The secret to successful baking is food chemistry. Both science and art go into baking. Bakers experiment with different flavors and ingredients. Understanding the fundamentals of food chemistry is necessary for understanding why baked goods rise, brown, and take on their loved flaky texture. Food chemistry examines the interactions between several ingredients to produce a single, finished product.
Flour. (n.d.). Unlocked Food. https://www.unlockfood.ca/en/Articles/Cooking-And-Food/Grain-Products/All-about-grain-flours.aspx
Flour provides the basic structure for most baked goods. It is composed of carbohydrates and gluten, a protein. The proteins in flour and water combine to create an elastic web known as a gluten network. Due to differences in protein levels, different varieties of flour may be needed for different recipes. For instance, bread flour's high protein content results in a strong gluten network and a durable structure, but cake flour's lower protein content has a weaker gluten network, making the final product fluffier. Although gluten networks are useful in giving baked goods structure, excessive gluten development can result in tough textures.
Shortening ingredients, such as butter, oils, and fats, help limit gluten formation because the fat molecules repel the water that gluten networks require. When you mix butter into flour, it coats the flour and repels the water-based ingredients added later. This avoids activating too many proteins at once, restricting the gluten formation so that you end up with softer, more tender pastries. Fat also plays a role in making cakes fluffier.
Water also allows ingredients such as yeast and baking soda to do their jobs, and hydrates gluten so that the dough can take shape. Another critical ingredient used in baking, the egg, serves many purposes in baking. It binds the other ingredients together and provides structure since eggs start as a liquid but become more solid when they are heated. The yolks are filled with nutrients and fat, which adds to the flavor and texture of baked goods. They also contain an emulsifier called lecithin that brings water-based liquids and oil together, even though they usually repel each other. This process helps mix the ingredients together so they are evenly distributed throughout the batter. It's also important to set the oven to the correct temperature because yolk proteins unfold and gel together when heated to at least 144° Fahrenheit. When whipped together, the water and protein in egg whites incorporate air bubbles that make a foam to lift the dough and give baked goods their fluffy, delicate texture. When whipped egg whites are heated in an oven, the air inside them will expand, further raising the dough.
Egg yolk. (n.d.). Food Network. https://www.foodnetwork.com/fn-dish/recipes/what-to-do-with-egg-yolks
Another essential aspect of the science of baking is leavening, or making the dough rise. When liquid ingredients are heated in the oven, they release some steam that helps lift the dough. Too much leavening agent will make bubbles so big that they’ll pop and leave a flat baked good, but if you don’t add enough leavening agents, you’ll end up with a dense end product. Yeast, for example, is a natural leavening agent used in baking. Yeast works by absorbing sugar and excreting carbon dioxide gas, which makes the dough rise. It contributes to the bread’s flavor because, during the fermentation process, yeast breaks down large starch molecules into smaller, flavorful simple sugars. It also helps develop the gluten network and strengthens the dough. When yeast releases gas into the dough, proteins and water molecules are pushed together, which, just like kneading the dough, gives it another opportunity to form gluten networks.
Another leavening agent commonly used in baking is baking powder. A key chemical found in baking powder is baking soda, a salt, that reacts with acidic ingredients and heat, creating carbon dioxide as a byproduct. As soon as baking soda touches a water-based ingredient, a chemical reaction occurs and gas bubbles start to release. This is why it's important to avoid overmixing or leaving the batter out of the oven for too long.
Baked Chocolate Chip Cookies. (n.d.). Handle the Heat. https://handletheheat.com/bakery-style-chocolate-chip-cookies/
Consider the molecular and chemical processes that give your baked goods their wonderful flavor as you bite into them. The flavors, textures, colors, and smells start at the molecular level. Just like you would follow a science experiment's steps, recipes must be followed in order. You risk missing important chemical reactions if you continue out of sequence or skip stages. Your bread may come out dense or flattened as a result of this. A perfectly browned pie crust doesn't happen by luck, it's the science of baking.
About the Author
Laney is a sophomore at Northwood High School and is a member of their track and field team, mix up club, and unified club. She loves working with kids, being outside, and hanging out with friends and family.
Sources:
Grumman, Northrop. “Now. Powered by Northrop Grumman - Now. Powered by Northrop
Grumman.” Northrop Grumman, now.northropgrumman.com/breaking-down-the- science-of-baking.
“The Science behind Baking: Understanding the Chemistry of Ingredients.”
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