Professional Documents
Culture Documents
BAKING
BAKING
If excessive baking powder is used, the color will be dark and yellowish and the taste will be
salty or bitter. Too little baking powder will result in the structure being heavy and dense with
low volume.
FAT.— General-purpose shortening compound is used in quick bread and batter
production. Shortenings produce products with a soft crumb and aid in browning.
EGGS.— An important ingredient in quick breads and batter is eggs, which add flavor,
color, and palatability. They also provide some leavening action. Fresh whole eggs or frozen
whole baking-type eggs are used. Dehydrated egg mix may be used as a successful substitute in
any recipe if the eggs are sifted with the dry ingredients. This will assure even distribution
and uniform reconstitution when the liquid is added.
OTHER INGREDIENTS.— Other ingredients include spices; grated, whole, or chopped
fruits, nuts, poppy or caraway seeds; cereals such as bran or cornmeal; and salt. Salt adds
flavor. Mixing Methods How ingredients are mixed determines to a large extent the structure
and texture of the finished product. All ingredients should be evenly mixed. If needed, the flour
gluten should be developed to the desired degree to keep the loss of the leavening gas to a
minimum during baking. These general rules apply to mixing quick breads and hatters,
regardless of which mixing method is chosen: l The degree of mixing is always limited when
the leavening is produced by baking powder. l The amount of mixing varies with the kind of
ingredients and their proportion, except for leavening, For example, a product containing a high
percentage of fat and sugar maybe mixed longer with less harm to the quality of the finished
product. l Recipes in the AFRS outline should be followed, step by step, as the method for
mixing quick bread halters.
MUFFIN-MIXING METHOD.— This method is used for pancakes, muffins, corn bread,
dumplings, and fritters. The sequence of steps for the muffin method includes sifting dry
ingredients together, blending in the liquid and eggs, adding melted shortening, and mixing only
until dry ingredients are moistened. Corn bread, muffin, and dumpling batters should
appear lumpy.
CAKE METHOD.— Several quick breads and batters are mixed by the cake method. Cake
doughnuts, coffee cakes. 1. Quick cakes, and muffins are mixed similarly to batter Steps used in
this method are as follows: Cream shortening and sugar, Add eggs. Gradually add the dry
ingredients to the moist ingredients, alternating so that you begin and end with the dry
ingredients. Bread Preparation Both drop and pour soft batters and roll-out dough preparation
methods are important to know. These batters and roll-out doughs are explained individually in
the following sections. Coffee Cakes Coffee cakes are popular breakfast or brunch items. The
recipe formulas are the same as for regular cakes eaten as desserts, except for minor ingredient
changes. The major difference is in the frosting used on cakes. Coffee cakes are either topped
with sweetened crumbs or combined with fruit. Crumb cake and quick coffee cake recipes in the
AFRS are of this type. Serve these cakes while still warm. Quick coffee cakes may be prepared
with biscuit mix.
2. MIXING TECHNIQUES OF CAKE BUTTER
A good cake is the result of measuring accurately high-quality ingredients, mixing them correctly
and bake the batter at the appropriate temperature and time.
This hub is all about understanding the mixing process and the different cake mixing techniques.
They seem pretty obvious, but understanding them will help you to avoid many errors in the
mixing process.
What helps to leaven a cake is the air trapped in a mix that expands with the heat of the oven.
This air provides all the leavening when no chemical leavener is used. If we are using baking
powder or baking soda, the air cells provide places to hold the gases released by the chemical
leavener.
Cold fat is too hard to form good air cells, and fat that is too warm is too soft.
Mixing speed should be moderate (medium speed if using a mixing machine). I we mix at high
speed, the friction will warm the ingredients too much forming less and irregular air cells.
In egg-foam cakes (angel food, chiffon, sponge), the air cells are formed by whipping eggs and
sugar. The egg and sugar mixture should be slightly warm to obtain better results. The mixture is
first whipped at high speed and the final stages are done at medium speed to retain the air cells.
Gluten is a substance made up of proteins present in wheat flour. It gives structure and strength
to baked goods. Wheat flours are classified as strong or weak, depending on their protein
content. Strong flours have a high protein content and are used for breads. Weak flours have a
low protein content and are used for cakes.
In general, the more a dough or batter is mixed, the more the gluten develops. Thus, bread
doughs are kneaded for a long time to develop the gluten and cakes for a short time to be tender.
Basic Cake Mixing Methods
You can find different mixing classifications that varied from one pastry chef to another and
from one book to another. The important thing is to understand the mixing process and to know
that cakes can be classified into two main groups.
Creaming method
Egg-foam method
I recommend using butter instead of shortenings.Butter adds flavor to the cakes, shortening does
not. Butter also influences texture because it melts in the mouth.
This mixing method requires some time so be patient to achieve better results.
Egg-foam Mixing Method
This mixing method is used when making low-fat cakes. The three main egg-foam methods are:
Angel Food, Chiffon, and Sponge. The sponge method has also many variations.
Most egg-foam cakes depend on the air trapped in beaten eggs for most or all their
leavening.These cakes have a springy texture and are tougher than high-fat cakes. Most
European cakes are made using this mixing method.
Pan Preparation
Prepare pans before mixing cake batters so cakes can be baked immediately.
-For angel food and chiffon cakes, bake in tube pans and do not grease them. The batter must be
able to cling to the sides so it does not sink back into the pan after rising.
-For sponge cake layers with little or not fat, grease the bottoms but not the sides of the pans.
3. STAGES OF WHIPPING EGG WHITES
Foamy
The egg whites are just lightly whipped to a frothy but still fluid consistency. They will
consist of large bubbles on the surface that readily pop. The foam will not hold any peaks
when the whisk is lifted from it.
Soft Peaks
This means that the foam is moist, shiny and bright white. When the whisk or beaters are
lifted, the foam will form a dull peak, then pile softly or gently curl over. It will also flow
when the bowl is tilted.
Stiff Peaks
At this stage, the foam maintains its glossy sheen and holds an upright peak when the
whisk or beaters are lifted. it will not flow, or will just barely flow, when the bowl is tilted. At
this point, the foam has reached its maximum volume.
Overbeaten
This is a common mistake, particularly when whipping with electric mixers. You will know
that the egg whites are overbeaten when the foam begins to look dry and granular. To
rescue overbeaten egg whites, add an extra fresh white and beat until you have a glossy
foam that holds the desired peaks.