ESSENTIAL

INGREDIENTS
1. FLOUR
 It provides structure to baked goods
 Wheat flour contains proteins that will interact
with each other when mixed with water, forming
gluten
 The elastic gluten stretches to contain the
expanding leavening gases during rising
 Protein content of the flour affects the strength of
the dough
 Gluten content depends on the type of wheat
 Hard wheat has high protein content and soft wheat has low
protein content
 In yeast breads, a strong gluten framework is desirable but in
cakes, quick breads and pastries a high protein flour makes the
product tough
Types of flour
a) Bread flour :
 It is made of hard wheat flour
 It contains 12 % protein
 It is used for yeast raised breads
 It has sufficient gluten which produces light loaf
with good volume
 Slices hold together rather that crumble
b) Cake flour :
 It is made of soft wheat flour
 It contains 7.5 % protein
 It has lower gluten content which causes the products to have
tender, more crumbly texture that is desirable in cake
c) All purpose flour :
 This flour is made by blending during milling
 Blending is done to achieve 10.5 % gluten content
 It is a medium gluten flour
 It is used for all baking process
d) Whole wheat flour :
 It contains nutritious germ, bran as well as endosperm
 Bran particles cut through the gluten during mixing and
kneading
 This type of flour results in smaller heavier loaf

e) Wheat germ :
 This type of flour is used for flavour and fibre
 It contains protein, vitamins, minerals and poly unsaturated
fats
Other flours that can be used in baking are:
 Rye flour
 Oat flour
 Corn meal
 Rice flour
 Potato starch flour
 Soy flour
 These flours are rich in protein but don’t have a potential for
developing gluten. So they can be used for fortification.
2. Yeast
 It is a living micro organism
 It is destroyed by heat
 As yeast grows and multiplies it gives off carbon
dioxide which causes dough to rise
 Using less yeast that specified in a recipe causes
dough to take longer to reach the desired volume
in rising stages
3. Water
 It is a common ingredient
 The hardness and pH of water must be constant
 It contains minerals
 It is easily contaminated as it can pick up
impurities
Sources of water :
 Sea water
 Deep earth water
 Natural water

Types of water :
 Soft water : low content of dissolved minerals
 Hard water : appreciable amount of dissolved minerals
 Alkaline water : it is due to alkali in soil
 Acid water : found in areas where mine, mine waste and
industrial waste are dumped
 Turbid water : contains traces of common salt. So sensitive to
taste
Functions of water :
 Helps in formation of gluten
 Gluten is formed on hydration of flour protein
 Water assists in control of dough temperature
 It dissolves salt, suspends and distributes other ingredients
uniformly
 It wets, swells starch and renders its digestibility
 Keeps baked goods palatable longer
4. Salt
 Used to bring out flavour of other ingredients
 Can be used as a adjustment to reduce sweetness
 Salt lowers caramelization temperature in cake
batters thus aiding in crust colour
 Weak flour will need more salt to strengthen the
protein structure
Characteristics :
 Must be completely soluble in water
 It should give clear solution, cloudy solution represents certain
impurities
 Must be free of lumps
 Should be pure
 Must be free from bitter taste