MODULE FOR

BASIC BAKING
Introduction

The first and very important step in baking is the preparation. After having read the
recipe thoroughly you are now ready to check your pantry for the needed ingredients
and your kitchen utensils required. The following sections of this module will
concentrate on the various ingredients and the different kitchen equipment used.

The role of each ingredient in a recipe will be tackled and the usage of each tool will be
cited here. Of course accurate measurements are musts! Therefore, this module will
also guide you towards mastering both the English and the Metric Systems of
measurements and their conversions. Therefore, its important that you must always
have with you a pen and a paper with you, and a calculator too!

INGREDIENTS

Ingredients are the main stars of a baked product. The secret to very good food lies in
the proper handling of these ingredients and in the techniques used in combining,
mixing, and cooking them. So, it is always an advantage to be familiar with every
ingredient that you will use and its characteristics and various functions.

FLOUR

Flour is the ground whole wheat with its bran and germ broken off. This is made
possible by making the whole wheat go through a rollermill. It is aged so that the
vitamins lost during the milling process, like thiamine and riboflavin, will be replaced.

There are three kinds of flour used in the baking process, and they are made different
by the way they were processed.

1. Bread Flour (1st Class Flour) It contains about 11.8% protein and has more
gluten which, in effect, produces a tougher product. It is used in breads and
sweet dough, like donuts and pate choux.

2. All-Purpose Flour (2nd Class) It contains about 10.5% protein. This is made
from whole or white flour. It also has less gluten and is commonly used in pie
doughs, cookies, and others.

3. Cake Flour (3rd Class) It contains about 7.5% protein. This produces the
lightest product. It is used in cakes, light muffins, and others.
STARCHES

Starches look like flour, but they have finer grains. Starches thicken and become firm
when heated. As they thicken and set, they absorb moisture which, in turn, causes the
liquids to gel.

There are two kinds of starches used in baking, or in the preparation of desserts and
pastries. These starches differ in the way they set or gel.

1. Amylase. They are the best thickeners.

a. Cornstarch It is first mixed with cold water or sugar before cooking it

reaches its maximum thickness at about 205F.

b. Wheat Flour Its finished product is cloudy. It contains more protein,

which adds flavor to your bake product. When you are to substitute wheat
flour for cornstarch, use 1/3 more of the amount suggested for
cornstarch. Unlike cornstarch, wheat flour reaches its thickness at about
195F.

c. Arrowroot It comes from the tropical plant maranta. It thickens better

than cornstarch and reaches its maximum thickness at 195F.

d. Tapioca It comes from the cassava root and gives an undesirable

texture. It comes in pearl from and reaches its maximum thickness at
about 195F

2. Amylopectin. It sets clearer and looser.

a. Waxy Maize It is used in fruit fillings.

b. Modified Starches They are artificially treated.

c. Gums Gum tragacanth is used in gum paste for modeling and

decoration. Gum Arabic is used to stabilize frozen desserts.

SUGARS

Sugar is sweetener which can also be called sucrose. It is the by-product of sugar cane.

Sugar, as used in baking, comes in different forms. But all of them contain the two
molecules which make up sugar: glucose (dextrose) and levulose (fructose). Glucose
is the least sweet and fructose is twice as sweet as glucose.
 1. Sugar. This is processed sugar, which means molasses has already been
removed from it.

2. Brown Sugar. This is refined white sugar mixed with refined molasses. This is
normally packed when measured.

3. Raw Sugar / Turbinado / Demerara. This is steamed, cleaned, and unheated

sugar crystals.

4. Maple Syrup. This is sugar that comes from the maple tree.

5. Honey. This is a natural sweetener made by bees with 40% fructose and 30%
glucose. This is 25% sweeter than sucrose and contains 15 % water. Sugar can
be substituted with honey.

Example: 1Cup Sugar = Cup + 2 Tablespoons Honey.

6. Corn Syrup. This is derived from corn. The cornstarch is broken down by an
acid and is transformed into sugar. Then vanilla and salt are added.

7. Glucose. This is also made from corn and is used in candy-making and sugar
work. This prevents crystallization (solidifying of liquid sugar) and is the least
sweet of the sugars.

*Inverted sugar. An acid-like tartaric acid or cream of tartar is added to sucrose

and this breaks the sucrose into two parts. Consequently, this will turn the sugar
into liquid form and will retain moisture more effectively.

FATS

Oils and fats are basically the same. The only difference is that oil is liquid while fat is
solid. Oils usually come from vegetables. On the hand, fats usually come from either
animal or vegetable sources.

Fats are used in making breads and quick breaks and quick breads, in deep-frying, and
in lubrication.

