Nicki's Culinary Journal

February 27, 2012

Today was the first official baking day. Baking requires very different skills and ability than cooking. Precise measurements and the understanding of science is necessary to comprehend how things work and why. To be a good baker, pastry chef, you need to understand the basic components.

Flour: Flour gives the elastic,, strength and gas trapping ability to the dough There are numerous types of flour, which I actually discussed in the bread post. Different flours have varying amounts of protein. When protein reacts with water, it forms gluten. Hence, cake flour and pastry flour has less protein tan bread flour and all-purpose flour.

Flour + Water + mechanical actions = Gluten

Sugar: Sugar acts as a sweetener, tenderizes, weakens gluten, gives crust color, retards staling, is a creaming agent mixed with fats and a foaming agent mixed with eggs
Numerous types of sugars exist and have specific purposes - granulated, confectioner (just ground sugar), brown sugar (sugar plus molasses), syrups (molasses, corn, honey, malt, maple, Agave)

Fats: Fats help tenderize, soften,adds moisture, richness and flavor to dough and helps leaven. Shortening (100% veg or animal oil), butter (ALWAYS USE UNSALTED BUTTER), Margarine (hyginated fats), Lard (pigs fat), oil (liquid fat)

Dairy: Dairy comes in many forms as well - whole, skim and percent, cream, fermented (yogurt, sour cream, buttermilk), evaporated milk (60% water remains), condensed milk (evaporated milk plus sugar), dried milk and cheese

Eggs: eggs help emulsify fats and liquids, leavens, shortens gluten strands, adds moisture, flavor color and nutrients

Salt: salt strengthens gluten, makes flexible, helps crust formations and color, makes sweet tastes sweeter and diminishes sour and bitter tastes - if use kosher salt in place of table salt add more or do by weight

Leavening: makes less dense - Baking powder versus baking soda
Baking soda neutralizes acidic ingredients. Activates when mixes with liquid.
Baking powder has baking soda (quick acting) + cream of tartare (slow acting) + corn starch (filler)
Cream of tartare activates as a result of heat while baking soda activates when mixed with liquid.

Tips:

-to dust counter with flour, throw from the side to get a thin, non-lumpy layer
-when measuring flour, do not compact. keep air pockets in it. Or do it by weight
-always bake one size and shape per tray. different size cookies and shapes will cook at different times and some will burn while others are under cooked.
-graham flour - is whole wheat flour