Bake

7/23/2014

Baking Ingredients and their Functions

FoodWorksInternational®

Baking Ingredients and their Functions

The following is a list of primary ingredients used in baking along with a description of the function each will perform within the products being created . Substitutions can be made, which will vary the proportions of the ingredients being used in a recipe. This will alter the texture and flavor of the finished product. FLOURS Flour provides the structure in baked goods. Wheat flour contains proteins that interact with each other when mixed with water, forming gluten. It is this elastic gluten framework which stretches to contain the expanding leavening gases during rising. The protein content of a flour affects the strength of a dough. The different wheat flour types contain varying amounts of the gluten forming proteins. Hard wheat, mainly grown in the mid west of the U.S. has a high protein content. Soft wheat, grown in southern U.S. has less protein. In yeast breads, a strong gluten framework is desirable, but in cakes, quick breads and pastries, a high protein flour makes a tough product. Bread flour is a hard wheat flour with about 12 percent protein. Bread flour is used for yeast raised bread because the dough it produces has more gluten than dough made with other flours. Sufficient gluten produces a light loaf with good volume. Slices hold together, rather than crumble. Cake flour is a soft wheat flour that is 7.5 percent protein. The lower gluten content causes products to have a tender, more crumbly texture that is desirable in cake. All purpose flour is blended during milling to achieve a protein content of 10.5 percent. This medium protein flour can be used for all baking purposes. If using all purpose flour in place of cake flour in a recipe, substitute 1 cup minus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour for 1 cup cake flour. Whole wheat flour may be substituted for part of the white flour in yeast and quick bread recipes, but the volume of...