The different fats used in baking and pastry- making are the following:

1. Shortening. This is 100% fat. It is called shortening because it shortens the

production of gluten which, in effect, produces a more tender product.

a. Regular. This is used in creaming when making icing, quick breads,

and pie.
 b. High Ratio. This is used for high-ratio cakes. It is called high ratio
because it is made for the purpose of being able to retain more liquid
and sugar. This in effect, makes the shelf-life of a product longer and
the cost cheaper.

2. Butter. This is 80% fat, 15 % moisture, and 5% milk solids. Salt is added to
butter as a preservative. It has characteristic called melt-in-your-mouth which
differentiates butter from margarine. This is made from the milk of cow.

3. Margarine. This is artificial butter made from a variety of hydrogenated oils. In

margarine, fat is 85%, moisture is 10%, and milk solid are 5%.

4. Lard. This is derived from animal fat and is used in savory pastries and pie
dough. It also does not melt right away because it has a high melting point.

MILK AND CREAM PRODUCTS

All these products come from cows milk. They come in different forms and they contain
different amounts of fat.

1. Whole Milk. This contains 3 % butter fat, 8 % solids, and about 88% water.

2. Non-Fat Milk. This simply means it does not contain fat.

3. Low-Fat Milk. It contains 2% fat.

4. Evaporated Milk. It is heated to 200F, thus, most of the water is evaporated

from it. It has a cooked taste.

5. Condensed Milk. It contains 40% sugar.

6. Sour Cream. It has 18% fat. It also has lactic acid.

7. Yogurt. It is made from low-fat milk and contains lactic acid.

8. Cream Cheese. It has 35% fat. It is also called un-ripened cheese.

9. Cream. In order to whip cream, it must contain at least 28% fat. There are two
kinds of cream: light and heavy. Light cream contains 30% fat, while heavy
cream contains 30% fat.
EGGS

Eggs are the by-product of a birds re-productive system. They come in different sizes
and colors. Eggs are made up of protein which has the ability to aid in combining fat
and liquids (emulsification).

Trivia:
The toque of a pastry chef represents the number of ways a chef can cook or use an
egg. So, if you are an aspiring chef, it is best that you have knowledge about the eggs
that you use.

One large egg is 1 2/3 oz. (47.03 grams) or 9 pieces per pound.

One large egg yolk is 2/3 oz. (18.70 grams) or 24 yolks per pound.

One large egg white is 1 oz. (28.33 grams) or 16 whites per pound.

Here are some things you must remember when dealing with eggs:

Blood spots seen in an egg is harmless. Eggs will keep up to five weeks when
refrigerated and only four days when un-refrigerated.

Eggs kept in room temperature should be used the same day.

Make sure that you handle eggs well when you use them in baking, for they can
produce salmonella (a pathogen which grows best in the human body at 98.6F).
This is usually caused by cross-contamination of food by means of a non-food
surface. This can be prevented by observing personal hygiene, by cooking eggs
to 130 F for a few seconds before mixing in an uncooked mixture, and by
making sure all tables, chopping boards, and knives are sanitized.

LEAVENING AGENTS

Leavening agents can come in block or powder form. They are usually added to the
dough to enable it to rise, because leavening agents have the ability to produce carbon
dioxide when exposed to heat.

These agents are the ones responsible for making your dough and cake rise. They are
of two kinds: natural and chemical.

1. Natural. These are products of moisture, temperature, and a food source. They
produce carbon dioxide and alcohol.
 Yeast is a natural leavening agent. This is grown in molasses and is available in
three forms:

a. Fresh. This is slightly dehydrated and compressed. It can be added

directly to a recipe. This form is preferred by chefs because of easy
handling.

b. Active Dried. This is 92% dehydrated. This can keep for years, but it has
to be re-hydrated in 100F warm water before using.

c. Instant. This can also be added directly to the dry ingredients, but must
not come in contact with moisture before mixing.

The different forms of yeast can be interchanged in a recipe. Just remember the
formula below:

100% fresh yeast = 40% active dried plus the difference in weight (60%) in
liquid = 33% instant yeast

1 package of dry yeast = 2 teaspoon of dry active yeast

1 package of fresh yeast = 6 oz. of fresh yeast

2. Chemical. This kind of leavening agent is usually on powder form and is used in
the production of cakes, quick breads, and others.

a. Baking Soda. This contains alkali and sodium or potassium bicarbonate.

It produces carbon dioxide when it comes in contact with moisture and
acid. Products made with baking soda should be baked immediately.

b. Baking Power. This is baking soda plus acid and a little amount of starch
which is added to prevent lumping. Baking powder has a more controlled
action compared to baking soda. It reacts upon contact with moisture and
then in reacts again when in contact with heat.

