BAKING

INGREDIENTS
FLOUR
 Flour is the main ingredient among all other ingredients. It is a
powdery product obtained from milled cereals. Flour provides the
structure of baked products and it also contributes to the colour,
texture, and flavour. Other varieties of flour include cassava flour,
rice flour, soya flour, potato flour, mongo flour, and several others.
 Wheat flour is the most commonly used type of flour in most
baked products.
 Four Kinds of Flour
1. Whole-wheat flour- also called graham or entire-wheat flour. It
contains the compact of wheat kernel in its original proportion.
2. Bread Flour-also known as strong or hard flour; it has 12-14%
gluten content. Bread flour has a coarse texture-gritty, sandy, dry, a
granular. It has a creamy color and does not usually lump when
pressed together. This type of flour is ideal for making breads, rolls,
and other sweet yeast-raised products.
2. All-purpose flour- widely known as general flour or pastry flour; it
contains 10-11% gluten content. It is combination of bread, cakes, and
pastries. For bread making, it requires more kneading to develop
gluten. In cakes, it requires less mixing to control gluten development.
3. Cake flour- also refers to soft flour; it has 7-9% gluten content. It is
ideal for cakes, cookies, and pastries. This flour has a velvety and
smooth texture, is whiter than bread flour and all-purpose flour, and
tends to hold shape when lumped together.
Other Forms of Flour

1. Enriched flour- is composed of white flour and specified amounts of nutrients

that are required by law. ( In the Philippines, flour is enriched with thiamin,
niacin, riboflavin, and iron, which is a standard practice).
2. Self-rising flour- is composed of white flour in which sodium bicarbonate
(baking soda) plus an acid salt (usually calcium phosphate), are added as
leavening. This type of flour is convenient for those who wish to prepare
products that use baking powder.
3. Quick-mixing flour- it is a white flour that has been moistened then re-dried.
When used, it does not lump or pack, and blends smoothly with liquid
ingredients.
4. Non-wheat flour- refers to the group of flour that uses root crops and
legumes instead of wheat. In the Philippines, the common ones available in the
market are potato flour, corn flour, rice flour, kamote (sweet potato) flour,
malagkit (waxy rice) flour, ube flour, and several others.
Proper Storage
 In buying flour, make certain it is fresh and free form weevils. Store
flour in a tightly closed metal, plastic, or glass container and keep in
a cool, dark pantry shelf. Cake flour and All-purpose flour can be
stored at a room temperature in a cool, dry place. Flour form grains
other than wheat should be refrigerated. Tightly covered containers
prevent flour form losing its moisture content and from absorbing
moisture form outside sources.
Sugar
 This is a sweet, crystalline, soluble compound that comes from the processing of sugar cane and
sugar beets. It is available in the market in different forms:
CLASSIFICATIONS
1. Brown Sugar- comes in different shades of brown depending on how well it has been
processed. The darkest brown color is usually sticky, lumpy, and contains more molasses than
the brown and light brown types. Unlike white sugar it contains some caramel, mineral water,
and has more moisture. Brown sugar is less purified than white sugar.
2. White, granulated sugar-is commonly used by bakers in practically all baked
products and in preparing varieties of icings, fillings, etc. It varies in texture-
from coarse to sandy, to fine and smooth.
 3. Confectioners’ sugar- is the finest in
texture compared with brown or white sugar. It
contains 3% constarch. This prevents the
lumping or crystallization of the sugar
granules. This type of sugar is used mostly for
icing and in cake mixes where a blending of
flour and sugar is done an then added in the
final stages of mixing.
Other types of sugar:
1. Panutsa- a solid mass of
crude sugar usually I half
coco shell shape.
2. Lump sugar- cube-shaped
when sold in markets. It is
white and porous.
3. Molasses- unrefined sugar
that is liquid in form, black in
color, and very thick in
consistency.
Proper Storage

 Store sugar in airtight jars or canisters to prevent caking. Keep unopened

containers of honey and syrup at room temperature. Once opened,
refrigerated to protect against molds. Place white and brown sugar in a
covered container in a dry place at room temperature.
LEAVENING AGENTS
 A leavening agent is gas added or produced during the mixing and or
beating of a batter or dough making the mixture rise, thus the product
becomes more light and porous.
Kinds of Leavening Agents
 Physical leavening agents
 Biological leavening agents
 Chemical leavening agents
1. Physical leavening agents include mechanical manipulation of flour
mixtures. Creaming butter and sugar together, cutting in or folding
ingredients, and steaming are some examples of physical leaveners.
2. Biological leavening agents, of which yeast is the most common, are
used mostly for breads and pastries. Yeast is a single-celled plant that
reproduces by budding and is capable of converting sugar to alcohol and
carbon dioxide in a process known as fermentation. The production of
carbon dioxide causes the flour mixture to rise. Commercial yeast comes
in dry or granular, cake , and compressed or fresh forms.
Yeast is a unicellular plant that reproduces by budding. It is available in
the market in dry and granular form, and as a cake or compressed yeast.
When dry yeast is soaked in lukewarm water (of about 40*C or 105*F)
and fed with sugar, it is activated. It is starts to bubble up, producing air
cells. These air cells are produced by carbon dioxide, which is released
when it converts the sugar into alcohol. This is known as fermentation.
3. Chemical leavening agents are the most commonly used of the
three. There are three common types of chemical leavening agent,
namely, baking soda, or sodium bicarbonate, baking powder, and
cream of tartar.
Proper storage

