Batters and Doughs -- Pastry
Batters and doughs outline


Gluten formation
 Gluten
Gluten--forming proteins
Leavening agents
 Steam
 Air
 Carbon dioxide
 Baking
B ki soda
d
 Baking powder
• Substitutions
S b tit ti
Batters and doughs outline
Functions of ingredients
 General
 Specific for pastry
 Pastry
P t and
d pie
i ttechniques
h i

Gluten formation
Flour
Gl t i
Glutenin
Water
Gliadin
Mix
Dough
Gluten
Gluten formation
Gluten is important is baked goods
because it traps
p leavening
g ggasses and
provides “structure”
 The extent of gluten formation desired
depends on the product

Gluten vs flour
Product
Gluten desired
Flour
Pastry (pie
crust)
Cakes
Low
Soft
Low
Soft
Biscuits
Medium
All purpose
Yeast breads
High
Hard
Types of batters and doughs
Type
Liquid (c)
Flour (c)
Example
Pour
batter
Drop
b
batter
Soft
dough
Stiff
dough
g
1
1
Waffles
1
2
Muffins
1
3
1
4
Yeast
bread
Pastry
L
Leavening
i Agents
A
Leavening agents provide a light, porous
texture to a variety
y of baked goods.
g
 There are three leavening agents in foods
 Steam
 Air
 Carbon dioxide

Leavening examples
Air -- angel food cakes (beat air into egg
whites) or sugar and fat creamed together
(incorporates air)
 Steam -- p
popovers,
p
, cream p
puffs
 These need a high water/flour ratio
and high baking temperatures (>400oF)
if steam is the primary leavener.
 Carbon dioxide -- cakes,
cakes yeast bread

Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) -acid
acid
decomposition
NaHCO3 + HX
NaX
acid
+CO 2 + H2O
Acid must be present in some other ingredient in the recipe for
b ki soda
baking
d to work
k as a lleavener. A
Acid
id ffood
d iingredients
di
which would work include buttermilk, lemon juice, vinegar,
molasses,, brown sugar,
g , chocolate,, etc.
Baking powder
A mixture of baking soda, a dry acid, and
starch ((as a carrier or diluent))
 Must give at least 12% carbon dioxide by
weight (by law)
 Most commercial powders give about
14%

Baking powder (single acting)
The single acting types are not used too much anymore
NaHCO 3 + KHC 4H 4O 6
KNaC 4H 4O 6 + CO 2 + H 2O
Baking powder already has the acid present in a dry form, in this
case in the form of the potassium salt of tartaric acid (cream of
tartar). Gives off all of it’s carbon dioxide when water is added.
Baking powder (double acting)
Commonly used now
 Sometimes referred to as SAS baking
powder
 Acts on addition of water
water, releasing about
1/3 of it’s available carbon dioxide
 Then,
Th it acts
t again
i on heating,
h ti
releasing
l i
the remaining 2/3 of it’s carbon dioxide

Substitution of baking soda
for baking powder

Rules
 2t of powder = 1/2t of soda + sufficient
acid to decompose the soda

1/2t of soda will neutralize 1 cup of
sour milk
ilk
Substitution of baking soda
for baking powder

Procedure
 How much soda do I need to neutralize
the sour milk (see
(see rule 2)
2)
 How much p
powder is that amount of
soda and acid equal to in terms of
leavening gas (see
(see rule 1)
1)
 Add the difference ( if any) in
leavening as baking powder
Bran muffin example
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups flour
3 t baking powder
1 t baking powder
1/2 t bakingg soda
1 cup milk
1 cup sour milk
Equal
q
to 2 t p
powder
General functions of
ingredients


Flour
 Protein
 Gluten - structure
 Starch - structure, “water sink”
Liquid
 Hydrates starch and gluten
gluten--forming
proteins dissolves sugars
proteins,
sugars, etc
etc.
 Water
 Milk
Water vs milk

