Contemporary Baking
Basic Ingredients


Baking, unlike cooking, leaves little room for
error – if a recipe is not followed precisely,
the texture and taste will be affected
Ingredients include:
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
Flour
Liquids
Fats
Sugar and Sweeteners
Eggs
Leavening agents
Salt
Flavorings
Wheat Flour


Wheat flour is the main ingredient in many
baked goods giving them structure
The classification of flour is based on the
type of wheat it come from:
◦ Hard wheat
 I.e., Bread flour
 Has a high gluten content – gluten is a firm, elastic
substance that affects the texture of baked goods.
Without gluten, a dough would collapse
◦ Soft wheat
 I.e., Cake and pastry flour
 Has a low gluten content making it perfect for cakes and
cookies
Wheat Flour
Bread Flour
• High gluten-forming
protein content
•Proteins allow bread to
rise fully and develop a
fine crumb and give
bread a chewier, firmer
texture
•Used to make yeast
breads, pizzas and bagels
Pastry Flour
•Lower in protein than
bread flour but higher
than cake flour
•Used in pie doughs,
cookies, muffins, and
quick breads
Cake Flour
•Lowest in protein
content
•Produces a softer and
more tender product
Bleached with chlorine
to help produce a fine,
which crumb in cakes
Liquids
The most common liquids used in baking
are water, milk and cream.
 Accurate measurement of liquid is
important because too much or too little
can affect the outcome of the baked
product.

◦ For example, adding too much water in pie
dough will cause excess gluten formation,
which may result in a tough texture.
Liquids

Water
◦ It has many uses besides moistening dry
ingredients.
◦ Water is necessary for gluten structure to
form in flour.
◦ Water temperature is used to adjust
temperatures in dough.
◦ Because water is tasteless, odorless, and
colorless, it does not affect the flavor or color
of baked products. It also adds no fat or
calories.
Liquids

Milk
◦ Its protein, fat, and
sugar content make it
a valuable addition to
baked products, ice
creams, and custards.
◦ Milk also improves the
flavor and texture of
bread and other baked
goods.
Liquids

Other Dairy Products
used include:
◦ Buttermilk, yogurt and
sour cream
◦ These products contain
live bacteria that convert
milk sugar into acid. The
acid in buttermilk, for
example, provides a
whiter, more tender
crumb in biscuits.
Liquids

Cream
◦ Heavy cream has a high
fat content.
◦ This fat content allows it
to tenderize baked
goods.
◦ Cream is often whipped
for toppings, chilled
desserts, and fillings such
as pastry cream. It is
used as a liquid
ingredient in custards,
sauces, and ice creams.
Fats


Fats surround or enclose, the flour particles
and prevent long strands of gluten from
forming. This tenderizes the baked goods.
Fats also add to the flavor, moistness,
browning, flakiness, and leavening, depending
on the type of fat.
◦ Solid fats are referred to as shortening. Oils are
made solid by a process called hydrogenation. I
 In hydrogenation, the oils are made solid by adding
hydrogen to the oil.
Fats

Vegetable Shortening
◦ Vegetable shortening has a fairly high melting point,
which makes it ideal for forming flaky pie dough.

Oil
◦ Oil is a fat that is extracted from plants such as
soybeans, corn, peanuts, and cottonseed.
◦ They are liquid at room temperature and neutral in
flavor and color because they are highly refined.
◦ Oil causes baked products to be more tender.
◦ Oil is used in quick breads, some pie crusts, deepfried products like donuts, and rich cakes like chiffon.
Fats

Butter
◦ Butter can be purchased with or without salt.
 Unsalted butter is used in baking because of its pleasant
flavor.
◦ Because butter is soft at room temperature,
however, doughs made with butter are
sometimes hard to handle.

Margarine
◦ Margarine is typically a hydrogenated vegetable
oil that has color, flavor, and water added.
◦ While they cannot match butter’s superior flavor,
they are less likely to spoil and are usually lower
in saturated fat.
Sugar and Sweeteners

Sugars and sweeteners add a sweet, pleasant
flavor to baked products. Flavor, however is not
their only contribution to, or role in, baking. The
other functions of sugars and sweeteners include:
◦ Creating a golden-brown color
◦ Stabilizing mixtures such as beaten egg whites for
meringues
◦ Providing food for yeast in yeast breads
◦ Retaining moisture for a longer shelf life.
◦ Tenderizing baked products by weakening the gluten
strands
◦ Serving as a base for making icings.
Sugar and Sweeteners

