Basic Baking

(bread and pastry)

• Baking is a cooking method using dry heat

(Merriam-Webster. 2013). This method is

applicable to cooking different kinds of food
products such as fruits. or meat dishes. This
Chapter will discuss the basics in baking
breads. cakes and pastries.
• Man's innovation in preparing and cooking grains led to

the discovery of baking. Grains such as wheat and rice

were pounded and ground to produce flour, which is a

basic ingredient in baked products. According to

Gisslen (2001), baking bread likely began when early

humans learned to mix ground grains with water to

create a paste, which they cooked on hot stones to

make flatbread. The discovery of yeast, along with new

tools and ingredients, resulted in the many varieties of

• Bread making existed in the olden times
though it is not clear when this really began.
The earliest Biblical record in bread making
was during the time of Abraham (Genesis
14:8) more than 2000 BC. After several years,
it was known that the first reference to
baking as a profession occurred during the
time of Joseph when the Egyptian Pharaoh
jailed and later on hanged his chief baker for
offending him (Genesis 40:1). The chief baker
was apparently considered a high official
position in the household of Pharaoh.
The production of the large quantity of
breads is said to have started in
ancient Rome where pastry cooking
was a recognized occupation (Gisslen.
2001) and the pastry cooks can become
members of the formal organization or
professional bakers called a
 Lesson 1:
Major ingredients in
baking
1. Flour. This provides the structure of the
product that is why it is considered as the
primary ingredient. Wheat grain produces
the kind of flour commonly used in baking.
It is the only flour that contains enough
gluten-forming protein to provide the
essential characteristics of baked goods.
Some of the varieties of flour are made from
rye, rice, corn, millet, barley, oats. They
produce distinctive flavors and textures of
baked goods.
Types of flour according to the
Culinary Institute of America
(de los Reyes and Anero, 2016)
Bread Flour - This
is hard wheat flour
and also known as
patent flour. This is
used for breads and
soft rolls. Its protein
content ranges from
11 to 13 percent.
All-purpose Flour-

This is a mixture of

hard and soft wheat

flours milled from the

endosperm of the

wheat kernel. The

protein content in this

flour can range from 8

Cake Flour -This is
soft wheat flour
with protein content
ranging from 6 to 9
percent. This is
good for baking
cakes and cookies.
 Clear Flour - This is
hard wheat flour, which
has a color darker than
bread, or high-gluten
flour and is commonly
used in rye breads. Its
protein content ranges
from 13 to 15 percent.
Durum Flour - This is
made from the
endosperm of the
durum wheat kernel. It
is hard wheat flour used
in bread making with
protein content ranges
from 12 to 14 percent.
High-gluten Flour-
This is milled from
the entire endosperm
and used for bagels
and hard rolls. Its
protein content is
typically 13 to 14
percent.
Pastry Flour -This is
used for pie crust, dough,
muffins, some biscuits as
well as pastries.

Semolina - This is a more

coarsely-ground durum
wheat flour, commonly
used in pasta making.
Whole Wheat Flour -
This is hard wheat flour
milled from the entire
wheat kernel, including
the bran and germ, due to
the high content of lipids
(fats) in germ. This kind of
flour can easily become
rancid. Its protein content
ranges 14 to 16 percent
• 2. Liquids - Moistness and texture of
the baked products are attributed to
liquids. This is important in hydrating
protein, starch, and leavening
agents. The baked product is also
leavened by liquid because it turns to
steam and expands during the
baking process.
Kinds of liquid
ingredients
a. Milk and creams - The
most common milk
referred to in most recipes
is the fresh whole milk.
Evaporated milk is the kind
of milk where 60% of water
content has been removed.
When used in baking, this
can be diluted with equal
amount of water.
b. Juice - Fresh fruit
juices are usually
used in baking. These
add flavor and color
and is best used in
recipes with baking
soda as leavening
agent
c. Water - is considered a universal solvent and has the following

attributes;

1) gluten forms in the form of water;

2) it serves as a solvent and as dispersing agent for salt, yeast, and

sugar,

3) it is necessary for the yeast fermentation and reproduction;

4) it is responsible for the consistency of bread dough; and 5) the

temperature of the water can be varied in order to obtain dough of

the correct texture.

