Understanding Food
Chapter 22:
Flours and Flour Mixtures
Flours
Types of Wheat Flour
– Whole-Wheat Flour
– White Flour
– Durum Flour (Semolina)
– All-Purpose Flour
– Pastry Flour
– Cake Flour
– Gluten Flour
Flours
Gluten: The protein
portion of wheat flour
with the elastic
characteristics necessary
for the structure of most
baked products.
Knead: To work the
dough into an elastic
mass by pushing,
stretching, and folding it.
Flours
Starch is one of the
compounds in flour that
strengthens the baked
item through
gelatinization, and is
one of the factors that
contributes to crumb.
– Crumb: The texture
of a baked product’s
interior.
Flours
Kneading is used extensively in bread-making and briefly for
biscuits and pastries.
Flours
Types of Non-Wheat Flour
– Rice Flour
– Rye Flour
– Cornmeal Flour
– Soy Flour
– Buckwheat Flour
– Triticale Flour
– Potato Flour
– Gluten-free Grains and Flours
for baking and bread.
Treated Flours
– Aged Flour
– Bleached Flour
– Enriched Flour
Flour Mixture Ingredients
Flour mixture ingredients may include:
– Sugar
– Salt
– Liquid
– Fat
– Eggs
– Leavening agents
Sugar
Functions of sugar in flour
mixtures include the
following:
– Sweetening
– Protective coating
– Increases the volume
– Contributes to volume
– Raises the temperature
at which gelatinization
and coagulation occur
– Increases moistness and
tenderness and also
helps delay staling
– Helps to brown the outer
crust of baked products
Salt/flavorings
Salt/Flavoring
.
Small amounts of salt are added to flour mixtures
for:
– Flavoring
– Producing a firmer dough
…for improving the:
– Volume
– Texture
– Evenness of cell structure
– Shelf-life
Flour Mixture Ingredients
Too much salt inhibits yeast activity, reducing the amount of carbon dioxide
gas produced and decreasing the volume of the loaf.
Liquid
Hydrate the flour
Gelatinize the starch.
Gluten formation
Solvent for the dry ingredients,
Activates the yeast,
Provides steam for leavening, and allows baking
powder or soda to react and produce carbon
dioxide gas.
Fat
Fat performs many functions in
baked goods.
– It acts as a:
• Tenderizer
– It adds:
• Volume
• Structure
• Flakiness
• Flavor
• Color
• Resistance to staling
– It also plays a role in heat
transfer
Eggs
Eggs are added to some
flour mixtures:
– Structural integrity
– Leavening
– Color
– Flavor
– And/or nutrient
content
Leavening Agents
Baking soda: A white chemical leavening
powder consisting of sodium bicarbonate.
Baking powder: A chemical leavener consisting
of a mixture of baking soda, acid(s), and an inert
filler such as cornstarch.
Flour Mixture Ingredients
The two main types of baking powder are:
– Fast, or single-acting, powder
– Slow, or double-acting, powder
Yeast
Yeasts are available in several
forms, and are classified on the
basis of their activity.
– Active yeasts include:
• Baker’s yeast
• Brewer’s yeast
• Yeasts for alcoholic
beverages
– Inactive yeasts, such as:
• Dried brewer’s yeast
• Primary- grown yeasts
Flour Mixture Ingredients
The ability of yeasts (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), which are
naturally found in air, water, and living organisms, to produce
carbon dioxide through fermentation.
Preparation of Baked Goods
Storage of Flour and Flour Mixtures
Flour should be stored in pest-proof
containers and kept in a cool, dry
place.
Understanding Food
Chapter 24:
Yeast Breads
Preparation of Yeast Breads
When breads are leavened with carbon dioxide
produced by baker’s yeast, they are known as
yeast breads.
Yeast bread is prepared by mixing the
ingredients into a dense, pliable dough that is
kneaded, allowed to rise by fermentation, and
then cooked
Preparation of Yeast Breads
The fundamental ingredients
of any yeast bread are:
– Flour
– Liquid
– Sugar
– Salt
– Yeast
– Fat (optional)
– Eggs (optional)
The four best-known
methods for mixing yeast
breads are:
– Straight dough
– Sponge
– Batter
– Rapid
Preparation of Yeast Breads
As the yeast ferments, the dough will double in size as carbon dioxide is
produced by the yeast and as enzyme and pH changes take effect.
Preparation of Yeast Breads
Another way to
determine if kneading is
complete is to stretch
some of the dough into a
“gluten window.”
Preparation of Yeast Breads
Yeasts are very sensitive to temperature extremes.
Optimal fermentation temperatures:
– Activated at 68 to 100°F (20 to 38°C)
– Slowing down below 50°F (10°C)
– Dying if exposed to temperatures at or above 140°F
(60°C)
Preparation of Yeast Breads
Punching Down— Second
Rising
– Once the dough has risen
to double its size, it is
punched down and left to
rise a second time.
Shaping
– After the bread has risen,
it is ready for shaping.
Preparation of Yeast Breads
Proofing is the final rising
that occurs in the pan or on a
baking sheet, and it has an
important effect on the
quality of the finished bread.
– Proof: To increase the
volume of shaped dough
through continued
fermentation.
Preparation of Yeast Breads
Oven spring: The
quick expansion of
dough during the
first ten minutes of
baking, caused by
expanding gases.
Preparation of Yeast Breads
Crumb: The cell structure appearing when a baked product is sliced.
Evaluation is based on cell size (called “open” if medium to large, or “closed” if
small), cell shape, and cell thickness (thin walls occur in fine crumb, while thick
walls predominate in a coarse crumb).
Varieties of Yeast Breads
The simplest yeast bread
is made from:
– Flour
– Water
– Yeast
This basic formula has
evolved into more
complicated varieties.
Varieties that include loaf
breads:
– White
– Whole-wheat
– Sourdough
– Malt bread
Storage of Yeast Breads
Fresh
If it is not going to be consumed
right away, it should be completely
cooled before being wrapped and
stored in a dry, cool place at room
temperature.
Unfortunately, staling starts as
soon as the bread leaves the oven.
Staling is best prevented by
keeping the bread away from
air.
Several techniques include:
– Wrapping breads in
plastic or paper bags
– Adding moisture retainers
such as fat or sugar
– And/or freezing
Storage of Yeast Breads
Refrigerated
Bread should be refrigerated
immediately in the warm
temperatures and moist humidity of
tropical regions.
In less humid areas, refrigerating
bread is not recommended
because it speeds staling.
Frozen
Freezing is one of the best ways to
maintain some of the texture and
flavor of freshly baked bread.
Most breads can be frozen for two
or three months.
The bread should be wrapped in
heavy-duty aluminum foil and
dated.
Frozen bread should be removed
from the freezer and thawed at
room temperature in the wrapper.