 Baking powder, baking soda, and cream of tartar should be kept in a tightly
covered container placed in a cool, dry place. Yeast should be refrigerated. Check
the table and date of expiry of leavening agents before use.
Liquid Ingredients
 Liquid ingredients include water, milk or cream, and fruit juices.
 Liquid ingredients are important in baking for the following reasons:
1. They are integral components in the preparation of batters and doughs.
2. They add flavours as in milk and juices.
3. They contribute to the volume and texture of the product.
4. They promote the growth of leavening agents like yeast in lukewarm water.
Shortening
 Shortening is any fat that increases the tenderness of a
baked product by preventing the cohesion of gluten
strands during mixing. The shortening effect of fat in
flour mixture is brought about by the formation of fat
layers which serve to separate the starch and gluten
particles, thus reducing their tendency to adhere to one
other.
Forms of Shortening
1. Butter- is used in dough to improve the taste and flavour of the baked product.
Examples are Magnolia and Anchor.
2. Butter Compounds- it is made by mixing 40% melted fat, and the rest coming
from vegetable oil such as coconut oil, peanut oil, corn oil. It is less expensive
than butter and are used mostly in bread.
3. Margarine- is fat emulsified with cultured milk. It contains about 80% fat and
about 16% water. Local product brands include Dari Crème, Butterfresh,
buttercup. Margarine is widely used in bread, cakes, and cookies.
4. Hydrogenated Fat- is plastic fat or shortening. This is made from deodorized
vegetable oil such as coconut, corn, soybeans. Commonly used in cakes, breads,
piecrust, and pastries.
5. Lard or Hog Fat-it comes from the back or the sides of hogs and it
is solid at room temperature. It has a soft texture, adds more flavour,
and is easy to handle. It is excellent in making bread, crust and biscuits
and makes the product tender, light, and flaky.
6. Vegetable oils- are liquids fats used in cakes and breads. They are
not popular to use as shortening since they do not have good, creamy,
characteristics and do not contribute much to the volume and texture of
the product. They are also difficult to handle and are less efficient in
doughs.
Other Ingredients
 Salt- also known as sodium chloride. It is used to bring out the flavour of an
otherwise bland, too sweet, or too sour taste.
 Spices or seeds- are used in baking mainly due to the aroma and flavour they
impart to the baked products. Most commonly used spices include: cinnamons in
cinnamon breads; nutmeg; allspice; cloves in fruit cake, ginger in ginger rolls,
sesame seeds in buns with sesame seeds.
 Flavorings- flavour extracts are widely used in cakes, cookies, pastries, bread and
pies. They are essentials oils extracted mostly from fruits, leaves, beans, or
imitations of the same.
General Guidelines and Principles in
Baking
1. Be familiar with the kinds of flours and their specific uses. Cake flour is ideal for
cakes, bread flour for practically all breads, and all-purpose flour for cookies and
pastries. While substitution can be made in the absence of one type, it is always best
to use the ideal type.
2. The frequency and the intensity of mixing flour with the other ingredients differ
form each other product. As a general rule, breads need thorough kneading for highly
developed gluten. Cakes need just enough mixing for a well blended batter., while
pastries requires a special technique in mixing such that some amount of gluten is
developed but the dough retains its characteristics of flakiness and tenderness.
3. Ingredients combined in the product react differently at various temperatures.
At higher temperature, sugars become soluble, fats spread faster, and flour
absorbs water rapidly.
4. The rate at which the boiling temperature inside the product is reached
depends on oven temperature, ingredient size, and shapes of baking pans.
5. Baked products that are crisp or brittle require temperature higher than
boiling point,. While those that are soft and spongy, like breads, cakes, or
muffins, do not require above boiling point temperature.
6. When the oven temperature is too high, crust is formed too fast,
limiting its expansion, thus, producing a product that is cracked and
lower temperature is to low, the product usually falls and does no rise
in volume. Good quality product is a result of the right baking
temperate.
7. Top start right, check all ingredients (with prescribed kinds and
amount), baking procedure, tools, and equipment needed. Preheat oven
before working on.
8. Do all preparation activities like measuring, sifting, greasing,
peeling, paring, mashing, chopping,etc. before mixing.
9.Follow carefully the procedures and techniques in correct measurements for dry
and liquid ingredients.
10. Know how to execute properly the different process involved in baking. The
most common process are the following.
 Beat –to make the mixture smooth using a hand or electric mixer.
 Blend- to combine thoroughly.
 Caramelize- to melt sugar to a golden brown sugar.
 Cream- to rub one or two ingredients with a wooden spoon or mixer until their light or fluffy.
 Cut and fold- combination of two motions: one that cuts vertically through the mixture, then
turning it cover by gliding the rubber scraper across the bottom of the bowl at each turn.
 Dredge-to lightly coat or sprinkle with flour, cornmeal, or sugar (e.g., dredge the grease pan
with flour).
 Glaze-to coat with syrup that is cooked to the cracked stage.
 Knead- to mix the dough with a pressing motion accompanied by
folding and stretching.
 Mash- to soften by pressing or mixing.
 Preheat-to turn the oven at the required temperature before baking.
 Scald- to heat below boiling point in a double broiler
 Sift- to pass through a sifter
 Stir- to blend ingredients with a circular motion.
 Whip- to beat rapidly with a hand or a mixer in order to incorporate
air.
11. Use the right size of baking pan needed for the recipe. Using the correct pan
gives your baked product a good size, good shape, and good contour. Baking
pans with straight sides gives cake a very fine texture. It is advisable to use
aluminium pans as that distribute heat evenly, resulting to a dedicate golden
brown crust.
Summary:
 The basic baking ingredients are flour, liquids, sugar, eggs,
leavening agents, and shortening. Additional ingredients are also
used.
 Each baking ingredient has its own characteristics and functions
in baking.
 Proper storage of baking ingredients will prevent spoilage and
contribute to their keeping quality.
 Proper selection and handling of the baking ingredients ensure
good quality baked products.