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Oils and Fats: Basics

Oils and Fats: Basics

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Today, we will delve into the realm of oils and fats, exploring their roles in various baking, pastry, and cookie preparations, and discussing key factors to consider when choosing them. Given the complexity of the subject, we will address it through multiple entries. This first entry will cover more general topics. Oils or Fats Let’s begin by clarifying the terminology commonly used. In general, we refer to fats in a liquid state at room temperature, such as olive, sunflower, soy,…

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Sugars in Baking

Sugars in Baking

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Types of Sugars Sugar is one of the ingredients in many baking products, but it can also occur naturally in some of the used ingredients. The term “sugar” encompasses many chemical compounds. The sugar commonly used in households is sucrose, a combination of glucose and fructose. If we break the bond that connects both compounds in sucrose, we obtain what is called inverted sugar, which is nothing more than a combination of glucose and fructose. Another sugar typically present in…

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Bakery and Baked Goods Course 9

Bakery and Baked Goods Course 9

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In italics, I leave the parts already covered, while I use bold for the topics introduced in each new course entry. Bread is a product made from flour (usually wheat), water, salt, and yeast. So, we’ll start by getting to know these ingredients and the functionality of their components. But most bread also incorporates other products such as enzymes, additives, fats, or other ingredients. Furthermore, these other ingredients are present in the production of other baked goods, such as cakes…

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Cakes. Processing

Cakes. Processing

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After discussing general aspects of cake making and the role of each major ingredient, in this entry, we will delve into the preparation method and how the chosen variables influence each step of the process. This process is straightforward, involving mixing and beating the ingredients, followed by baking. However, there are different ways to perform these steps, especially the beating of the ingredients. Mixing and Beating During the beating process, the goal is to evenly disperse the ingredients and create…

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Can We Use the Microwave for Baking Bread?

Can We Use the Microwave for Baking Bread?

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The microwave is a common household appliance, widely used for reheating food. It allows for very rapid heating without the need for preheating. For this reason, many food manufacturers try to design products that can be consumed after a brief stint in the microwave. However, when it comes to flour-based products like bread, cakes, or pizzas, this is not straightforward. Why can’t we bake in the microwave? Before explaining how the microwave works, let’s recall what happens during the baking…

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Parbaked Breads and other Products

Parbaked Breads and other Products

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As we have previously discussed on the blog, it is possible to halt fermentation through freezing (frozen dough) to resume it later after thawing the pieces. However, this technique comes with numerous challenges. On one hand, certain conditions must be modified during processing to minimize cold damage to the yeast, and on the other hand, at the point of sale, the necessary times to finish the product are very long (thawing, fermentation, and baking), requiring different equipment. Frozen Products One…

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Cakes. Ingredients

Cakes. Ingredients

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While the characteristics of various ingredients have been discussed in previous entries, this section serves as a reminder of their functions in cake making. It’s essential to note that each ingredient serves a specific function, and formulations are calculated for the inclusion of specific ingredients. Therefore, even a slight variation in ingredient quantities or types, such as replacing sucrose with glucose syrup, may necessitate reformulation by adjusting ingredient quantities. Flour The blog has already dedicated a specific entry to the…

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Baking II

Baking II

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We continue with some basic concepts in bread baking. If you want to see the first part of this entry, you can find it here. Crust Upon placing the dough in the oven, the outer part rapidly increases in temperature, being in contact with areas (floor or air) that are at a temperature close to 200°C. When this zone reaches 100°C, heat is invested in evaporating the water present, halting the temperature rise. At this point, as water evaporates, part…

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Baking I

Baking I

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In the baking of bread and other products, multiple phenomena occur, encompassing chemical, physical, and biological aspects, which it is good to be aware of and understand. Let’s analyse what happens in baking. This topic is complex, and I believe addressing it in a single entry would be unfeasible (at least if we maintain the average length of entries). Therefore, we will cover the basic knowledge in two entries. It may be necessary to address specific aspects in subsequent entries….

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Cakes. Basic Concepts

Cakes. Basic Concepts

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The term “cake” encompasses a wide variety of products, differing in formulation and preparation, but all based on the creation of a batter with incorporated air, followed by baking. During baking, the batter expands either due to the increased volume of trapped air as the temperature rises or through the action of a leavening agent, and in some cases, yeast. To better understand the final quality of cakes and optimize production methods, we can categorize them into two main groups….

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