Note:
Eggs, air, and steam are also considered leavening agents because they create air or
gas as well which can cause a product to rise. Some products which solely depend on
these leavening agents are angel cakes and cake rolls or sheet cakes.

GELATIN

Gelatin is derived from animal tissue, usually from a pigs skin and bone. It is an
incomplete protein which has the ability of solidifying liquid when added to a liquid
mixture.
This is used in products or fillings which do not need to be put in the oven to set. Just
like starch, gelatin is first heated to liquefy, then mixed with the combined liquid
ingredients, and is then chilled to solidify.

Gelatin comes in two forms: sheet and powder. When using gelatin, it is important to
remember the following:

*One sheet of gelatin 1 tsp. gelatin powder with 1 oz. (2 Tbsp.) of water.

*One sheet of gelatin will be able to solidify 1 cup of liquid.

*A temperature of 86F is needed to melt gelatin. Prolonged cooking weakens

the gelatin.

*When gelatin is to be combined with fruits- such as pineapple, papaya, mango,

guava, passion fruit, kiwi, or figthe fruits must be heated to 175F to kill the
enzyme that can break down the protein structure of gelatin.

CREAM OF TARTAR

Cream of tartar is tartaric acid with the addition of starch.

Tartaric acid is derived from grapes and the reason why starch is added to tartaric acid
is to prevent it from caking. Cream of tartar is usually used in meringues. It inverts
sugar, whitens and stabilizes egg whites, and reacts with the baking soda contained in
baking powder.

FLAVORING

There are many ingredients which can be used to flavor cakes, icings, mousses, and
cake syrups.

Natural flavorings are those which are added to a product in their natural form. The
most common flavoring is vanilla, which is Spanish for a small sheath. Vanillas are
available in whole (pod), powder and extract forms. An extract is a substance
concentrated by drawing out the flavor with heat or alcohol. A compound is a flavor
condensed by removing moisture. Liquors offered in stores come in different flavors and
these can be matched with the existing flavor in your pastry/cake. The following are the
liquors available in stores:

1. Rum. This comes from sugar cane. It is a universal liquor, which means it can
be used for anything.
 2. Brandy. This comes from grapes.

3. Grand Marnier. This is orange-flavored brandy.

4. Kirshwasser. This is distilled from cherries.

5. Amaretto. This is almond-flavored liquor.

6. Kahlua / Tia Maria. This is coffee-flavored liquor.

CHOCOLATE

Cocoa beans go through the process of roasting, cooling, husk cracking open, and
being blown off. This process creates kernels called nibs. This nibs are then grounded
until a paste is formed, which is called chocolate liquor, and this is the base of all
chocolate products.

The chocolate referred to in the paragraph below is the product of the series of
processes which were discussed earlier and mixed with additives, such as lecithin,
sugar, and milk solids.

It is a given that once a dessert has chocolate, it is sure to be a hit. Thus, it is strongly
suggested that a dessert menu should contain an item with chocolate. There are
different kinds of chocolate which can be used in composing a dessert. As it is,
chocolate can be classified in different ways: through their composition and their
tempering (the stabilization of cocoa butter and sugar in them).

Cocoa butter is the one responsible for the melt-in-your-mouth taste and for the added
shine of expensive chocolates. The amount of cocoa butter contained in chocolate is
also what differentiates a couveture from a coating.

A couveture contains cocoa butter while a coating does not, which is further
discussed in the succeeding charts. Another ingredient found in chocolates is caffeine,
which is also found in coffee. To illustrate, 3 pounds of bitter chocolate is equivalent to 1
cup off coffee.
 Couveture Coating

High quality, European. Cocoa butter is replaced with

vegetable fat.
Solid in bulk.
Since there is no cocoa butter, it does
Contains 31% cocoa butter. not need tempering.

Has to be tempered. Easier to handle.

Cheaper.

Not used in cooking, for decorative

purposes only.

Kinds of Couveture

Bittersweet Couveture Milk Couveture White Couveture

With cocoa liquor. With cocoa liquor. No cocoa liquor.

No cocoa butter. With cocoa butter. With cocoa butter.

No milk solids. With milk solids. With milk solids.

With sugar. With sugar.

Kinds of Coating

Dark Coating Milk Coating White Coating

Contains cocoa Contains cocoa powder. No chocolate at all.

powder.
With sugar. With vegetable fats.
With sugar.
Have vegetable fats. Contains milk solids.
Has vegetable fat.
Includes milk solids. Have flavorings.