Baking Basics: Quick and Yeast Breads

Quick Breads

• Made quickly, leavened by chemical agents or air/steam.
• Common examples include muffins and pancakes.

Yeast Breads

• Require more time to prepare, leavened by yeast or starters.
• Examples include loaves and rolls.

Batters

• Pour Batter: Consists of 2/3-1 part liquid to 1 part flour; used for waffles and shortened cakes.
• Drop Batter: Comprises 1 part liquid to 2 parts flour; typical in muffins and cookies.
• Soft Dough: Contains 1 part liquid to 3 parts flour; used for biscuits and yeast breads.
• Stiff Dough: Features 1 part liquid to 6-8 parts flour; found in pie crusts and some cookies.

Mixing Techniques

• Mixing batters involves beating or stirring to hydrate flour without developing gluten.
• Kneading is essential for dough, promoting gluten development for structure.

Importance of Flour

• Flour is vital for structure, texture, and flavor in baked products.
• Starch and gluten contribute to crumb and elasticity, respectively.

Gluten Content in Flours

• Wheat Flour: Contains gluten.
• Rye: Contains gliadin and glutenin but forms less gluten.
• Barley, Triticale, and Oats: Contains varying gluten levels; oats have avenin, which may be safe for some with celiac.

Gluten-Free Alternatives

• Examples include arrowroot, buckwheat, legume flours, millet, and quinoa.

Dough and Batter Manipulation

• Over-manipulation of dough leads to toughness due to excessive gluten development.
• Over-manipulation of batters can introduce unwanted air pockets but doesn't significantly affect gluten.

Flour Weight and Sifting

• Sifted flour is lighter than unsifted flour.

Role of Liquid in Batters/Dough

• Liquid hydrates starch/gluten, dissolves sugars and leavening agents, and produces steam for leavening.

Leavening Agents

• Include gases (air, steam, CO2), chemicals (baking soda, baking powder), and biological processes (yeast).

Function of Eggs in Baking

• Eggs provide color, structure, flavor, and help emulsify fat and liquid.

Function of Fat in Baking

• Fat tenderizes by shortening gluten strands, contributes to flakiness, and helps retain moisture in baked goods.

Types of Fats and Their Properties

• Solid fats (SFA) result in flakiness but are less tender.
• Liquid fats (PUFA) yield tenderness but less flakiness.

Substituting Oils for Fats

• To substitute oil for fat in dough, chill the oil and use 7/8 cup of oil for every cup of fat.

Reduced Fat Products in Baking

• Cannot be used as substitutes due to higher moisture content.

Function of Salt

• Salt enhances flavor, competes for water, increases tenderness, regulates fermentation, and allows gluten to stretch.

Role of Sugar

• Sugar adds sweetness, tenderizes by competing for water, elevates starch gelatinization, and acts as food for yeast.

Leavening Agent Mechanisms

• Air: Introduced through techniques like creaming and beating.
• Steam: Requires high water content and oven temperature, essential in making pastries.
• Carbon Dioxide: Produced during fermentation and chemical reactions, critical for leavening.