Controlling Air Bubble Density in Flan

By Zachariah Preble

PHYS E-27 Science and Cooking

Harvard Extension School: BIOS E-102

Instructors: Michael Brenner, Pia Sörensen, Tim Roth, Elissa Lin

May 15, 2015

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Controlling Air Bubble Density in Flan

Abstract
Flans sometimes contain air bubbles. The purpose of this project was to identify the factors that
control aeration in flan. I began with a simple three ingredient recipe (condensed milk, whole
milk and eggs). Several recipes and preparation methods were tested and the bubble densities of
a 2 x 2 cm cross-sections were recorded. The tested recipes included varying amounts of eggs
and milk. The tested preparation methods including whipping the eggs (with and without added
xantham), using a bain-marie, and trying longer baking times. Air bubbles were finally achieved
by removing the bain-marie and increasing the cooking time but the flan's taste and texture were
negatively affected. A final experiment compared the elasticity and air bubble density to
determine the optimal baking time of 50 minutes @ 182ºC in a ceramic ramekin measuring 5cm
in radius and 4cm in height.

Introduction and Motivation

Depending on where it is prepared, flan (a type of firm custard) will either have a solid
appearance or will contain air bubbles. To many cooks, proper flan orthodoxy dictates a "bubble-
free" consistency as "[they] will ruin the smooth texture of your flan" (Fu, 2013). The presence
of air bubbles however may be desirable to some palates as they can give the flan a lighter
appearance and texture as well as help capture and retain the caramelized sugar that drips from
the top of the flan as it is eaten. Several online recipes recommend straining the batter before
cooking in order to avoid air bubbles. Applying this logic we may assume that aerating the batter
by means of whipping before cooking will ensure the presence of more air bubbles in the cooked
flan. In order to test this theory several recipes were prepared and tested against a control recipe.
Other online sources advise against over-cooking the flan in order to avoid air bubbles.
Naturally, overcooking may affect the taste and texture of the flan as well as risk burning the
caramelized sugar that lines the cooking vessel, affecting its viscosity and producing a bitter
taste. Harold McGee in his book "On food and cooking: The science and lore of the kitchen",
describes how heat affects the different proteins at different temperatures and how the dilution of
egg proteins with milk affects the firmness of cooked eggs. The experiments in the project are
designed to determine what effect different ingredient proportions, pre-cooking aeration, and
cooking temperatures have on the air bubble density of the finished product.

Method and Materials

The project was executed in two stages: the discovery stage and the investigative stage. The
objective of the discovery stage was to establish a repeatable baseline recipe that I could use for
comparison purposes. After researching several online recipes and collecting anecdotal
information from some offline consultations I decided on a simple three ingredient recipe as my
base: 1 14oz can of condensed milk, 1 14oz can of whole milk, 3 whole eggs. I used a 6"
diameter aluminum cake pan with a cover in a 2cm deep bain-marie. The ingredients were
blended at high speed for two minutes and poured on the pan lined with a layer of cooled
caramelized sugar and cooked at 182ºC (360ºF) for 60 minutes. After cooling and un-molding, a
cross-section was cut through the center and a template with a 2cm x 2cm window was placed
against the interior of the flan to count the number of air bubbles. The base recipe showed no air
bubbles at all. The goal of the investigative stage was to test effects of milk dilution, protein
volume, pre-cooking aeration, and temperature. The same methodology that was applied to the
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base recipe was applied for six variations of the base recipe at 182ºC (360ºF) for 60 minutes
according to
Table 1. The permutations included varying amounts of whole milk, varying amounts of eggs,
presence and absence of a bain-marie, egg whites beaten and unbeaten, and the addition of
xanthan. Each sample was again cut and air bubble density was measured and recorded using the
same 2cm x 2cm template. Next, I tested the effect of temperature on air bubble density by
submitting the recipe from variation 6 to various cooking times. For this experiment I used a
ceramic ramekin measuring 10cm in diameter, 4cm in height, and approximately 4mm thick. I
prepared 1 batch and distributed the batter into four different ramekins, cooking them for 30, 40,
50, and 60 minutes respectively. After cooling and un-molding I measured and recorded the
elastic modulus by applying a cylindrical weight measuring 50mm in diameter and weighing
405grams to all four flans. Next, I cut a cross-section at the center of each flan and counted and
recorded (Table 2) the total number of bubbles in the cross-section as well as the area (all
measured 10cm across but the heights varied). The force of the weight is 3.971693 Newtons
(assuming g=9.80665m/s2) and the area of the weight is 0.001963495 m2.

Data and Results

The discovery stage results showed the effects of milk dilution, protein volume, pre-cooking
aeration, and temperature. Variation 1 (added protein volume) included an extra egg but did not
produce any air bubbles. Variation 2 (milk dilution) included an extra measure of milk (which
also added some protein) but also did not produce any air bubbles. Variation 3 (added protein
volume and milk dilution) included an extra egg and an extra measure of milk but did not
produce any air bubbles. Variation 4 (pre-cooking aeration) followed the base recipe but the
egg whites where beaten until a stiff peak was achieved before being folded into the remainder of
the recipe but no air bubbles remained after the flan was cooked. Variation 5 (pre-cooking
aeration + stabalizer) was similar to Variation 4 except I added 1/3 teaspoon of Xanthan gum to
the foamed egg whites in an attempt to retain the air bubbles. This resulted in a slightly different
texture after it was cooked but no visible air bubbles.