Sugar is produced from sugar cane or
sugar beets.
◦ The cane or beet is crushed to extract the
juice.
◦ The juice is then filtered and gently heated to
evaporate the water.
◦ Through a series of heat-induced steps, the
sugar is crystallized and separated from the
dark, thick molasses that forms.
◦ It must be refined to produce sugar grains of
different sizes.
Molasses


The thick, sweet, dark liquid
made from sugarcane juice
This stronger color and
flavor is often desirable in
baked products like
gingerbread
Brown Sugar



A soft-textured mixture of
white sugar and molasses
It can be light or dark in
color
Store in an air-tight
container to prevent
moisture absorption
Sugars and Sweeteners
Granulated Sugar
Icing Sugar
Often referred to as extra
fine white sugar or table
sugar
 It is the most common
sugar used in the bakeshop
 Used in cooked icings,
candies and other baked
goods




Also known as
confectioner's sugar or
powdered sugar
It is granulated sugar that
has been crushed into a
fine powder
It is often used in uncooked
icings and glazes and as a
decorative dusting on
baked products
Sugars and Sweetners
Honey
A thick, sweet liquid, made
by bees from flower nectar
 The type of flower will
affect the final flavor and
color of honey
 Used to give a destinct
sweet flavor
 Store in a cool, dry place

Sugars and Sweeteners
Eggs


Eggs are the second most important
ingredient in baked products.
Eggs come in a variety of sizes.
◦ Formulas listing the amount of eggs by number
instead of weight have based the formula on large
eggs


Commercial bakeshops use egg yolks instead
of while eggs when they want a richer, more
tender product.
They also use egg whites in place of whole
eggs when they bake low-fat products.
Eggs

Structure
◦ Because of their protein content, eggs give structure to baked
products such as cakes. They also help thicken some products
such as custard sauces.

Emulsification
◦ Egg yolks have natural emulsifiers that help blend ingredients
smoothly.

Aeration
◦ Beaten or whipped eggs assist in leavening because they trap air
that expands when heated, caused baked products to rise.

Flavor
◦ Eggs add a distinct flavor to baked goods.

Color
◦ Egg yolks add a rich, yellow color to baked products. Eggs also
add color to crusts during the browning process.
Leavening Agent

A leavening agent is a substance that
causes a baked good to rise by
introducing carbon dioxide or other gases
into the mixture.
◦ The gases expand from the heat of the oven,
stretching the cell walls in the baked product.
◦ The end result is a light, tender texture and
good volume.
Baking Powder

Yeast
Made from baking soda,
an acid and a moistureabsorber such as corn
starch
When mixed with a liquid,
baking powder releases
CO2
 Double-acting baking
powder will give off CO2
when mixed with a liquid
and when it comes in
contact with heat



A living organism that
breaks down sugars into
CO2 gas and alcohol
Used in breads
Leavening Agents
Steam


Baking Soda
Steam is created during the
baking process when water
evaporates to steam and
expands
Steam is important in
products like puff pastries


A chemical leavening agent
that must be used with an
acid to give off CO2 gas
The CO2 gas is what
caused the baked product
to rise
Leavening Agents
Air


Air is added during the
mixing process
You can add air to a
mixture by whipping eg
whites, for example with
angel foods cake
Leavening Agent
Salt
It enhances the product through its own
flavor as well as bringing out the flavor or
other ingredients.
 Salt also acts on gluten and results in an
acceptable texture.
 Salt can negatively react in baked goods if
it is not measured accurately or if it is
added at the wrong point in the mixing
process.

Flavorings

Flavorings include extracts and spices.
Although flavorings do not usually
influence the baking process, they do
enhance the flavor of the final baked
product.
Assignment 1

Using an on-line dictionary, research the
definitions on page 8 of your workbook.
◦
◦
◦
◦
www.epicurious.com
www.dictionary.com
www.yourdictionary.com
www.merriam-webster.com
Quick Breads
Quick breads

Quick breads are baked goods that can be
served at breakfast, lunch or dinner and
include:
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦

Pancakes
Biscuits
Muffins
Scones
Waffles
Loaf Breads
They are tender and flavorful and do not
require a lot of time or equipment to
produce
Quick Breads
They are a product with a bread- or cakelike texture, but do not contain yeast and
therefore do not need rising time.
 Rather, they use chemical leavening agents
such as:

