Sugar Cookery

KBPA100 Foundations of Baking

Sugar Cookery—Sugar Solutions

• Solution—sugar and water

• Saturated Solution

• Super Saturated Solution

KBPA100 Foundations of Baking 2

Sugar Cookery—Sugar Solutions

• Saturated solutions—
Where as much sugar as is possible has been
dissolved into a fixed amount of water.

• Super saturated solutions—At higher

temperatures, there is more sugar in a solution
than is normally possible.
• Unstable state—sugar molecules will begin to
crystallize back into a solid with the least
amount of stirring or jostling.

KBPA100 Foundations of Baking 3

Sugar Cookery—Sugar Solutions

• Super saturated solutions, cont’d—

• In a supersaturated state, sugar crystals, or
molecules, may lock into each other.
• To prevent crystallization, different means
must be employed.

KBPA100 Foundations of Baking 4

Critical Ingredients in Sugar Cookery

• Water:
• Tap may be used, however the impurities can lead to
crystallization.
• 25-40% compared to weight of sucrose.

• Water content under 25% leads to un-dissolved

sugar crystals.

• Water content over 40% prolongs the boiling

time, and the sugar will turn a golden hue.

KBPA100 Foundations of Baking 5

Preventing Crystallization

• To prevent crystallization in saturated sugar

solutions:
• Avoid impurities—used clean, high quality sugar
• Use proper cooking temperature—do not start too high
• Sugar grains—wash down sides
• Do not agitate the solution during cooking
• Use of doctors—glucose, an invert sugar or acid:
• Different molecular structure
• Acts as buffer, preventing crystallization

KBPA100 Foundations of Baking 6

Caramelization and the Maillard Reaction

• Caramelization—when sugar is heated above

320F
• Sweet flavors evolve into richer, nutty, slightly
bitter flavors
• Maillard reaction—when amino acids from
protein and monosaccharides (glucose and
fructose) are combined in the presence of
heat.
• Ex: toffee, caramels, bread, coffee beans,
chocolate

KBPA100 Foundations of Baking 7

Sugar Cookery

KBPA100 Foundations of Baking 8