Sugar in Baking PDF

TOPIC # 6 SUGAR  What is Sugar? Sugar is a generic name used for a sweet tasting, soluble carbohydrate. Sucrose is the chemical name for sugar; it is extracted from sugar cane or sugar beets Lactose is the sugar found in milk Maltose is...

TOPIC # 6 SUGAR  What is Sugar? Sugar is a generic name used for a sweet tasting, soluble carbohydrate. Sucrose is the chemical name for sugar; it is extracted from sugar cane or sugar beets Lactose is the sugar found in milk Maltose is the sugar found in malt (malt comes from barley) Fructose is the simple sugar found in fruit Functions of Sugar in Baking Adds sweetness & flavour Creates tenderness and fineness of texture Gives crust colour Increases keeping qualities/shelf life (Preservative) Acts as creaming agent with fats Acts as a foaming agent with eggs Retains moisture Provides food for yeast (assists with fermentation) Weakens gluten structure to make a tender product  Categories of Granulated Sugar Regular granulated sugar, also called fine granulated sugar or table sugar, is the most familiar and the most commonly used. Very fine and ultrafine sugars (also called caster sugar) are finer than regular granulated sugar. They produce a more uniform batter and can support higher quantities of fat. Sanding sugars are coarse and are used for coating cookies, cakes, and other products. Pearl sugar is a type of sanding sugar. It consists of opaque, white grains and does not easily dissolve in water. Pearl sugar is also called sugar nibs. In general, finer granulations are better for mixing into dough and batters because they dissolve relatively quickly. Fine sugars are better for creaming with fats because they create a finer, more uniform air cell structure and better volume. Coarse sugar is used in syrups, where its mixing properties are not a factor. Course sugar dissolves easily when boiled with water. Coarse crystalline sugar is often purer than fine sugar and makes a clearer syrup.  Brown Sugar & Demerara Sugar Brown Sugar is mostly sucrose (about 85 to 92%), but it also contains varying amounts of caramel, molasses, and other impurities, which give it its characteristic flavor and color. Brown sugar is regular cane sugar that has not been completely refined. It can also be made by adding measured amounts of these impurities to refined white sugar. Brown sugar was, at one time, available in 15 grades that ranged from very dark to very light. Today, only two to four grades are generally available. Because it contains a small amount of acid, brown sugar can be used with baking soda to provide some leavening. It should not be used in white cakes. Keep brown sugar in an airtight container to prevent it from drying out and hardening. Demerara sugar is a crystalline brown sugar. It is dry rather than moist like regular brown sugar. Demerara sugar is sometimes used in baking, but it is more often served as a sweetener with coffee and tea.  Confectioners Sugar Confectioner’s sugar is ground to a fine powder and mixed with a small amount of starch (about 3%) to prevent caking. 10X is the finest sugar. It gives the smoothest texture in icings. 6X is slightly coarser in texture than 10X. For this reason, it is less likely to form lumps or to dissolve in moisture. It is used mostly for dusting the tops of desserts. Coarser types (XXX and XX) are used for dusting and whenever 6X or 10X are too fine. Confectioners’ sugar is also known as icing sugar because of its importance in making many kinds of icing  Liquid Sweeteners Corn Syrup Honey Maple Syrup Molasses Sugar Syrup (or simple syrup) Malt All provide flavour and lasting freshness/moistness in a product due to their hygroscopic properties (ability to absorb/retain moisture from air) Cookies & Brownies Make-Up Methods For Cookies: Drop Cookies Icebox Cookies Bar Cookies Cut-Out or Rolled Cookies Pressed or Piped Cookies Wafer or Stenciled Cookies  Cookie Panning and Baking High temperature for soft/chewy cookie Example: peanut butter cookie, coconut macaroons Low temperature for crisp/drier cookie Example: meringue Even spacing Uniform thickness Double sheeting for some cookies Rotation of pan in oven Remove from pan immediately from oven  Storage of Cookies Usually can be stored up to one week in airtight container DO NOT combine soft and crisp cookies in same container Most cookies freeze well if stored in airtight container Raw cookie dough also freezes well