◦ Double acting baking
powder
◦ Baking soda
Quick Breads

Ingredients and Functions:
◦ Flour – foundation
◦ Eggs – provide added volume and structure
◦ Fat – used to keep the baked product moist
and tender
◦ Sugar – improve the flavor and color
◦ Salt – adds flavor and strengthens gluten
◦ Leavening agent – allow quick breads to rise
◦ Liquid – adds moisture
The Biscuit Method
1.
2.
Cut in the fat into the dry
ingredients until it
resembles corn meal
Add the liquid ingredients
Example: Biscuits
The Blending Method
1.
2.
Combine the liquid, sugar,
liquid fat, and eggs.
Add the dry ingredients
to the liquid ingredients.
Example: Muffins
Quick Bread Methods
The Creaming Method
1.
2.
3.
Cream together the solid
fat and sugar until the
mixture is light and fluffy.
Add the eggs, one at a
time.
Add the dry ingredients
and the liquid ingredients
alternately.
Example: Muffins with cakelike texture
Quick Bread Methods
Quick Bread Methods

Quick breads can be made from soft
doughs or batters:
◦ Soft dough
 Thicker in consistency than batters
 Can be rolled and cut into shapes prior to baking
 Examples: baking powder biscuits and scones
◦ Batters:
 Made from either a pour batter or a drop batter
Quick Bread Methods

Batters:
◦ Pour Batter
 Thin and can be poured from the mixing bowl\
 Example: Pancakes
◦ Drop Batter
 So thick that it needs to be scraped or dropped
from a portion or ice cream scoop
Assignment 2

Complete the career research on page
11-12 in your workbook. You will need to
use a computer and the following
websites for reference:
◦ www.alis.gov.ab.ca
◦ www.nait.ca
Cookies
Cookie Characteristics

Cookies are classified according to their
texture:
◦ Crisp
◦ Soft
◦ Chewy
Crisp Cookies



A crisp cookie has very little moisture in the
batter
Made from a stiff dough with a high ration of
sugar
During baking:
◦ Crisp cookies will spread, or expand, more than
other cookies because of the high amounts of
sugar

After Baking
◦ They dry fast because of thinness and must be
stored in an air-tight container without
refrigeration.
Crisp Cookies

Examples:
◦ Sugar Cookie
◦ Almond Butter Crisps
Soft Cookies
Soft Cookies has low amounts of fat and
sugar in the batter and high proportion of
liquid, such as eggs
 How do you know if they are done???

◦ When their bottoms and edges turn goldenbrown

Storage
◦ In an air-tight container and not refrigerated
 If you put them in the fridge, they will go soggy
Soft Cookies

Examples include:
◦ Chocolate Chip Cookies
◦ Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Chewy Cookies
All chewy cookies are soft, but not all soft
cookies are chewy!
 A chewy cookie needs a high ratio of
eggs, sugar and liquid, but a low amount of
fat.
 For chewy cookies, the gluten in the flour
must develop during mixing

◦ The amount of gluten will also determine how
much the cookie will expand
◦ Pastry flour is ideal
Chewy Cookies

Examples include:
◦ Pumpkin Cookies
◦ Spice Cookies
Cookie Spread


Some cookies require hand-labor to
produce a particular molded shape.
Although some cookies hold their shape
while baking, most cookies will spread
Determined by six factors:
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
Flour type
Sugar type
Amount of liquid
Baking soda
Fat Type
Baking Temperture
Flour Type

Sugar Type
Pastry flour is used in
cookies for its medium
gluten content. This
creates the proper spread.

Granulated sugar provides
the right amount of spread.
If a finer grain of sugar, such
as icing sugar, is used, the
cookie will spread less.
Cookie Spread
Amount of liquid

Baking Soda
A cookie batter with a high
amount of liquid, such as
eggs, will have more spread.
◦ For reduced spread – decrease
the amount of eggs in the
recipe


In a cookie batter, the
baking soda promotes the
proper spread by relaxing
the gluten.
Baking soda is used as a
leavening agent when it is
combined with liquid and
an acid
Cookie Spread
Fat Type


Baking Temperature
When butter or margarine
is used, more spread is
created.
When vegetable shortening
is used, less spread is
created


Oven temperatures that
are too low cause
excessive spread.
Over temperatures that are
too high give little or no
spread.
Cookie Spread
Mixing Methods

One Stage Method
1. Put all the ingredients into the stand mixer
2. Blend at low speed using the paddle
attachment.
3. Scrape down the sides of bowl when
necessary
Example – Biscotti
Hints:


