YURONG, BERNADETTE B.

BSND-1A

Assignment: Quick Bread

1.Explain how over-mixing and under-mixing impact the texture of a muffin. Be specific.
-Avoid Overmixing. One of the keys to making a good muffin is to use the muffin method in
mixing the ingredients, just barely moistening the dry ingredients. Some small lumps in the
batter are desirable; a smooth batter means that overmixing has occurred, and too much gluten
has been developed. Overmixing creates a muffin with a smooth, peaked top and an interior
that is tough and riddled with tunnels. The formation of tunnels occurs as the protein in the
exterior portion of the muffin coagulates with the increased temperatures of baking, while the
interior is still expanding. If there is too much gluten, it continues to stretch with the pressure
of the expanding gases. The tunnels form when they are finally coagulated with the heat
moving toward the center of the muffin. Th e likelihood of tunnels is reduced by using whole-
grain flours or flours other than all-purpose. The bran from whole-grain flours cuts gluten and
interferes with its development, whereas the lesser amount of protein in most other flours
decreases their potential for gluten development.
-Avoid Undermixing. Although both avoiding overmixing and using the appropriate flour help to
avoid tunnels, undermixing leaves lumps that are too large, indicating insufficient gluten
development and resulting in a crumbly muffin that falls apart. Insufficient mixing also leaves
the baking powder incompletely moistened, which results in a low-volume muffin. It is also
important to beat the eggs separately before adding them to the liquid ingredients;
insufficiently beaten eggs can concentrate on the outside of the muffin, where their coagulation
results in an undesirable between lightly floured hands or thoroughly toss them in a bag
containing some flour.
2.Describe ways to alter the nutritional profile of quick breads, while still maintaining or
adding desirable characteristics, to suit special needs.
-Quick breads consist primarily of carbohydrate, with varying amounts of fat depending on the
type of quick bread (see Calorie Control). Quick breads are somewhat higher in both fat and
sugar than yeast breads, although modifying the ingredients can produce quick breads with less
fat and fewer calories.
Healthful Recipe Modifications. The nutritional profile of certain quick breads can be altered to
suit special needs by:
A. Adding fiber. Substituting whole-wheat flour, bran, oatmeal, or wheat germ for about
one fourth of the white flour to increase fiber content.
B. Reducing sugar. Reducing sugar by 25% by using dried fruit purées.
C. Reducing fat. Replacing hydrogenated vegetable shortening with nonhydrogenated
margarine or vegetable oils to decrease the saturated fat content. Adding starches to
 reduce fat content (in a few commercial cases). Substituting two egg whites for each
egg. Using flour blends made with a fat substitute (for commercial bakers).
-However, removing the fat from quick breads can cause several problems in the final product.
For instance, low-fat tortillas may have poor dough-mixing properties due to a tough dough,
chewy texture, cracking during storage, and decreased shelf life. Adding a carbohydrate -based
fat replacer (hydrolyzed rice flour) that is hydrated with water mimics the texture and
mouthfeel of fat while improving the dough’s pliability and roll ability and the freshness of the
final tortilla.
3.Make a list of potential quick bread problems and their causes.
a. Peaked top- caused by excessive mixing.
b. Smooth crust- caused by excessive mixing.
c. Pale- caused by excessive mixing and oven that is too cool.
d. Burned- caused by oven that is too hot.
e. Tough, “elastic”- caused by excessive mixing and too much flour.
f. Tunnels- caused by excessive mixing.
g. Very compact- caused by excessive mixing.
h. Too dry- caused by oven that is too hot or oven that is too cool and baked for too
long.

4.Describe how to make the perfect muffin and what pitfalls to avoid.
- Once mixed, the batter and all its ingredients are ready for the muffin pan. Only the bottoms
of the individual cups should be greased, because ungreased sides give the dough traction as it
rises, thereby allowing it to rise higher. The muffin cups are filled two-thirds full, and the batter
is baked at about 400°F (204°C) for about 20 to 25 minutes. The muffins will slide out of their
individual cups more easily if the hot pan is first placed on a wet towel.
5.Why is lime added to corn when making cornmeal? Explain the process.
- Whole corn has a hard outer husk, which is softened by boiling it in lime (calcium hydroxide)
water, holding it for about 45 minutes, and steeping it at room temperature for an additional
12 to 18 hours. This cooked maize (nixtamal) is then cooled, washed, and ground into cornmeal.
Water and some salt are then added to yield the final product called masa. The alkaline solution
also increases the nutrient content of tortillas made from masa. It increases the mixture’s
calcium content and simultaneously releases niacin, a B vitamin, from the corn.