Ingredients

This is the main stars of baking.

The secret of a very good product lies in the proper handling of ingredients and the techniques used
in mixing and cooking them.
1. Flour

The most important ingredients in baking.

Ingredient on which most baked products are based.
It provides bulk and structure to the most bake products.
The main difference among types of flour is protein content.
Lower content = fluffier, higher = chewier.
1.1.Cake flour - has less protein than bread flour and all-purpose flour. It produces the lightest
product.
1.2.Bread flour or First Class Flour - has more gluten which in effect produces a tougher dough.
1.3.All-purpose flour - is lower in gluten and slightly lower in protein. You can substitute one for the
other, but all-purpose flour won't rise as well as bread flour.
2. Sugar
Create tenderness and fineness to the texture, partly by weakening the gluten structure.
In yeast raised products, sugar acts as food for the yeast.
In cakes, sugar assists with the aeration and stabilizing of batters.
Sugars improve the crust color of baked products, improve flavor and help to retain moisture,
keeping products softer for longer and so reducing staling.
Act as creaming agent with fats and as foaming agent with egg.
Improves the color of the crust
Enhances the development of the dough as sugar and gluten competes in the absorption of
water
Improves the nutritive value of bread and at the same time sweetens the aroma of the baked
products
Extend the shelf life of the baked products
3. Fats
Used in making breads and quick bread, in deep frying and in lubrication.
Add moistness and richness
Add flavor
Assist in leavening when used as creaming agent
Give flakiness to pastry, pie, dough and similar products
Aerate the cake during baking to give good volume and texture
Prevent gluten strands from forming cohesively thus resulting to quality baked products with
uniform texture
Produce quality baked products making these tender with acceptable flavor
Enhance the retention of gas making a uniform texture and improve volume
Prevent the sticking of gluten strands thus making kneading easy and properly mixed
ingredients in the dough will result to tender and smooth baked products
FATS USED IN BAKING AND PASTRY MAKING
3.1.Shortening 100% fat. It shortens the production of gluten which in effect produces a tender
product. It is made from vegetable oil, and then is made solid by the process of hydrogenation.
Because the oil used comes from plant sources, it does not contain cholesterol, but may contain
some saturated fat. It also works well in pastries and cookies, but doesnt add the nice flavor that
butter adds.
3.2.Butter salt is added as a preservative. It has a melt in your mouth characteristics that
differentiate it from margarine. Butter comes from an animal source, so therefore contains
cholesterol and saturated fat.
3.3.Margarine artificial butter made from a variety of hydrogenated oils.
3.4.Lard derived from animal fat. Does not melt right away because of its high melting point.
4. Egg
Add structure, leavening, color, and flavor to bake product
Provide structure, aeration, flavour and moisture. They also tenderise cakes and add colour and
nutritive value.
Adds moisture and/or richness to bake products
As leavening together with acidic ingredients in absence with leavening agents
As a Binder.
5. Leavening Agents
most common aerating agent in baked products
KINDS OF LEAVENING AGENTS

5.1.Natural

Yeast belongs to the fungi family. It ferments carbohydrates (sugars) to produce carbon
dioxide gases
and alcohol, which aerate bread and other yeasted products, giving it volume and texture.
Fresh slightly dehydrated and compressed
Can be added directly to recipe
Active Dried 92% dehydrated
Can be keep for years, but has to be rehydrated in 100 F warm water before
using.
Instant Can be added directly to dry ingredients but must not come in contact to
moisture before mixing.
5.2.Chemical kind of leavening agents which is usually in powder form.

Baking Soda

Pure sodium bicarbonate.

The reaction begins immediately upon mixing the ingredients, so you need to bake
recipes which call for baking soda immediately, or else they will fall flat.

Baking Powder

Baking powder contains sodium bicarbonate, but it includes the acidifying agent
already (cream of tartar), and also a drying agent (usually starch).

Baking powder is available as single-acting baking powder and as double-acting

baking powder.

Single-acting powders are activated by moisture, so you must bake recipes

which include this product immediately after mixing.

Double-acting powders react in two phases. Some gas is released at room

temperature when the powder is added in mixing, but the majority of the gas
is released after the temperature of the dough increases upon cooking..

Eggs, air and stem are also leavening agent.

6. Milk and Cream Products

Enhances the mixing tolerance of dough

Contributes to the ideal color of well-baked bread as the different proteins in lactose,
casein, and whey produce golden brown color to baked bread

Encourages longer fermentation of dough thus resulting to low acidity and sweet aroma
of bread

Strengthens elasticity of dough as well as improves protein content in gluten, thus when
milk is used instead of plain water, loaf bread is heavier

Improves eating quality of bread and mouth feel.

Results in finer bread texture

Makes bread nutritious

Protein in milk gives a soft crumb structure in cakes, and contributes to the moisture,
color and flavor of a baked product.

Causes longer shelf life to bake products.

7. Water

Common and cheap liquid used in baking especially in dough making

With it gluten is produced and developed in the dough as it is enhanced by the kneading
process

It moisten starch to make it digestible

Dissolves salt and distributes nonflour ingredients to enhance chemical changes and
enzymatic activity

Controls dough consistency and maintains its temperature

8. Cream of Tartar

Tartaric Acid with the addition of starch which prevents it from caking.

It stabilizes and whitens the egg white in doing meringue.

9. Flavoring
To add taste and enhance the other flavors.
9.1.Flavoring extract flavoring dissolved in alcohol.
9.2.Flavoring emulsion flavoring suspended in water with an emulsifier.

More stable while your mixture changes temperature, and they combine more easily with
other emulsions

Superior to extracts because when they are subjected to high heat the flavor will not bake
out
10.Salt

Not only provides its own flavor but brings out the natural flavor of other ingredients.

can mask flavors

In bread doughs, salt strengthens gluten and improves the consistency of the dough.

Carbon dioxide given off by the yeast is more easily trapped by the strengthened gluten, which
makes a better loaf of bread.
Salt is also a good preservative as it absorbs water so there is less free water for bacterial and
fungal growth.