6- Quick breads, cakes & cookies Flashcards
Why are quick breads quick?
They’re baked right after dough is mixed, no rising is required
What are the basic ingredients for quick breads?
What is the most common form of liquid?
Flour, liquid, salt, leavener
* milk is often used as liquid
Why is a low proportion of flour used for quick breads? (3)
1) high liquid:flour - limits gluten formation
2) provides crumbly texture (compared to yeast)
3) provides starch for gelatinization
What is liquid’s role in bread? (4)
1) Dispersion medium
2) Distributes acid to leavener (CO2 release)
3) Hydrates proteins (gluten devel.) & starch (gelatinization)
4) *if milk - lactose -> maillard rx
What leavens bread during baking?
Air, steam, CO2
What are the two leavening agents used in quick breads?
Baking soda, baking powder
What is the difference between baking soda & powder?
Baking soda= sodium bicarbonate.
Powder: sodium bicarbonate + acid + cornstarch
What are the 2 different types of baking powder?
What are their components?
Single acting: NaHCO3 (sodium bicarbonate) + acid (monocalcium phosphate) + inert filler (cornstarch)
Double Acting: NaHCO3 + acid (sodium aluminum sulphate) + inert filler (cornstarch)
What is the consequence of too much baking soda?
Sodium bicarbonate results in..
- > alkalinity (affects color - brown)
- > soapy/bitter taste
- > coarse texture
How can fat’s affect quick breads? (4)
- proceeding questions will elaborate on these -
1) tenderness
2) improves volume
3) strength/structure
4) prevents staling
How does fat improve tenderness?
coats proteins and interferes with gluten development
How does fat improve volume? (3)
1) interferes with starch gelatinization
2) fat melts giving more fluid for expansion
3) traps & stabilizes air bubbles
How does fat delay staling?
affects starch retrogradation/recrystallization
How does the addition of sugar affect quick breads? (4)
1) Increase hygroscopic properties
2) Increases the gelatinization temperature
3) Caramelization
4) Aeration (if creaming method used)
What does hygroscopic mean? How does it affect the quality of the bread?
hy·gro·scop·ic
-adjective-
(of a substance) tending to absorb moisture from the air.
relating to humidity or its measurement.
It affects the bread positively- moistens and tenderizes the product
sugar increases gelatinization temperature, how does that affect the volume?
Increased time to gelatinize gives more time for quick read to rise -> better volume
how does sugar’s caramelization affect the bread?
guud colour + flavour :D
What can eggs provide for the quick bread? (3)
1) Structure (coagulation)
2) Egg yolk (colour, flavour, nutrients, emulsification)
3) Leavening (whipped foams, steam from liquids)
What happens when quick breads are heated? (6)
1) Gas formation -gluten network pushed
2) Gelatinization of starch
3) Coagulation of milk+eggs
4) Fat melts
5) Browning (maillard & caramelization)
6) Structure sets
What is the difference between batters and doughs?
Proportion of flour:water
Batters = more pourable Dough = dry enough to handle
What are the subcategories for batters ?
Drop vs pour
what are the subcategories for doughs?
Soft vs firm/stiff
What method do pour & drop batters utilize?
What is that method?
muffin method
1) Mix dry, and wet separately
2) Combine until just moiisttt
3) sometimes knead (<10 strokes)
What method do we use to make dough?
biscuit method
1) Mix dry
2) cut fat into dry
3) Add liquid (minimal stirring)
4) Knead lightly (30s)
5) roll dough, cut rounds
6) bake at 425F
What is the ratio of liquid:flour for pour batters?
<1:1 of liquid:flour
What are examples of pour batters?
Pancakes, waffles, pourovers, crepes
What is the result of too much mixing in pancakes? Why?
Excess gluten, and CO2 escapes -> dense heavy pancakes :(
How do you know the pan is ready for pancakes initiation?
A drop of water will dance on the pan
Crepes require baking soda and powder
T or F
False,
Crepes sit overnight to absorb moisture
What are the differences between preparation of waffles vs pancakes?
1) Waffle contain more fat
2) Waffle iron is used
3) Waffles feature folded egg whites
What is the ratio of liquid:flour in popovers (pour batter)?
WHY
1: 1 for limiting gluten formation
- > gives it hollow interior and puffiness
How is the muffin method altered to produce popovers?
1) Beat more to provide chewy texture
2) fat is added to tenderize the product (yolk, or oil)
How do me manipulate the temperature for baking popovers?