◦
Measure carefully – its expensive to remake
if you make a mistake
Mixing Methods

Creaming Method
1. Cream the fat, sugar, flavorings and salt in the
stand mixer
2. Add eggs, one at a time, until well blended
3. In a separate bowl, sift dry ingredients
4. Add dry to the creamed ingredients and mix on
low


◦
◦
Example: Peanut butter cookies
Hints:
Cream only slightly for a chewy cookie, over
creaming results in over spreading
Do not over develop gluten and it prevents
proper spreading
Cookie Types

Cookies can be classified not only by
texture and mixing method, but also by
type. There are 5 basic types:
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
Drop Cookies
Rolled Cookies
Icebox Cookies
Molded Cookies
Bar Cookies
Drop Cookies

Examples:
◦ Chocolate chip, peanut butter, and oatmeal

For instructions, use the creaming
method and then follow these
instructions:
1. Choose scoop for the size of a cookie that
is desired
2. Drop cookie onto parchment paper
3. Leave enough space to allow for spreading
Drop Cookies
Rolled Cookies

Example:
◦ Sugar Cookies
Rolled cookies have a stiff dough that is
rolled out.
 Shapes are then cut out of the dough and
baked

Rolled Cookies
Icebox Cookies
Perfect for making sure freshly baked
cookies are always on hand
 Drop cookie dough and sugar cookie
dough work well

◦ Make the dough a head of time and
refrigerate or freeze until ready to use.
◦ Roll up cookies and place in fridge – when
you are ready to bake, take out, slice and bake
Ice Box Cookies
Molded Cookies

Examples:
◦ Crescents, almond lace, and tuile
 Crescents are hand shaped before baking
 Almond lace is hand shaped after baking
 Tuile is a Belgian cookie that comes out of the oven
soft and is molded into shapes
Molded Cookies
Bar Cookies
These cookies are made from dough that
has been shaped into long bars, baked and
then cut.
 Examples:

◦ Hermits, coconut bars, fruit bars and
brownies
Bar Cookies
Baking and Cooling Cookies
Always use clean pans that are not
warped
 Line with parchment paper – this will
keep you cookies from sticking to the pan
and will ensure even browning

Baking and Cooling Cookies
Carryover Baking – the heat from the pan
that continues to bake the cookies once
they are removed from the oven
 It is better to slightly under bake cookies
 To prevent burning – double pans up
 Cookies are done when the bottoms and
edges turn light golden brown.
 Be sure not to remove cookies from the
pan until they are firm enough to handle.

Assignment 3 – Cookie Swap

Choose a type of cookie, according to
texture, from this section and bake it at
home. Bring into class for a cookie swap.
You may choose:
◦ Crisp Cookie
◦ Soft Cookie
◦ Chewy Cookie
You must also provide a copy of the
recipe to your teacher.
 You will be given a completion mark for
this project.

Cakes
Cake Ingredients

Cake ingredients either weaken or
strengthen a cakes structure and
determine its texture, moisture, and
sweetness.
◦ I.e., When sugar and fat are used in the right
amounts, a cakes structure can weaken and be
more tender – on the other hand – eggs and
flour both have proteins that, when they are
baked, join together to give the cake support
Cake Ingredients

The starch in flour also help stabilize, or
support, the cake by absorbing liquid
when it is mixed.
◦ Liquids form gluten when they combine with
flour and when mixed, this gluten give
structural support to the cake
High-Fat Cakes
Leavening agent – Baking powder
 High-fat cakes require that the air cells be
creamed into the center of the fat cell.
 The air cells then pick up the leavening
gases that the heat of the oven releases

Low-Fat Cakes
Leavening agent – air
 Air is whipped into the egg batter, giving
these cakes a light and springy texture

Pound Cakes
Origin is traced back to England
 Contains 1 pound of each flour, butter,
sugar, and eggs and are flavored with
vanilla, almond or lemon
 A pound cake is considered the basis for
all layer cakes
 It can be frozen up to 2 months and kept
in the fridge for 1 week.