Table 1
Recipe variations and resulting bubble density.
Base Variation 1 Variation 2 Variation 3 Variation 4 Variation 5 Variation 6
Condensed Milk 1 14oz can 1 14oz can 1 14oz can 1 14oz can 1 14oz can 1 14oz can 1 14oz can
Whole Milk 1 14oz can 1 14oz can 2 14oz can 2 14oz can 1 14oz can 1 14oz can 1 14oz can
Eggs 3 4 3 4 3 (foamed) 3 (foamed) 3
Xanthan none none none none none 1/4 teaspoon none
Bain-Marie 2 cm deep 2 cm deep 2 cm deep 2 cm deep 2 cm deep 2 cm deep none
Bubble density 0/cm2 0/cm2 0/cm2 0/cm2 0/cm2 0/cm2 6/cm2
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Each of these variations failed at producing bubbles in the interior of the flan but I observed air
pockets lining the outside of the flan (where the temperature reaches the highest level. This
observation lead me to assume that a slow heat diffusion toward the center of the flan was
preventing similar bubbles from forming inside the flan so in Variation 6 I cooked the base
recipe without the bain-marie and achieved a bubble density of 6/cm2. The results of the
discovery stage revealed that bubbles are achievable through an increase in temperature by
removing the bain-marie. With this information I began the investigative stage.

In the next stage I switched cooking vessels from the aluminum cake pan to smaller ceramic
ramekins in order to test multiple cooking temperatures from a single control batter batch and
oven temperature, adjusting only the cooking times. At 30 minutes I removed the first flan and
took the necessary measurements to calculate the elasticity (starting length L, compressed length
L, and the given stress values) as well as the number of bubbles (Table 2). The results are charted
in Figure 1.
Table 2
Elasticity and Bubble Density at Varied Cooking Times
Cooking
Initial L Compressed L ΔL Elastic modulus Number of Surface area Bubbles per
time
(meters) (meters) (meters) (Pa) bubbles (m2) (m2)
(minutes)
30 0.0215 0.0190 0.0025 17395.794 24 0.00215 11162.79
40 0.0250 0.0225 0.0025 20227.668 22 0.00250 8800
50 0.0180 0.0155 0.0025 14563.921 27 0.00180 15000
60 0.0250 0.0205 0.0045 11237.593 29 0.00250 11600

Figure 1

Discussion and Analysis

The results count on too few experiments to draw definitive conclusions. In both stages all
experiments should be repeated multiple times in order to confirm the data. However, assuming
that the easiest way to achieve air bubbles in flans is through temperature control, let us analyze
the behavior of the flan at different cooking times. The elasticity of the flan increases as more
heat is applied but then drops slowly. This means that the flan achieves a "peak stiffness" at
around 40 minutes and then becomes softer over time. Ideally a very stiff flan is not desirable so
a softer texture may be achieved by removing the flan before or after. However, at 30 minutes
the flan is still undercooked and has a very "eggy" taste. After the 40 minute mark the flan begins
to form air bubbles and has a spongier texture but if too much time passes the flan collapses (as
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seen in the ΔL from Table 2) and the bubbles disappear. Also the caramel begins to burn, giving
the flan a burnt taste. Interpreting Harold McGee's explanation on protein coagulation, we might
assume that the proteins in the eggs contribute to the elasticity change as egg whites become a
"tender solid" when they reach 65ºC due to ovotransferrin, then firmer when ovolbumen
coagulates at 80ºC and finally ovomucin solidifies at temperatures over 80ºC. Again according
to Harlod McGee, the proteins in the milk do not contribute to coagulation, in fact they dilute the
egg proteins and make for a softer custard-like consistency. During the discovery stage, I ran into
recipes that used 6 or even 7 eggs which would greatly affect firmness but according to McGee
"[Custards] that are to be turned out of a container for serving must be firm enough to stand of
their own, which means that they must contain either some egg whites or at least 3 yolks per
cup/250 ml of liquid." Our recipe was well above that threshold to begin with.

By removing the bain-marie, I enabled the temperature of the vessel to exceed 100ºC and allow
the heat to diffuse much more rapidly. One possible explanation as to how the air bubbles are
formed is that vapor pockets are trapped long enough for the egg proteins to unravel and set so
any cooking time above that point is excessive as the eggs will overcook and the caramel will
burn. This explanation also accounts for why pre-aeration and the addition of xanthan did not
have any effect. Another important observation is the cooking vessel. Larger vessels will require
more time for the heat to diffuse across and will be uneven.

Conclusion and Future Directions

The ideal flan is subject to personal taste but temperature control seems to be the easiest means
of managing air bubbles. For a solid flan use a bain-marie. For a perfect bubble density of 1.5
bubbles per cm2 cook for 50 minutes @ 182ºC. The cooking vessel was key in this experiment.
For future flans, I will consider using a cake pan (like an angel food pan with center tube) which
will allow the heat to diffuse more evenly.

References

Fu, M. (2013, October 22). The secret to making perfect Flan (Crème Caramel). Retrieved May
1, 2015, from http://www.the350degreeoven.com/2013/10/mexican/the-secret-to-making-
perfect-flan-creme-caramel/

McGee, H. (2004). Eggs. In On food and cooking: The science and lore of the kitchen (pp. 84-
98). New York: Scribner.