A Brief History of Baking

The first breads produced, around 4000 BC, were unleavened flat breads, though there was usually some
natural leavening due to the fermentation of noble rot, wild yeast or steam. The Egyptians are credited
with inventing grinding materials, enclosed earthenware baking containers, crude ovens, and the use of
the levain process which utilizes a piece of day old dough to introduce fermentation. The Greeks
expanded on these baking concepts and became specialists in baking cakes and pastries. The Romans ere
the first to promote the training and refining of baking skills and established the first corps of bakers in
the western world. The United Kingdom established the first guild that set standards of baking and an
apprenticeship of 7 years leading to a master baker certification.

In the Americas, Native Americans cultivated corn. The Pilgrims wanted to get in on the act and
developed what is known as Johnnycakes. Wheat grasses were grown and cultivated as settlers moved
West and built grist mills near streams and rivers to grind the grain into a fine meal. Steam engines
allowed the grain to be ground closer to where it was grown. Out on the range, cowboys made bread with
flour and potato water which was fermented by bacteria and wild yeast. If they felt like something a little
different, they also used a mix of cornmeal, water, and sugar.

Aside from the steam engine, there were other improvements in baking. In 1856 baking powder was
introduced and a mere 12 years later, in 1868, commercial yeast was sold which made life a lot easier for
bread bakers as they didn’t have to wrangle those rascally little wild yeasties. Life got even better for
bakers and pastry chefs in the 1930s when the first mechanical mixers were developed.

Baking utilizes carefully balanced formulas. What goes into a flour based baked good either
strengthens/toughens (proteins and starches), weakens/tenderizes (fats and sugars), moistens (any water
containing ingredient), dries, or leavens it, but not by themselves. Without heat and water, the important
chemical and physical reactions wouldn’t take place. Hence the boom the cavemen experienced after the
invention of fire.

History of Baking
Baking has been many cultures’ favorite technique for creating snacks, desserts, and
accompaniments to meals for many years. Now, it is very well-known as the method for
creating sweets and all sorts of wondrous mouthwatering pastries. In ancient history,
the first evidence of baking occurred when humans took wild grass grains, soaked it in
water, and mixed everything together, mashing it into a kind of broth-like paste. Then,
the paste was cooked by pouring it onto a flat, hot rock, resulting in a bread-like
substance. Later, this paste was roasted on hot embers, which made bread-making
easier, as it could now be made anytime fire was created. Around 2500 B.C., records
show that the Egyptians already had bread, and may have actually learned the process
from the Babylonians. The Greek Aristophanes, around 400 B.C., also recorded
information that showed that tortes with patterns and honey flans existed in Greek
cuisine. Dispyrus was also created by the Greeks around that time and widely popular;
was a donut-like bread made from flour and honey and shaped in a ring; soaked in
wine, it was eaten when hot.

In the Roman Empire, baking flourished widely. In about 300 B.C., the pastry cook
became an occupation for Romans (known as the pastillarium). This became a very
highly respected profession because pastries were considered decadent, and Romans
loved festivity and celebration. Thus, pastries were often cooked especially for large
banquets, and any pastry cook who could invent new types of tasty treats, unseen at
any other banquet, was highly prized. Around 1 A.D., there were more than three
hundred pastry chefs in Rome alone, and Cato wrote about how they created all sorts of
diverse foods, and flourished because of those foods. Cato speaks of an enormous
amount of breads; included amongst these are the libum (sacrificial cakes made with
flour), placenta (groats and cress), spira (our modern day flour pretzels), scibilata
(tortes), savaillum (sweet cake), and globus apherica (fritters). A great selection of
these, with many different variations, different ingredients, and varied patterns, were
often found at banquets and dining halls. To bake bread, the Romans used an oven
with its own chimney and had grain mills to grind grain into flour.

