Flour:
For baking purposes we primarily use white flour (maida) and whole wheat flour
(atta).
Flour works as a toughening agent or provides structure. And structure allows
products to hold a certain shape and size as gases expand. It prevents products
from collapsing once they are cooled and removed from the pan. Besides, flour
also works as a thickening agent for pastry creams and certain pie fillings.
Flour absorbs water or functions as a drier - Starches, proteins, and gums
are the three main components in flour that absorb moisture (water) and oil,
helping to bind the ingredients together.
When
buying flour, ensure that it is fresh and lump-free. Watch out for any stale
smell or moisture on the package. With regular use, you will develop a sense
for texture of the flour. The flour should be smooth and soft. Whether white
or whole wheat flour, very free-flowing flour is coarse and does not make
for best baking results.
Store the flour in a dry, airtight container at a cool temperature for no
more than six-months.
Water:
Contributes moistness to the texture and improves the mouth-feel of the baked
products. Water is necessary for hydrating the ingredients. When hydration
occurs, water is absorbed and the chemical changes necessary for structure
and texture development take place. When water vaporizes in a batter or dough,
the steam expands the air cells, increasing the final volume of the product.
Taste, clarity and odor, are not the only criteria to judge whether water
is appropriate for use in cooking or not. Hardness refers to mineral salt
content and pH (acidity or alkalinity) in the water. If beyond normal levels,
both hardness and pH lead to adverse results in cooking and on health. Normally,
taste is a simple test to determine both hardness and pH levels.
Sometimes, the tongue is accustomed to certain levels
of salts in water. In such a case perform a simple test to check the salt
level. Drop a very small quantity of water on a clean-steel surface and let
dry naturally. White stains on the surface will indicate high salt content
in the water.
Always use a water-filter to eliminate contamination at the basic level. Water-softening
units are also available for domestic use.
Fats:
Fats make the crust tender, improve the keeping quality and produce a crumb
that is soft and chewy and enhance the flavor of baked products. They prevent
the development of gluten by lubricating the proteins in the flour, making
the dough more pliable, prevent stickiness, and reduce the amount of dusting
flour required for the make-up process. Fats are available in many forms:
Butter:
A fat processed from milk. It has a low melting point. The yellow color of
butter depends on the feed of the cow and varies with seasonal changes. Butter
contains 80-84% fats + 20-16% moisture. It is normally available in salted
and unsalted flavors.
Ghee:
Also called clarified butter; it is a fat processed from butter. It contains
at least 99.6% fats. It is used to enhance flavor in traditional Indian dishes.
Oil:
Oils are fat extracts from nuts, seeds and fruits such as soybean, sesame,
sunflower, olive, peanut, etc. It is used in some muffin, bread and cake
recipes and as a cooking medium for frying. If oil is used in place of a
solid fat for some cake recipes, the texture will be heavier unless the
sugar and egg are increased.
Vanaspati:
A semi-solid form of hydrogenated vegetable oil with a min. of 97% fat content.
It can be used as a substitute for butter in baking. 4/5 cup of Vanaspati
= 1 cup butter!
Eggs:
Perform many vital functions in Baking. Egg-protein is readily whipped into
foam that gives volume to cake-batters. On heating, the egg protein network
coagulates and contributes rigidity thereby holding the structure. Egg-yolk
exerts a tenderizing function and accounts for the softness in the cake. The
color and taste of the eggs are of considerable importance and so also their
nutritive value. Eggs have a concentration of proteins, fats, minerals and
vitamins essential to growth and physical well being. Fresh eggs have a more
viscous or tight egg white and a transparent jelly around the yolk. As an
egg ages, the egg white becomes very fluid. Fresh eggs facilitate more stability
and are appropriate for use in products that do not depend on them for volume.
Old eggs facilitate easier air-incorporation and produce more volume for better
whipping properties. For best results, bring the egg white to room temperature
before use.
A fresh egg will sink in cold and salty water, while
an old egg will float. Always wash hands after touching eggs. Egg shells may
be infested by salmonella (a bacterium that can cause food poisoning), which
will spread through hands or on contact with white or yolk while cracking
the egg.
Leavening
Ingredients:
“Levain” is a French word that refers to a substance that causes
the volume of dough or batter to rise through incorporation of air. The function
of leavening agents is to aerate the dough or batter to make it light and
porous. The porosity of batter results in good volume, tender crumb, uniform
cell and good aesthetic qualities. Leavening can be done biologically (yeast),
mechanically (mixing) and chemically (baking powder & baking soda). Combining
different leavening procedures has an adverse effect, as it may either lead
to incorporation of excess air or kill the effect of one agent over the other.