How does this affect the quality of the popover?
initial temp: 450C
lowered to: 350C
Initial temp: steam formation -> center cavity
What should we do after baking popovers?
Slit the bread -> allow steam to escape
What gives pourovers it’s structure (2)
1) Coagulation of egg protein
2) Starch gelatinization
How do drop batter differ from pour batters?
Thicker, lower ratio of liquid:flour (1/4-1/2 : 1)
What are some examples of drop batters?
Muffins, biscuit, cookies, coffee cakes, dumplings
What is the result of overmixing muffins?
1) Smooth and flat top (increased tunneling)
2) Pale muffin
3) Tough, elastic muffin
3) Compact muffin
Same shit nothing new cept tunneling concept
What increases tunneling? What can we add to reduce this?
Gluten development ^ tunneling.
Adding bran can interfere with this process
What causes dry muffins?
1) Oven is too hot or too cool
2) Baking for too long
What creates the flaky characteristic of quick bread doughs?
Separation of dough layers by steam formation and fat melting -> flaky dough
What are the main ingredients of biscuits?
Flour, milk, fat, leavener (baking soda, powder), salt
What does fat provide the biscuit? (vague)
Shortening power
What is the ratio of flour:milk ?
Is dough kneaded?
Flour:milk = 3:1 -> drier dough
minimum kneaded for modest gluten.
** if we’re following the format of these flashcards, liquid:flour = 1:3**
What is the effect on the colour of product from pH
Which ingredients contribute to this?
low pH = white/pale (buttermilk)
high pH = yellowish (leavener: soda & powder)
How do scones compare to biscuits in texture?
Why?
Scones are richer than biscuits
In addition to milk, they have cream + eggs
What is the difference between quick breads and cakes?
Cakes have a higher proportion of fat + milk + sugar : flour
What provides the cake with strength & structure?
egg + flour
What provides the cake with tenderness & moisture?
fat + moisture
What is the main principle in caking making?
BALANCE between tenderizing and toughening ingredients
rrlly beautiful
What are the main ingredients in cake?
Short patent cake flour, sugar, fat, eggs, milk, leavening agents
Why is short patent cake flour often used for cakes?
hintPS. V Porous
1) LOW PROTEIN -> reduce gluten formation
2) treated with CHLORIDE for the following functions:
a) reduce pH (4.8)
b) improves structure
c) improves volume
d) improves surface porosity (gelatinization)
What are the 4 main functions of sugar in cake?
hintsweet vagina browning life
1) sweetness
2) volume (delays starch gelatinization)
3) browning of crust
4) increases shelf life
What are the most common fats used?
Butter & shortening
Vegetable oil is used for cake mixes & carrot cakes
What are the 4 main functions of fat in cake?
hint** tender flavourful moist vaginas**
Tenderizing, flavour, moist, volume
what are the 4 memory aids for ingredient roles in cake
Flour - PS. V porous
Sugar - Sweet Vagina Browning Life
Fat - Tender flavourful moist vaginas
Eggs- SEL CF (sounds nice)
What are the 4 main functions of egg in cake?
1) Structure
2) Emulsification
3) Leavening
4) Colour & flavour
What is the role of milk in cake (2)
1) disperses acid to improve leavening
2) provides steam when baking
What is the role of leavening agents in cakes? What are the different types?
Air, Steam, baking powder, baking soda
1) Along with leavening, baking soda & powder affect pH
How does high or low pH affect the cake?
Low pH = acidic flavour, low volume (protein coagulates too early)
High pH = bigger/soapy flavour, coarse grain, but enhanced maillard rx
Colour resulting from pH:
pH 5.5 - _____
pH 6-7 - ______
pH 8 - _______
pH 5.5 - cinnamon ish
pH 6-7 - brown
pH 8 - reddish
What pH do chocolate cakes require, what about white cakes?
Chocolate cakes require high pH than white cakes
Proteins/cooked starches are dispersed ________ in aqueous medium
Proteins/cooked starches are dispersed colloidally in aqueous medium
fat/uncooked starches are ________ in aqueous medium
fat/uncooked starches are dispersed or suspended in aqueous medium
Air is ______ in aqueous medium as ____
air is dispersed in aqueous medium as foam
Sugar & Salt are dissolved in _____________
Sugar & Salt are dissolved in true solutions
How are cakes classified ?
Classified by usage of fat, and sometimes method
What are the 3 types of cakes?
