Baking!

1. Baking! Ingredients and Techniques Cakes, Cookies, and Pies Quick Breads Yeast Breads and Rolls

2. Basic Ingredients • Flour • Liquid • Leavening agents • Fat • Sweeteners • Eggs • Flavoring

3. Flour • Protein and starch in the flour give structure • Gluten- a protein that affects the texture and helps determine how the product will rise • Gluten develops when flour is moistened and mixed, and hold the leavening agents • Starch helps absorb some of the liquid that is added in most recipes

4. Types of Flour • All-purpose flour- the most popular, good results for most products • Bread flour- highest gluten content and give bread a strong structure • Cake flour- contains less gluten and gives cakes a tender structure • Whole-grain flour- weaker gluten than all-purpose flour, some have no gluten at all • Products rise less and have a heavy texture • Usually combined with all-purpose flour in equal proportions • Flour is stirred, not sifted

5. Liquid • Water and milk are the most common • Eggs and fat too • Hydrate the protein and starch to form the gluten • Moistens and dissolves ingredients • Leavening agent when converted to steam • Milk adds flavor and nutrients, helps brown better • Buttermilk gives a slight tangy flavor, affects the kind of leavening agent needed

6. Leavening Agents • Leavening agent- substance that produces gas in batters and doughs to make baked products rise and become light • Three leavening gases are air, steam, and carbon dioxide • Beating eggs, creaming fat and sugar together, folding doughs, and beating batters incorporates air

7. Types of Leavening Agents • Air: Is trapped when creaming fat and sugar, sifting flour, adding beaten egg whites • When the mixture is heated, the air expands and the product rises • Steam: leavens products that contain high amounts of water • Water heats as the product bakes and turns to steam and causes the product to rise

8. Types of Leavening Agents cont • Yeast: produces carbon dioxide as it grows • Needs food (flour and sugar), liquid, and warm temperature • Active dry yeast and quick-rising dry yeast come packaged in dry granules • Quick rising leavens dough in half amount of time • Can be stored at room temperature and use before expiration date

9. Leavening Agents cont • Baking Soda: when mixed with flour and heated releases carbon dioxide • Can produce an off flavor and color, so it is usually combined with an acidic ingredient • Baking Powder: contain a dry acid, baking soda, and starch or flour • Double acting baking powder- release some carbon dioxide when moistened, and the rest when heated • Too much baking powder can cause a product to collapse

10. Fat • Adds richness, flavor, and tenderness • Usually cannot be eliminated, but can be substituted or reduced • Applesauce or pureed dry fruits • Solid and liquid fats are not easily substituted with each other • Cannot use soft, liquid, or whipped margarine because they contain air, water, or oil and can affect the outcome

11. Eggs • Add flavor, richness, nutrients, and color • Help form structure • Add air when beaten • Can use substitutes such as just egg whites or liquid substitutes

12. Sweeteners and Flavorings • Sugar adds sweetness and flavor, helps crust brown • Fruits, vegetables, and nuts add flavor, texture, and nutrients • Herbs, spices, and extracts in small amounts

13. Batters and Doughs • Amount of liquid in relation to flour determines batter or dough • Pour batters: steady stream • Cakes, pancakes, waffles • Drop batters: thick, spooned in pans • Quick breads and cookies • Soft doughs: sticky • Biscuits, breads, cookies • Stiff doughs: firm • Piecrust and cookies

14. Successful Baking of a Cake

15. Measuring Ingredients • Correct amount of flour gives the correct amount of gluten needed for structure • Correct amounts of fat and sugar tenderize the gluten • Too much weakens the cake • Correct amount of liquid provides moisture for the gluten to form • Correct number of eggs gives proteins that strengthen the gluten

16. Mixing Cakes • Mix the correct proportions of ingredients with the correct mixing method • Over mixing will cause the gluten to overdevelop, it will be tough • 2 types of mixing methods: • Conventional • Quick mix

17. Conventional Mixing Method • Cream fat and sugar together until light and fluffy • Beat eggs into creamed fat and sugar • Add dry ingredients alternately with liquid ingredients • Dry ingredients are usually sifted together in a separate bowl

18. Quick Mix Method • Measure dry ingredients into mixing bowl • Beat the fat and part of the liquid with the dry ingredients • Add remaining liquid and unbeaten eggs last

19. Baking Cakes • Choose the appropriate size pan • The cake will have a gently rounded top if using the correct size pan • Grease and flour the pans, bottom and sides • Place in preheated oven and bake just until done • Insert a toothpick in the center and it will come out clean when done

20. Quick Breads • Can be high in fat • Great source of: • Carbohydrates • Protein • B vitamins • Iron • Use whole grains: • Add fiber and minerals • Fruit, vegetable, nuts add nutrition

21. Muffin Method • Sift or mix all dry ingredients together • Make a well in the center • Beat all liquid ingredients until well blended • Pour liquid into the well • Mix enough to moisten • Some flour spots will remain and batter will be lumpy • Fold in other ingredients

22. Overmixed Muffins • Peaks on top • Tough and heavy • Long, narrow tunnels on inside

23. Preparing and Baking Muffins • Grease pan or use paper cups • Fill 2/3 full • Test for doneness 5 minutes before end of cooking time • Insert toothpick; should come out clean • Nicely browned

24. Loaf Breads • Mixed using the muffin method • Cooked in greased loaf pan with parchment paper on the bottom for easy removal • Check for doneness same as muffins • Top of bread may crack

25. Types of Cookies • Rolled- requires a stiff dough • Cookie cutters are used • Example: sugar cookies • Dropped- soft dough • Drop or push off from spoon • Spread more when cooked than rolled cookies, place 2 inches apart on cookie sheet • Example: chocolate chip cookies

26. continued • Bar- soft dough • Spread in square pan • Can be chewy or cake like depending on thickness • Example: brownies • Refrigerator- high proportion of fat • Form dough into long roll, cover with foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm • Cut in thin slices once firm • Example: pinwheels

27. continued Pressed- rich, stiff dough Pack into cookie press Press out onto cookie sheet and bake Example: spritz cookies Molded- stiff dough Break off small pieces of dough and shape with fingers Examples: crescents and small balls

28. Cookie Ingredients • Flour, sugar, liquid, fat, salt, egg, and leavening agents • Have more fat and sugar and less liquid than cakes

29. Mixing Methods • Conventional mixing method • Cream fat and sugar, then add eggs, then flour • Cookies should be crisp and chewy, rather than light and fluffy

30. Pans to Use • Flat baking pan or cookie sheet • Should not have high sides • Bright shiny cookie sheets will give a light, delicate brown crust • Dark cookie sheets will give dark bottoms • May have to rotate pans during cooking to cook evenly is baking more than 1 pan

31. Storage • Store crisp cookies in a container with a loose lid • Store soft cookies in a container with an air tight lid