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BaKINg - tHE VItaL INgREdIENtS
Vital ingredients for cake &
pastry making
Flour,
such as plain, self raising and
wholemeal, used for cake and pastry making
should be lower in protein (gluten) than
flour used for bread making.
Plain flour
has a higher protein (gluten)
content and gives baked products, such
as cakes, muffins, pastries, scones and
pancakes, a softer texture.
Self-raising flour
is a blend of plain flour
and raising agents such as baking powder.
Self raising flour can be used in recipes
to replace plain flour and baking powder.
To make 1 cup self-raising flour sift
together 1 cup plain flour and 2 teaspoons
baking powder.
Wholemeal flour
contains more parts of the
whole wheat grain – flour, bran and wheat
germ – and can be used in muffins, breads
and pie cases but will have a denser texture.
Corn flour
is made from maize (corn) and
is used in some baked products to give a
finer texture and can also be used as a starch
to thicken sauces and desserts. Wheaten
cornflour is recommended when making
sponge cakes.
Rice flour
is derived from rice and is used to
give a finer texture in baked products such
as shortbread biscuits.
Baking powder
is a mixture of cream of
tartar and bicarbonate of soda and is used as
a raising agent in baking.
Bicarbonate of soda
also known as baking
soda is an ingredient in baking powder and
can be used as an additional raising agent or
to darken some baked products.
Butter
will give particular flavour and soft
texture to baked products. Margarine can
replace butter to give a similar result. Oil
can be used in some baking to replace butter
but will give texture and flavour differences.
Eggs
should be at room temperature to
give better volume when making cakes and
sponges. Standard 60g eggs were used in
the recipes.
Milk
should be full cream unless specified.
Light, low fat or skim milk can be used but
will give texture and flavour differences.
Sugar
(white crystal sugar) is used to
give flavour, texture and colour to baked
products.
Caster sugar is often used in baking as it is
easier to dissolve when creaming butter and
sugar.
Brown sugar is also easy to dissolve and
can be used to give a different flavour and
texture.
The large crystals of raw sugar are slower
to dissolve and can be suitable for baked
products such as muffins.
BaKINg - RECoMMENdatIoNS
Hints & tips for better baking
•
Check the ingredients and read the
recipe before starting to bake.
•
Weigh and measure ingredients
correctly.
•
Variations may occur in raw ingredients
use so adjust other ingredients and
baking times if required.
•
Preheat oven before starting recipe
preparation, this will ensure the correct
temperature is achieved before baking
starts.
•
Temperature and cooking times
may vary with some ovens so adjust
accordingly. If using a fan forced oven
reduce the temperatures in the recipes
by 10-20°C.
•
When mixing, start the mixer at a
lower speed then gradually increase to
the recommended speed in the recipe
especially when adding dry ingredients.
•
When using smaller quantities turn off
the mixer from time to time and scrape
the bowl with a spatula.
•
Ensure beaters and mixing bowl are
clean and free of fats when whipping
egg whites as these will impede aeration.
•
Spray trays and cake pans with an oil
spray and line with baking paper; this
will make removing your food easier.
•
Butter should be softened at room
temperature to make creaming butter
and sugar easier.
•
Keep surfaces and ingredients chilled
when making, handling or rolling out
pastry. Butter for pastry making should
be kept refrigerated.
•
Avoid stretching pastry when rolling
out as it will shrink when baking. Use
light, even strokes in one direction and
avoid pressing down hard on the rolling
pin. Where possible, rest pastry in the
refrigerator before baking.
•
Eggs should be at room temperature to
give better volume when whipping.
•
Break eggs individually into another
container before adding to other
ingredients to avoid potential spoilage.
•
Separate egg whites carefully to avoid
inclusion of egg yolks. Egg yolks contain
fat and will prevent successful whipping
of egg whites.
•
Rinse beaten egg residue from beater
and mixing bowl or other utensils with
cold water immediately after use. Using
hot water will set the egg and make
removal difficult.
•
Test if cakes are cooked 3-4 minutes
before end of recommended cooking
time by inserting a wooden skewer
into the centre of the cake. The skewer
should come out clean or with small dry
crumbs on it.
•
For crisper results when baking biscuits,
remove the baking trays from the oven
and placed directly onto wire racks.
Move the biscuits slightly away from
their baked position on the trays and
cool completely before removing.