Shortened, Unshortened, Chiffon
What are the different fats used for each type of cake?
Shortened -> solid fat
Unshortened -> no fat added
Chiffon -> veg oil & separated eggs
What are the different methods used for each type of cake?
Shortened -> whipping, creaming
Unshortened -> beating, cutting, folding
Chiffon -> beating, cutting, folding
Why are chiffon cakes considered a hybrid of shortened and unshortened cakes?
Ingredients: + fat, like shortened
(vegetable oil + separated eggs)
Method: like unshortened (beating, cutting, folding)
Leavener: hybrid:
(beaten egg white + baking soda/powder)
What are leaveners of the three different types of cakes?
Shortened = baking soda/powder
Unshortened: beaten egg whites
Chiffon: Leavened with baking soda/powder + egg whites
What type of cake is a poundcake?
Shortened cake (butter, conventional)
What type of cake is a cupcake?
Shortened cake (butter, conventional)
What type of cake is a carrot cake?
Shortened cake (butter, conventional)
What is a butter cake?
standard birthday cake
What are examples of unshortened cakes (Foam, sponge)?
Angel food cake Sponge cake Dacquoise Meringue Roulade Tiramisu
What is a roulade?
Rolled sponge cake (unshortened).
Roulades involve baking in ______ and rolling while _______ to set shape.
Topping should be added when ______, then rerolled and covered with powdered sugar.
Roulades involve baking in THIN BAKING SHEET and rolling while STILL WARM to set shape.
Topping should be added when COOLED, then rerolled and covered with powdered sugar.
Angel food cakes use ______ as leavening agent, resulting in a ______ texture
Angel food cakes use beaten egg whites as leavening agent, resulting in a light & airy texture
What are the five crucial mixing procedures in angel food cakes (unshortened)?
- work with room temperature ingredients
- Whip egg foam, then add sugar gradually, then salt, then flavour
- Sift flour into liquid foam
- Stir thoroughly, don’t overmanipulate
- Invert while cooling (ungreased pan with hole)
What is the difference between the density of chiffon cakes and unshortened cakes?
Chiffon cakes are richer than sponge cake, but still light and airy
How do commercial mixes differ from homemade mixes ? (6)
ASSLES
- Antioxidants (prevent oxidative rancidity)
- Stabilized egg white solids (increase storage life)
- Slow dissolving phosphate baking powder (reduce premature reaction)
- Less moisture (<6%) (reduce premature reaction)
- Emulsifiers (improves fat performance)
- Stabilizers & other additives (gums, lecithin, starches)
What are the most common emulsifiers?
Mono/diglycerides
What is their purpose? How does it accomplish that?
To improve fat performance, by even fat incorporation
What does even fat incorporation (induced by emulsifiers) do for the rest of the ingredients?
Even fat incorporation distributes air, and lubricates other ingredients to facilitate movement
What does air incorporation and lubricating do for the cake?
Improves volume, texture is finer, staling is retarded.
How do cookies and cakes differ?
Cookies have more fat, and more sugar.
-> Crispier, less light
Which language does “cookie” come from?
Dutch
Cookies are classified neatly into 6 categories based on fat content
True or false
False
Cookies cannot be neatly classified (too many).
But they can be included into 6 categories based on the FLUIDITY of the batter.
What are the 6 categories of cookies?
Drop Bar Moulded Rolled Pressed Refrigerated
What is the consistency of drop cookies?
Wet, but shouldn’t spread when dropped
How should bar cookies be made?
Flatten moist batter onto sheet, cut when baked
Moulded cookies are heavier than rolled cookies
True or False?
False
Rolled cookies are heavier than moulded cookies. Moulded cookies are just heavy enough to be formed into shapes
What is the consistency of pressed cookies?
Can be pushed through a pastry bags, and forced through dyes
What are examples of moulded cookies?
Peanut butter cookies, almond cookies, biscottis
What are examples of rolled cookies?
Shortbread, gingerbread, cannoli, butter cookies
What are examples of drop cookies?
Chocolate chip, fortune cookies
What are examples of pressed cookies?
Macaroons, lady fingers
What determines the mixing method we use for cookies?
Mixing method is determined by type of cookie
What determines whether a cookie will be flat vs puffy?
Type of flour used
Flat -> all purpose flour
Puffy -> cake flour
What creates hard cookies? Why?
Overmixing creates hard cookies due to too much AIR.
Therefore mix until just moist.
