Baking Basics

Baking Ingredients

• Flour
• Liquid
• Fat
• Sugar
• Eggs
• Spices/Flavorings

Flour

• Used to provide structure in your baked product.
• Gluten is the protein found in flour.
• When mixed with liquid ingredients, gluten traps air to help in assisting the product rise.

Liquid

• Helps to mix and dissolve other ingredients.
• Helps to provide moisture to baked goods.
• Examples: buttermilk, milk, water, cream, mashed fruit, juice.

Leavening Agent

• Help the product to rise, and have a light texture.
• Gases form and cause baked goods to expand.
• Examples:
• Chemical: baking soda and baking powder
• Biological: yeast
• Other: eggs, air, steam, cream of tartar.

Fat

• Types: butter, margarine, oil, shorteng.
• Function - Helps to provide flavor and tender texture.
• Can also help prevent sticking.

Sugar

• Helps to provide sweetness and allows the crust of baked goods to brown.

Eggs

• Can provide structure and helps to bind ingredients together.

Flavorings

• Extracts or spices help to add flavor to baked baked goods.
• Examples: cinnamon, vanilla, nuts, citrus zest.

Baking is about accuracy in measuring ingredients. Most commercial baking requires scalling ingredients rather than using graduated measuring cups and spoons.

Remember

• Level off dry ingredients.
• Sift flour and then measure.
• When using a scale, don't forget to zero it out.
• When using a liquid measuring cup, put on flat surface and get at eye level.

Following a recipe is crucial, especially when it comes to baked goods.

What do you think would happen if one recipe ingredient was measured wrong or even forgotten?

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