Eventually, because of Rome, the art of baking became widely known throughout
Europe, and eventually spread to the eastern parts of Asia. Bakers often baked goods
at home and then sold them in the streets-children loved their goods. In fact, this scene
was so common that Rembrandt illustrated a work that depicted a pastry chef selling
pancakes in the streets of Germany, and young children surrounding him, clamoring to
get a sample. In London, pastry chef sold their goods in handcarts, which were very
convenient shops on wheels. This way, they developed a system of “delivery” baked
goods to people’s households, and the demand for baked goods increased greatly as a
result. Finally, in Paris, the first open-air café of baked goods was developed, and
baking became an established art throughout the entire world.

Yeast handling and care

11 December 2013

It’s one of the simplest forms of life, yet yeast is an absolutely essential
element in the production of bread. As it is the only living ingredient in
dough, there are a number of important steps that need to be taken to
ensure that it performs to an optimum level.Temperature is one of the
most important factors, but before we detail how to maintain the perfect
temperature all the way through the baking process, let’s first take a closer
look at what yeast actually is.

What is yeast?
Yeast is a microscopic single cell fungus. Yeast are wides pread in nature
but whilst there are hundreds of different natural species, the one most
commonly used for industrial applications such as baking, brewing and wine
making is Saccharomyces yeast with the principle species being
Saccharomyces cerevisiae or ‘sugar-eating fungus’. In the baking process,
Yeast cells digest food to obtain energy for growth. Their favourite food is
sugar in its various forms: sucrose (beet or cane sugar), fructose and
glucose (foundin honey, molasses, maple syrup and fruit), and maltose
(derived from starch in flour).The fermentation process produces useful end
products such as carbon dioxide (gas).These end products are released by
the yeast cells into the surrounding liquid in the dough.In bread baking,
when yeast ferments the carbon dioxide gas cannot escape because gas
bubbles are formed in between the gluten matrix which results in the
dough becoming elastic and stretchable. As a result of this expanding gas,
the dough inflates, or rises. Thus,the term “yeast-leavened breads” was
added to the vocabulary of the world of baking. The other compounds
produced during fermentation produce the typical flavor and aroma
ofyeast-leavened breads.

Yeast fermentation in dough has three functions in breadmaking:

• Rising the dough - as described above, yeast fermentation makes carbon

dioxide, agas responsible for stretching and expanding the dough like a
balloon.

• Dough development - other compounds formed during yeast fermentation

make theflour stronger so it can capture and hold the carbon dioxide gas
that the yeast produces.

• Flavour, aroma and texture - yeast fermentation also provides these

wonderful sensory and physical attributes that you expect from yeast-
raised products.

Once the dough is raised during proofing, Yeast cells are denatured and
killed off during the baking process when the dough is baked.

Correct storage

Yeast quality and performance is directly related to the correct use and
storage of your yeast. Remember, because yeast is a living organism its
shelf life and freshness is largely determined by the cold chain
management from the factory to the baker and how the baker stores and
uses the yeast. Yeast activity is greatly reduced when it is exposed to
moisture,and/or warmth. Learning the correct way to store your yeast will
keep it fresher for longer.Fresh yeast should be stored between 2 and 5°C,
using the first in first out principles on usage. Check that the fridge is
functioning correctly, that its seals are intact and that its door is kept
properly closed at all times. The fridge must be cold enough, but not too
cold – if yeast is stored under 0°C the expanding ice crystals can rupture
the yeast cells, rendering them inactive. The boxes should preferably be
packed off the floor, on pallets or on shelved,arranged so that there is a
space between each box. Each box is date coded, so use the principle of
First In, First Out to get optimum results.

Water temperature

For yeast to be properly activated, the dough temperature should be

between 28-31°C soit’s important that the water that is added to the dry
ingredients is a certain temperature. To calculate the exact temperature
your water should be, use the following formula:

Ingredients

Certain ingredients can negatively affect the activity of the yeast if not
added correctly. Salt,Spices and Mould Inhibitors should not be added
directly onto the yeast, and ingredients must be scaled correctly and
according to balanced recipe. High levels of salt and sugar will lower the
rate of gas production by the yeast due to osmotic pressure. It is
imperative that accurate scaling of ingredients takes place to ensure
maximum oven spring.

