INTRODUCTION OF COMMON BAKING INGREDIENTS

oven toaster and grill- OTG, USED FOR BAKING AND HEATING THE BAKED PRODUCTS, USING BAKING INGREDIENTS

BAKING IS THE TERM USED TO COOK FOOD IN A CLOSED VESSEL OR OVEN OR OTG,(OVEN, TOASTER, AND GRILLER) USING DRY HEAT AS A MEDIUM OF COOKING.

Baking ingredients can be flour, fat, sweeteners, raising agents, liquids, and many more.

GENERAL BAKING INGREDIENTS:-

FLOUR: The gluten and the protein present in the flour, gives a base or a structure trapping air bubbles to make a soft end product.

All-purpose flour or Maida: To make Cakes, Cookies, Biscuits, Tarts, and Pastries.
Whole wheat flour: To make Bread, Buns, etc,.
Sometimes a combination of both is also done.

FAT: It makes the finished product light, tender, and fluffy. Fat also gives a great aroma and flavor.

BUTTER: Salted and unsalted butter is often used.
Margarine: It is a vegetable fat and can be used as a substitute for Butter.
OIL: For some cake and baked products vegetable oil is also used.
VEGETABLE GHEE: Vegetable ghee or vanaspati is hydrogenated vegetable fat. when used with butter it makes pastries crisper and flakier.

SWEETENERS: This gives flavors and moistness and thus gives tenderness to the product by the creation of tiny air pockets by the reaction of leavening agents.

BROWN SUGAR: It is either dark or light brown in color. These are sugar crystals coated with molasses syrup, hence have natural flavor and color.
CASTER SUGAR: It is extra fine granulated sugar, which dissolves more quickly. Ideal for cakes.
DEMERARA SUGAR: It has coarser and larger grains than brown sugar, so not suitable for creaming. best used for making cakes with the melting methods.
GRANULATED SUGAR: It is a regular table sugar.
HONEY: It adds flavor, color, and moistness to a cake.
ICING SUGAR: It is a mixture of corn flour and ground fine sugar, used for icing purposes or to decorate the cake.
POWDERED SUGAR: This is a granulated sugar ground to a smooth powder and sifted.

EGGS: Both white and brown eggs can be used.

Eggs are both raising and binding agents.
They give color and flavor to the baked products.
Beaten eggs with milk are brushed on bread and buns to give an appetizing glaze and gloss.
Egg white gives aeration and makes the product very light, egg yolk adds richness and is a good emulsifier.

RAISING OR LEAVENING AGENTS: These ingredients form carbon dioxide, which makes baked products rise.
BAKERS AMMONIA (AMMONIUM CARBONATE); It is a type of baking powder used mainly for biscuits and cookies.
BAKING POWDER: It is a blend of an acid such as cream of tarter and an alkali. It is also known as soda-bicarbonate or baking soda.
CREAM OF TARTER: It is also known as Tartaric Acid is an ingredient in baking powder. It is also used on its own usually to stabilize and increase the volume of egg whites.
SODA BICARBONATE (baking soda) It is a leavener used when there is an acidic ingredient in the recipe such as vinegar, lemon juice, curds, buttermilk, fruit pulp, honey, etc.,
YEAST; There are two types of yeast.
a) Fresh yeast-It is used in doughs and batters. It is putty in color and texture. It should have a slightly fermented smell.
b)Dry yeast -This also works in the same way. It is white or light in color. You can store it in an airtight container for 6 weeks in the refrigerator.

NOTE-1 level tablespoon of dry yeast =25 grams of fresh yeast.

LIQUIDS: Liquid helps in carrying the flavors throughout the products and provides steam during Baking and acts as a Raising Agent.
MILK: Either whole milk -3.5% FAT or Skimmed milk 0.5% fat are used in BAKING. It is used to make dough for a loaf of bread for a softer crush, which remains soft and fresh for a longer time.
WATER; Water is best for producing a loaf with an even texture and crispy crust.
SALT: Salt strengthens gluten and enhances flavors.
NOTE: In yeast bread, accurate measurements of salt are a must.
If too little is used dough rises too quickly and if too much is used the yeast will be killed giving the Bread an uneven structure.

OTHER INGREDIENTS

CHEESE: A variety of cheeses are used in baking. Use grated processed cheese. If Cream Cheese is not available a combination of drained(hung)Yogurt and Cheese spread can be used.
Different types of cheese available are COTTAGE CHEESE, MOZZARELLA CHEESE, FETA CHEESE, AND CHEDDAR CHEESE.
CHOCOLATE: Chocolate is made up of cocoa beans which are processed into cocoa butter and solids and combined with sugar, vanilla, and other ingredients. Use Dark Cooking Chocolate unless specified.
White chocolate is similar to regular chocolate except that it does not contain cocoa solids.
CHOCOLATE CHIPS: These are used for cookies and muffins. These have less cocoa butter than regular chocolate, which helps them retain their shape while baking.
COCOA OR COCOA POWDER: Cocoa is like unsweetened chocolate in powdered form, but contains less cocoa butter than chocolate.
NOTE: Never use drinking chocolate powder as a substitute.
COCONUT: Un-sweetened desiccated coconut, rather than fresh coconut is usually used in Baking.
CORN FLOUR: Corn flour is an excellent thickening agent. It is also used in combination with flour to make cookies crisp.
CREAM: Whipping cream is a heavy cream with at least 30% fat. It is ideal for whisking. It is best to use fresh dairy cream for whisking. There are certain brands of whipping creams available.
DRIED FRUITS: RAISINS, SULTANAS, CURRANTS, DATES, GLACE CHERRIES AND TUTTI FRUITY(mixed chopped dried fruit or peel) add color, flavor, and sweetness to baked products.
NOTE Make sure the ingredients are washed, dried, and sprinkled with flour before use.
FLAVORINGS: These are extracts and essences. Both are not the same.
EXTRACTS: They are generally stronger as they are natural.
ESSENCE: This can be artificial, so can be milder.
MOST COMMON FLAVORS USED ARE VANILLA, ALMOND, PEPPERMINT, ORANGE, ROSE, PINEAPPLE AND CARDAMOM.
FOOD COLORS: Use organic natural food colors wherever possible.
GELATIN: Unflavored gelatin is an odorless, tasteless, and colorless thickening agent.It is dissolved in hot water and cooled to form jelly. It is a pure protein derived from animals.
Vegetarian gelatin is also available nowadays.
AGAR AGAR or CHINA GRASS: Made from seaweed is commonly used in vegetarian food.
NUTS: Walnuts, Peanuts, Almonds, cashew nuts, and Pistachios are common Baking ingredients.
NOTE: Almonds should be blanched and peeled before using.
OATS: Porridge Oats are generally used, which is Steamed, Rolled, and flaked so that they cook quickly.
WHEAT BRAN: It is the hard outer layer of the wheat grain. It is rich in Dietary fiber and is added to enrich Breads and Baked products.