Add the eggs, one at a time. • Add the dry ingredients and the liquid ingredients alternately. Example: Muffins with cake- like texture Quick Bread Methods

33. Quick Bread Methods • Quick breads can be made from soft doughs or batters: • Soft dough • Thicker in consistency than batters • Can be rolled and cut into shapes prior to baking • Examples: baking powder biscuits and scones • Batters: • Made from either a pour batter or a drop batter

34. Quick Bread Methods • Batters: • Pour Batter • Thin and can be poured from the mixing bowl\ • Example: Pancakes • Drop Batter • So thick that it needs to be scraped or dropped from a portion or ice cream scoop

35. Assignment 2 • Complete the career research on page 11-12 in your workbook. You will need to use a computer and the following websites for reference: • www.alis.gov.ab.ca • www.nait.ca

36. Cookies

37. Cookie Characteristics • Cookies are classified according to their texture: • Crisp • Soft • Chewy

38. Crisp Cookies • A crisp cookie has very little moisture in the batter • Made from a stiff dough with a high ration of sugar • During baking: • Crisp cookies will spread, or expand, more than other cookies because of the high amounts of sugar • After Baking • They dry fast because of thinness and must be stored in an air-tight container without refrigeration.

39. Crisp Cookies • Examples: • Sugar Cookie • Almond Butter Crisps

40. Soft Cookies • Soft Cookies has low amounts of fat and sugar in the batter and high proportion of liquid, such as eggs • How do you know if they are done??? • When their bottoms and edges turn golden-brown • Storage • In an air-tight container and not refrigerated • If you put them in the fridge, they will go soggy

41. Soft Cookies • Examples include: • Chocolate Chip Cookies • Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

42. Chewy Cookies • All chewy cookies are soft, but not all soft cookies are chewy! • A chewy cookie needs a high ratio of eggs, sugar and liquid, but a low amount of fat. • For chewy cookies, the gluten in the flour must develop during mixing • The amount of gluten will also determine how much the cookie will expand • Pastry flour is ideal

43. Chewy Cookies • Examples include: • Pumpkin Cookies • Spice Cookies

44. Cookie Spread • Some cookies require hand-labor to produce a particular molded shape. Although some cookies hold their shape while baking, most cookies will spread • Determined by six factors: • Flour type • Sugar type • Amount of liquid • Baking soda • Fat Type • Baking Temperture

45. Flour Type Sugar Type • Pastry flour is used in cookies for its medium gluten content. This creates the proper spread. • Granulated sugar provides the right amount of spread. If a finer grain of sugar, such as icing sugar, is used, the cookie will spread less. Cookie Spread

46. Amount of liquid Baking Soda • A cookie batter with a high amount of liquid, such as eggs, will have more spread. • For reduced spread – decrease the amount of eggs in the recipe • In a cookie batter, the baking soda promotes the proper spread by relaxing the gluten. • Baking soda is used as a leavening agent when it is combined with liquid and an acid Cookie Spread

47. Fat Type Baking Temperature • When butter or margarine is used, more spread is created. • When vegetable shortening is used, less spread is created • Oven temperatures that are too low cause excessive spread. • Over temperatures that are too high give little or no spread. Cookie Spread

48. Mixing Methods • One Stage Method • Put all the ingredients into the stand mixer • Blend at low speed using the paddle attachment. • Scrape down the sides of bowl when necessary • Example – Biscotti • Hints: • Measure carefully – its expensive to remake if you make a mistake

49. Mixing Methods • Creaming Method • Cream the fat, sugar, flavorings and salt in the stand mixer • Add eggs, one at a time, until well blended • In a separate bowl, sift dry ingredients • Add dry to the creamed ingredients and mix on low • Example: Peanut butter cookies • Hints: • Cream only slightly for a chewy cookie, over creaming results in over spreading • Do not over develop gluten and it prevents proper spreading

50. Cookie Types • Cookies can be classified not only by texture and mixing method, but also by type. There are 5 basic types: • Drop Cookies • Rolled Cookies • Icebox Cookies • Molded Cookies • Bar Cookies