3. Fat - This can be in liquid or solid form.
This comes from animals or vegetables. In
general, fats help to tenderize the product
and soften the structure, add moistness
and richness, increase keeping quality,
add flavor, assist in leavening when used
as creaming agents (Gisslen, 2001).
Kinds of fat
a. Butter-This can be salted or
unsalted and made out of fatty
milk protein. Its flavor and
melting quality are good
attributes for pastries and
cakes. To maintain its good
quality, butter must be
wrapped and kept in the
refrigerator because it melts at
room temperature.
b. Margarine - This
is made from several
hydrogenated
vegetables or animal
fats, with flavoring
emulsifiers, coloring
agents and other
ingredients.
c. Oil - This is a liquid fat
which comes from
vegetables, nut or seed
sources. This is not
commonly used in cakes as
it spreads to the mixture
too thoroughly and can
shorten too much which
may affect the cake
product.
d. Lard - This comes
from the side part of
the hog but it is rarely
used nowadays.
e. Shortening- this
group of solid fats
especially formulated for
baking, is usually white
in color and is tasteless.
Flaky products like pie
crusts and biscuits use
this kind of fat.
4. Sugar-This is also known as
sweetener. Sweeteners have
different forms from powder to
crystal to syrups. They come in
different degrees of sweetness.
 According to Gail Sokol as cited by de
los Reyes and Anero, 2016, sugar has many
uses in baking besides from acting as a
sweetener. These are:
•1. provides tenderness to the baked goods;
•2. gives color to baked goods during caramelization
process;
•3. absorbs moisture from the air to provide moistness;
•4. aids fats in absorbing air during the creaming process;
•5. stabilizes meringue and whipped cream;
•6. provides yeast with food to encourage fermentation;
•7. caramelizes and recrystallizes to create confections,
frostings, and sauces; and
•8. when mixed with water, it prevents water from freezing
into a solid state.
Kinds of
Sugar
a. Granulated or
refined cane sugar
The regular white sugar
also known as table
sugar. There are
different kinds as to their
granules. The caster
sugar which is finer in
granules than the
regular white sugar.
b. Confectioner or
powdered sugar - This is
a kind of sugar ground to
a fine powder mixed with
a small amount of starch.
This is also called as icing
sugar. This is used in icing
cake, toppings, cream
fillings, and dusting.
•c. Brown sugar-This comes
in raw brown, light brown,
and medium brown color. It is
said that the darker color has
more impurities. Brown sugar
contains small amount of
fructose and glucose. It has
low content of molasses and
the natural Rectout fibers of
the sugar cane.
5. Leavening agents - This is the
ingredient in baking that makes the baked
product rise. It is responsible for the
production and incorporation of gases
during the baking process. Leavening
agents are of different types.
Types of leavening
agents:
a. Yeast -This comes in two
types; 1) active dry yeast or
instant yeast-which has coarse
oblong granules; 2) instant yeast
or rapid-rise yeast has smaller
granules and dissolves faster.
This is used for breads due to its
gluten-formation and
stabilization characteristics in
the fermentation process of
yeast.
b. Baking soda This is also
known as sodium
bicarbonate. It is fine white
powder and has a slightly
salty and alkaline taste.
Baking soda is good for
baking muffins, cakes,
cookies, and pastries due to
its fast action of chemical
leavenirs.
c. Baking powder - This is a
mixture of baking soda plus an acid
to react with it, and starch to
prevent lumping. Baking powder is
available in two types; 1) single-
acting baking powder which
requires only moisture to release
gas, 2) double-acting baking
powder releases gas in two stages:
first, during mixing; second, it
completes the reaction with the
addition of heat during baking.
•6. Eggs - Egg performs many functions in
the production of baked products. The best
kind of egg in baking is the fresh-white
chicken egg. Large and fresh white eggs are
the best for baking. They should be clean,
fresh, free from bad odors and taste.
•
Some of the functions of eggs in baking:

a. Protein in egg contributes to structure of the baked

product.
b. It serves as emulsifier. It contributes to volume and
texture.
c. It is a leavening agent. When egg whites are beaten, air
is trapped in the foam bubbles and expand during baking.
d. It gives moisture to the baked product due to the
quantity of water in eggs.
e. Eggs give flavor, color, texture, and nutritional value.
•7. Salt and other flavorings - The color and sweetness
of other ingredients is enhanced with the use of salt. Salt
slows down yeast fermentation and strengthens gluten
structure making it more stretchable (Lauterbach and
Albrecht, 1994). Other flavorings used in baking include
vanilla, spices(cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger) and flavor
extracts which are available in the market.