The roles of ingredients in baking

Wheat and other flours

The flour used in baking provides structure, tenderness, color and texture to the baked products. Also, the contents of flour which are useful in baking include sugar, *gluten and protein. The gluten contained in wheat flour can be developed optimally through the mixing step. Just remember that whole wheat flours will require less mixing to avoid negatively impacting the bread texture. The sugar in flour contributes as one of the sources of food for yeast. The protein in flour interacts with sugar to promote crust browning.

Liquid

Baking ingredients often require water when flour is involved to serve as a solvent, steam for *leavening, crust browning, gluten development and flavor. Different types of liquid will play different roles in baking. For example, when fruit juices are used in baking, they may contribute significantly to the taste of the baked products.

Eggs

 Eggs are common ingredients in baking and acts as a liquid, *emulsifier, coloring agent, and contributes to the texture. The proteins contained in eggs will *coagulate and contribute to its structure. The yolks of the eggs will also distinctly color the products. Plus, when egg whites are foamed, bubbles of air are trapped, forming many small cells within the eggs; providing structure for the eggs.

Fats

Fats have many roles in baking including providing flavor, color, richness and texture to baked goods. Different types of fat will play different roles in the product. For instance, using oil in baking may result in pastry with a more mealy texture while using solid fat will make the texture flakier.

Sugar   

Sugar in baked products is used as sweetener, tenderizing agent and browning agent. The role of sugar as a sweetener is quite significant but it is also important as food for the yeast. In addition, the browning is due to the caramelization of sugar.

Salt

The most important role of salt in baking is for flavoring but it has an extra role for yeast products to prevent over growth of yeast.

Vocabulary:
*Gluten: Protein complex that forms when wheat flour is added with water, resulting in a protein network which is responsible for the elastic texture of dough.
*Leavening: To cause dough or bread to rise by adding leavening agent (eg: yeast, steam )
*Emulsifier: a substance that stabilizes an emulsion, in particular an additive used to stabilize processed foods.
*Coagulate: To cause transformation of (a liquid, for example) into or as if into a soft, semisolid, or solid mass