Proofing and Baking

Temperature and humidity are important factors in the proofing process.

The proofer should be approximately 40°C and have a humidity of 80% RH.
Make sure that you follow the recipe’s instructions correctly so that the
baking temperature is adhered to – it has been calibrated especially to
ensure perfect results.

It’s always important to keep an accurate thermometer on you at all times

to monitor the temperature of ingredients and dough whenever necessary.
However, remember to never use a mercury thermometer in the bakery.

The Importance of Shortening

What is shortening?

The name shortening is derived from the effect fat has when added to
baked products. Shortening is just a more presentable name for fat.
Shortening is a semi-solid form of 100% fat. Most modern shortenings are
made from oils derived from plants or seeds, but early shortenings were
made using animal fats or fish oils. Shortening is mostly used in cakes,
biscuits and pastry.  It was developed to supplement the short supply of
lard, but soon the demand for shortening surpassed lard and it became the
most common cooking fat used in America by 1953.

Why use shortening?

As with butter and margarine, shortening has its place in baking. Butter
and margarine can be replaced with shortening and, once the recipe is
adjusted, will produce consistent results as it is purely fat. It is important to
note, however, that shortening does not contain flavours or salt. Any
changes away from butter or margarine may require additional flavours to
be added. While it is mainly used in cakes, biscuits and in pastry, to which
it contributes to a flaky texture, shortening can also be used to improve the
eating quality of products. Shortening helps to prolong shelf life, and can
be used for shallow and deep frying, and aids in making fillings and icing
creamier. Not only does shortening not need to be refrigerated, it also has
a long shelf life if left unopened.

Shortening is important in baking as it ensures that the end product is easy

to eat, making it an important ingredient in pie crusts. This is because the
shortening fat creates a barrier between the gluten molecules, stopping
them from cross-linking when liquid is added. This creates a “short” texture
in biscuits and tarts. The addition of shortening to baked goods will
contribute to the products remaining soft after cooling.
Baking is an art of making different kind or breads, cake, biscuits and other bakery
products. The place where these products are baked is known as a Bakery. Bakery
products are an integral part of our daily life. Right from morning breakfast to dinner we
use bakery products everyday. These days there are various additions in the product
count of bakery products. Pizza, burgers, and patties have also taken place into hot
items of these bakeries.

History of Baking

The history of baking is very old. According to the sources the art of baking was
developed by ancient Egyptians between 2600-1200 BC. They learnt skills of baking
from Babylonians. During that time bakers used to make breads and cakes for eating as
well as breads and cakes of various shapes (like animals) were used for sacrifices. The
art of Baking was also popular in Roman Empire and there are proofs of existence of
bakeries in Europe too during Middle age. Under The Roman Empire the baking was a
highly respected profession.

Baking in Modern Age

These days' bakery products are in great demand, as people want to spend less time
cooking for them. They rather like to spend time in working so that they can earn some
extra bucks. So, they rely on different kinds of bakery products like readymade breads,
slices, pizza and patties which make most of their meals. Even kids love to have various
bakery products in their lunch. 

Modern day baking is mostly dependent on machines. Now bakers only control the
machine operations, rest all work and labor is done by automated machines. These
high-tech machines have made the baking process easier, efficient, and they produce
products with more quality. 

Baking is very sensitive work, which needs a lot of expertise and knowledge of different
hygienic and scientific principles. At the same time a perfect bakers has to understand
the taste nerves of people and the traditions of that particular region of operation.
Without knowing the likes and dislikes of different people, one cannot be a perfect
baker. That is the reason baking is called an art, it's not an easy work, but people who
love baking loves their professions. It's really a pleasant experience to bake various
kinds of mouth-watering bakery products for people and get appreciation.