Sponge or Foam Cakes

This cake has an airy, light texture
because of large amounts of air whipped
into the eggs.
◦ It does not rely on butter or fat to hold onto
air, instead, these cakes have a base of
whipped whole eggs

European sponge cakes, called genoise, is
a common example of a sponge cake
layered with jam, chocolate or fruit filling
Angel Food Cake

An angel food cake is a foam cake that is made
with egg whites, but not egg yolks.
◦ The air is whipped into the egg whites and leavens
the cake
◦ Once the eggs have been whipped, the cake batter
must be finished quickly, or it will collapse when the
air beaten into the eggs escapes
Baked in a tube pan that is ungreased, the batter
literally climbs up the side of the pan
 When finished baking, turn the pan upside down
to prevent the cake from falling
 It can be served plain or with fruit and fillings and
is a healthful alternative because of its low-fat
content

Angel Food Cake
Chiffon Cakes
A chiffon is a variation of a genoise cake
 Made by using whipped egg whites to
lighten the batter
 The egg yolk and part of the sugar are
whipped to full volume and then the flour
is added to the yolk and sugar mixture
 The egg whites and the remaining sugar
are whipped and then folded in

Chiffon Cakes
Chiffon cakes have less saturated fat and
cholesterol than any cake except for angel
food cake, and about half the fat of a
pound cake.
 Like angel food cakes, chiffon cakes are
cooled upside down

Chiffon Cakes
Baking Cakes – Prep Methods

To keep cakes from sticking, baking pans
are usually coated with fat and flour or
lined with parchment paper.
◦ This allows the cake to release easily from the
pan after baking is done

Pans should be filled one-half to twothirds full – this will keep the batter from
spilling over the sides of the pan as it
rises.
Pan Preparation

It is important that the pans be prepared
before the batter is mixed so that air cells
in the batter do not collapse
◦ If greasing and dusting with flour, extra flour
should be tapped out of the pan so the
bottom of the cake doesn’t become doughy
◦ Using parchment paper will prevent your cake
from sticking as well, and after its done
cooling, you can just peel it off.
Baking Techniques

Preheat the oven to
the correct
temperature
◦ If the oven is too hot
– the cake may set
before it is fully risen
and your crust will
become very dark
◦ If the oven is too low
– the cake will not set
fast enough and the
cake could collapse
Baking Techniques
Ovens and shelves
should be even.
 When pans are
placed in the oven,
they should not
touch as air needs to
flow between the
pans for even baking

Top Shelf
Bottom
Shelf
Determining Doneness

A cake is done when:
◦ A pick or cake tester comes out clean when it
is inserted into the center
◦ The center of the cake’s top springs back
when it is lightly pressed
◦ The cake pulls away slightly from the sides of
the pan
High-Fat Cakes


Foam Cakes
Always cool cakes for at
least 15 minutes before you
remove them from the pan

◦ Because you cake is still setting
when it comes out of the oven,
waiting to remove it won’t
result in a broken cake

If using parchment paper,
peel it off the cake

Cool upside down to
preserve the structure of
the cake
Once completely cooled,
loosen the cake using a
spatula
Put a cooling rack or tray
on top of the cake and turn
it over. Remove cake from
the pan.
Cooling Cakes
Icing
Icing improves a cake by forming a
protective layer around the cake that
seals in moisture
 It adds richness and flavor
 It makes it look attractive

Icing Cakes

The main thing when considering icings is
to be sure the icing is not too heavy for
the type of cake.
◦ Dense cakes pair well with heavy icing like
German Buttercream (Made with butter,
shortening and fondant)
◦ Lighter cakes pair well with light icings like
Swiss buttercreams (buttercream folded with
meringue and butter)
Icing Cakes
Before icing, tap off any loose crumbs
 Have all fillings prepared
 To ice a cake:

◦ Place a good amount of icing on top in the
center of the cake and work the icing around
the top from side to side
◦ Spread the icing down the sides of the cake
◦ Smooth the surface of the icing before adding
decorations
Cake Storage

Wrap a cake in an air-tight container or
plastic wrap and store in the fridge
◦ Be careful, as frostings will easily absorb
refrigerator odors

Always bring cakes to room temperature
before you serve them
Assignment 4 – DIY Cookbook

You have just been hired at the Food Network and
have been asked to write a cookbook for beginners
based on contemporary baking. Your book should
have a cover page, index and the following recipes:
◦ Quick Breads:
 Biscuit Method
 Creaming Method
 Blending Method
◦ Cookies:
 A crisp cookie
 A soft cookies
 A chewy cookie
◦ Cakes
 A foam cake with icing
 A high-fat cake with icing
Assignment 4 – DIY Cookbook

Each recipe must have the following parts:
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
Title
Servings
Time
Ingredients (all in metric units)
Instructions
Picture(s) of the dish or something
representing the dish