Ch.18 Home Baking

Question 1

List 5 advantages of home banking..

Answer 1

1. Better, fresher flavour and aroma.
2. No artificial preservatives
3. Recipes can be modified to suit special dietary requirements.
4. Control over ingredients used
5. More sustainable than buying commercially produced baked goods.

Question 2

List the 6 basic ingredients used in home baking.

Answer 2

1. Flour
2. Fat
3. Sugar
4. Eggs
5. Liquid
6. Raising agents

Question 3

What is flour used for?

Answer 3

Wheat flour is generally used as it contains gluten

Question 4

Why is fat used in baking?

Answer 4

This keeps baked goods fresh for longer. Butter, margarine and vegetable oils are most commonly used.

Question 5

What is sugar used for?

Answer 5

Caster sugar, brown sugar and icing sugar are used to sweeten or decorate.

Question 6

What are eggs used for in baking?

Answer 6

Eggs bind dry ingredients together and trap air in the mixture.

Question 7

What are liquids used for in baking?

Answer 7

Milk, buttermilk or water are added to bind dry ingredients. Many plant-based alternatives to dairy milk work well in baking recipes

Question 8

What are raising agents used for in baking?

Answer 8

These are added to make cakes and bread rise.

Question 9

List the 3/5 guidelines for home baking

Answer 9

1.Collect ingredients, check expiry or best-before dates and weigh them accurately
2. Collect all equipment and prepare tins before you start mixing ingredients so that when the mixture is wet, there is no delay getting it into the oven.
3. Arrange oven shelves, set oven temperature and preheat fully.

Question 10

List the last 2 guidelines for home baking.

Answer 10

4.Follow the recipe step-by-step so that no important stages are left out.
5. Take care not to make the mixture too wet. Add liquid little by little, stirring between additions to check for wetness

Question 11

List 2 more guidelines for home baking

Answer 11

1. Avoid overhandling ingredients as it can cause baking to become dry.
2. Time cooking accurately- cooking times vary in different ovens. Don’t rely on time only- test baking for doneness

Question 12

List 2 more guidelines for home baking

Answer 12

3. Do not open oven unnecessarily. This causes the oven temperature to drop, and baking may not rise or may fall if it has risen before the crust has formed.
4. Remove from tins and cool on a wire rack.

Question 13

How do you test to see if your bread is cooked?

Answer 13

Top and bottom should be golden brown. There should be a hollow sound when tapped underneath

Question 14

How do you test to see if a sponge ( cake ) is fully cooked?

Answer 14

Surface should be golden brown and spring back when pressed lightly with fingers.

Question 15

How do you test to see if a cake is fully cooked?

Answer 15

If a skewer remains dry after being inserted into the centre of the cake

Question 16

What do raising agents do?

Answer 16

Raising agents make bread and cakes rise

Question 17

How many raising agents are there? What are their names?

Answer 17

There are 4 raising agents: Air, Bread Soda , Baking Powder and Yeast.

Question 18

How is air introduced into a mixture?

Answer 18

Air is mixed into the mixture by sieving, rubbing in, creaming or whisking.
Once the mixture is heated, the hot air rises pushing the mixture up,
A crust formes on top, which stops the mixture from collapsing when cool.

Question 19

Tell me 3 things about yeast

Answer 19

1. Yeasts are living organisms used in bread making.
2. To grow, they need food,warmth, moisture, oxygen, time and a slightly acidic PH
3. When yeasts have these these conditions, they multiply, producing CO2

Question 20

Tell me 2 more things about yeast

Answer 20

4. Yeast dough rises before it goes into the oven
5. A crust then forms in the oven, keeping it risen.

Question 21

What is gluten?

Answer 21

Gluten is a protein found in wheat and other cereals, it has an important role in bread and cake making, when gluten is moistened, it becomes stretchy and elastic, Gluten sets when heated, forming a crust and keeping bread or cakes in their risen state when they are cooled

Question 22

What is the rubbing in method? Give an example of where it is used.

Answer 22

The rubbing in method is when, fat is rubbed into flour with the tips of the fingers until it looks like breadcrumbs.
Eg. Scones and pastry

Question 23

What is the creaming method? Give an example of where it is used.

Answer 23

Creaming means: fat and sugar are beaten together until whiter and creamy
Eg. Cupcakes and fruit cakes

Question 24

What is the all in one method? Give an example of where it is used.

Answer 24

The all in one method is when all the ingredients are added at once and mixed thoroughly by hand or using an electric mixer or food processor.
Eg. Cupcakes and Madeira cakes

Question 25

What is the whisking method? Give an example of where it is used.

Answer 25

The whisking method is when eggs and sugar are whisked until thick and creamy. ( figure 8 test )
Eg. Sponge cakes and meringues

Question 26

What is the melting method? Give an example of where it is used.

Answer 26

The idea of the melting method is that all the ingredients that melt are melted together.
Eg. Gingerbread, muffins and flapjacks.

Question 27

What are the 3 advantages of commercial cake mixes?

Answer 27

1. Ingredients are pre-weighed, so products are quick and easy to use and great for children and beginners.
2. The packet contains all the ingredients needed ( except the wet ingredients), so there will be none left over, avoiding waste
3. Not much equipment is needed, which cuts down on time and washing up.

Question 28

What are the 3 disadvantages of commercial cake mixes

Answer 28

1. Appearance and taste are usually not as good as products made from fresh ingredients
2. May be HFSS and additives, which goes against healthy eating guidelines
3. The photo on the front of the package can be deceiving and the finished product may not look as good