Yeast: A single cell plant which
multiplies by a process known as budding. On availability of water, food and
warm temperature yeast causes fermentation. Yeast is used to leaven or raise
the dough for bread and rolls. It gives a distinctive aroma and flavor to
the product. Yeast is available in two forms: (i) compressed, which must be
kept under refrigeration and has a limited shelf life and (ii) active dry
yeast, which can stay at room temperature and has an extended shelf life.
1 tsp active dry yeast = 2 tsp compressed yeast. Compressed yeast can be used
directly into the formulation, while active dry yeast usually needs hydration
for 10 minutes in warm water before use.
While measuring and adding ingredients, try to keep
the yeast away from salt and sugar, as both have hygroscopic capability, which
is the ability to absorb water, and as a result kill the yeast.
Baking Soda (sodium bicarbonate):
releases carbon dioxide on being exposed to moisture and acid. In baking,
it is used for leavening or giving volume to quick breads, cookies, cakes,
and some candies. The volume and texture of the product depend largely on
the amount added to the batter or dough. Besides damaging the volume and texture,
excess use of baking soda leaves an after- taste and gives a light color to
the finished product.
Baking soda is often used in chocolate cakes and cookies to raise the pH of
cocoa, which helps the cake reach a rich chocolaty color.
Check the expiry date of the baking soda and use only
fresh stuff. Store baking soda in a dry air-tight container at a cool temperature.
Baking
Powder:
releases carbon dioxide on being exposed to acid and heat. It contains baking
soda and acid that trigger the reaction. Batters made with double-acting baking
powder rise twice: once when dry and moist ingredients are mixed together and
again when the product is baked.
Check the expiry date of the baking powder and use only
until fresh. Store baking powder in a dry airtight container at a cool temperature.
Sugar:
Derived from sugarcane or beetroot. Normally, if a recipe calls for ‘sugar’,
it refers to cane sugar, unless otherwise specified. Besides the sweet taste
it is known for, sugar tenderizes, absorbs water and adds color, through a
reaction called Maillard Browning, to the baked products. In cookie-dough
it is the sugar that causes the spread to occur during baking. A small amount
of sugar aids the process of fermentation, while a large amount reduces the
rate of fermentation and volume in breads or rolls. Baking sugar is available
in many forms:
Coarse Granulated Sugar: Also
called the Sanding Sugar, this is the most popular kind of sugar for domestic
use in India. In baking and confectionery, large crystals of granulated sugar
add sparkle and crunch to tops of cakes and cookies. One can dissolve this
sugar in water to make syrups.
You can reduce the size of crystals by crushing the
granulated sugar in a grinder. Remember to add 2 tsp of cornstarch to every
cup of granulated sugar to prevent caking.
Boora
(Powdered Sugar-Syrup):
Boora refers to powdered dried-sugar-syrup. It works beautifully for baking
as an Indian replacement for the international castor sugar. Homemade or store-
bought, boora must be white in color, free-flowing and lump free to obtain
best results in baked products.
Brown
Sugar (Light & Dark): Commonly used in cookies and sweet goods for flavor
and moistness. It is a blend of 85-90% sugar (sucrose) and 10-15% molasses.
The difference in light and dark brown sugar is due to the level of molasses
blended in, which results in different flavors and colors.
Store brown sugar in an airtight container or it will
dry out and become hard.
Confectioner’s
Sugar:
Also called powdered sugar, it is a very fine-grade sugar blended with cornstarch.
It is primarily used for Icing and dusting over desserts.
Honey:
A natural sweet syrup collected by bees from flowers, is used in baking for
its distinct flavor and aroma. Honey contains 17-20% water and 76-80% sugar
(sucrose). The color, flavor and aroma of honey depend on the flower source
of the bees. Honey is used in baking breads, cookies, cakes and fillings or
simply to drizzle over desserts.
Molasses:
Used for its golden-brown color and distinct flavor in sweet goods. It is
a liquid by-product of sugar, obtained in the process of refining. Molasses
vary in flavor and color depending on the filtration.
Sugar
substitutes (Saccharine or Aspartame):
These are non-caloric sweeteners, 200-300 times sweeter than common sugar
or sucrose. For those counting calories, these sweeteners are used to produce
results close to that of common sugar. These sugar substitutes cannot be used
as a direct replacement of common sugar and they also have an after taste.
Salt:
Primarily used for flavor in baked products. It forms a taste contrast in
the background, which enhances the sweetness from the sugars present in the
dough or batter. It has a water binding or hygroscopic capability enabling
it to regulate fermentation. Too little salt causes the dough to ferment too
fast and wild, while too much salt slows down the fermentation process. Salt
is also a toughening agent because it strengthens the gluten (protein). In
proper amounts, salt produces good grain and texture.
When
using salt to garnish, e.g. in Salt-Sticks, sprinkle coarse salt granules
just before baking. If the salt is in powdered form, it will dissolve on the
surface of the sticks.