Milk is generally superior to water as a
liquid
q
in baked ggoods because it p
provides
 Flavor
 Browning
 Nutrients
General functions of
ingredients

Eggs
 Emulsifier - lecithin
 Cream puffs
 Liquid
Li id
 Structure
 Egg whites in angel food cakes
 Nutrients
General functions of
ingredients
Leavening
 Contributes rise and improves
p
texture
 Sugar
 Flavor and tenderness
 Limits gluten formation by
competing for available water
 Contributes browning (Maillard
browning)

General functions of
ingredients



Fat
 Flavor (except for hydrogenated fats)
 Tenderness (shortening power)
 Limits g
gluten formation
Salt
 Flavor
avo oonly
y (e
(except
cept for
o yeast breads,
b eads, where
w e e
it has an additional function)
Lightning
g
gQ
Quiz
Pastry
The simplest of the baked goods in terms
of ingredients
 Flour
 Water
 Salt
 Fat
 But making good pastry requires skill in
dough manipulation and experience

Desirable pastry attributes




Tenderness
 A function of what flour is used and how
d
dough
h iis manipulated
i l t d
Flakiness
A f
function
ti off how
h th
the ffatt iis iincorporated
t d
Color
 Evenly brown
Delicate taste
 Related to fat used
Functions of ingredients in
pastry




Flour
 Gluten, starch - structure
Fat
 Tenderness
 Be careful when substituting fats that are
not 100% fat (butter, margarine) for
those that are 100% fat (Crisco)
Water
 Hydration, forms solutions
Salt - flavor
Substitution of fats in pastry
Crisco
20% water
Butter
100% fat
80% fat
M
More
or less
l tender?
t d ?
More
M
More
or less
l tender?
t d ?
Less
Pie and pastry techniques
Rule 1 (really the only rule): Don’t
overmix!!
 Roll out only once, if possible, rolling in
all directions, and use

Forming a dough ball
Image courtesy of www.teleport.com/~psyched/pie/
www teleport com/~psyched/pie/
crust2.html. This URL has a terrific tutorial on making
pie crust. Check it out!
Rolling out the dough - I
Image courtesy of www.teleport.com/~psyched/pie/
crust3.html
Rolling out the dough - II
Image courtesy of www.teleport.com/~psyched/pie/
crust3.html
Into the pie plate
Image courtesy of www.teleport.com/~psyched/pie/
crust4.html
A two crust, uncooked filling
pie
Pie Crust
Image courtesy off www.teleport.com/~psyched/pie/
/
/ i /
crust5.html
Pies

1 crust, cooked filling
 Lemon or chocolate meringue
 Problem when crust is baked separately
heat
Trapped air
T preventt this
To
thi , prick
i k holes
h l in
i the
th bottom
b tt
off
the crust or weight it down with rice or
beans
 Bake at 400
400--425 F

Pies
2 crust, uncooked filling
 Cherry or apple pie

Slits in top crust
No holes in bottom crust

Bake at ~375
375 F
Pies

1 crust, uncooked filling

Custard, pumpkin

Problem - soggy crust
Soggy crust problem



Coat crust with egg white and bake briefly to
coagulate (waterproof)
 Sounds
S
d good
db
butt d
doesn’t
’t work
k ttoo well
ll
Bake crust and filling separately, then put
together
 Works but isn’t very practical
Bake at high temperature (450oF) initially to
coagulate eggs quickly, then lower temperature
(325oF) for remaining time
Meringue pie rules



Filling goes in a cool crust
 If it is put in a hot crust the starch thickener
may breakdown
b kd
and
d th
the filli
filling will
ill thin
thi outt
Meringue goes on a hot filling
 This
Thi is
i so that
th t the
th meringue
i
will
ill gett some
heat treatment from the bottom to help kill
anyy viable bacteria ((in addition to its normal
baking at 350oF for 10
10--15 minutes)
Lightning Quiz
Meringues
Image courtesy of www.onwis.com/news/sunday/food/
0216meringue.html