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NVCFI – Basic Baking | Semi Final
SELF-LEARNING MODULE
BASIC BAKING
Semi Final | Lesson 2 | AY 2021-2022
TEACHER: MARIA MERLLAN E. MIER, LPT
LESSON PROPER
QUICK BREADS
Quick breads are breads that are quick to make. They are easy to make
because it uses chemical leavening agents that require no fermentation. Thus, once it is
mixed, it can be baked in the oven immediately (Wheat Foods Council). Quick breads
are also known as sweetened loaves because it usually contains more sugar, fats and
eggs than yeast breads but less than in cakes. In a broad sense quick breads include all
types of baked products that are leavened by baking powder or baking soda,
however, for this module; quick breads will be limited to biscuits, muffins and sweetened
loaves - such as banana bread.
Dough mixtures for quick breads are of two types: soft dough or batters. There are
three mixing methods for making quick breads: the biscuit, the muffin and the creaming
methods.
MIXING METHODS IN MAKING QUICK BREADS
Biscuit Method
This method is used for biscuits, scones and similar products. It sometimes called
the pastry method because it is similar to the procedure in making crust.
1. Measure ingredients accurately.
2. Sift the dry ingredients together into a mixing bowl.
3. Cut in the shortening by hand or pastry blender. Combine until the mixture
resembles a coarse cornmeal.
4. Combine the liquid ingredients.
5. Add the liquid to the dry ingredients. Mix just until the ingredients are combined
and soft dough is formed. Do not over mix.
6. Bring the dough to a floured surface and knead lightly by pressing it out and
folding it in half. Rotate the dough 90 degrees between folds.
7. Repeat this procedure for about 10 to 20 times, or for 30 seconds. The dough
should be soft and slightly elastic, but not sticky. Over kneading toughens the
biscuits.
Characteristics of Good Baking Powder Biscuit.
1. Good volume.
2. Golden yellow crust which is fine and smooth.
3. A sheeted crumb of fine grain and even color with no yellowish spots of poorly
blended baking powder.
4. Delicate flavor, not alkaline or bitter due to excess baking powder.
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NVCFI – Basic Baking | Semi Final
Muffin Method
This is used for muffins, pancakes, waffles and many loaf-type quick breads. It is
fast and easy and over mixing must be avoided. Muffin batter should be mixed only
until the dry ingredients are just moistened. Do not worry if there are a few lumps in the
batter; a smooth batter is not the goal.
1. Sift together the dry ingredients. Set aside.
2. Combine all liquid ingredients, including melted fat or oil. Liquid fat is used in
this mixing method.
3. Add the liquids to the dry ingredients and mix just until all the flour is moistened.
The batter will look lumpy. Be careful not to over mix.
4. Pour the batter into the pan and bake immediately. The dry and liquid mixtures
may be prepared in advance, but once the mixtures are combined, the batter
should be baked without delay, or loss of volume may result.
Creaming Method
Cake mixing method is applied to muffins and loaf breads. This method is more
time-consuming than the muffin method but produces fine-textured goods. It is useful
for quick breads with higher fat and sugar content.
1. Sift together the flour and baking powder and other dry flavoring ingredients.
Set this aside.
2. Combine the solid fat and the sugar and mix or blend thoroughly until the
mixture becomes light and creamy. If butter or bar margarine is being used,
soften it first before blending in the sugar.
3. Add the eggs one at a time. Cream well after each addition before adding
more eggs.
4. Add the liquid ingredients and stir lightly.
5. Sift the flour and baking powder. Add and mix just until smooth.
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NVCFI – Basic Baking | Semi Final
CAKES
Cakes are very similar to sweetened loaves in and breads but it is the richest
and sweetest type of baked product. Cakes have high fat and sugar content and the
challenge for the baker is to have a structure that supports these ingredients while
keeping it as light and delicate as possible (Gisslen, 2001). Producing cakes require
well-balanced recipes and precision in measuring and mixing. Electric beater is a
useful tool in beating or whipping the egg mixture. There are numerous cake recipes
but these can be grouped into four types of cakes according to the mixing method
employed in making them – shortened cakes, sponge cakes, angel food cakes and
chiffon cakes.
MIXING METHODS IN MAKING CAKES
Creaming Method
This method is also called conventional method because it is the standard
method for making butter cakes or shortened cakes. These cakes are called
shortened cakes because of the high solid fat content of the cake. This method is very
similar to the creaming method in making quick breads except for the addition of dry
and liquid ingredients to the batter mixture.
1. Measure ingredients accurately. Have all ingredients at room temperature.
2. Sift the dry ingredients – flour, baking powder - together into a bowl. Set aside.
3. Place the butter or shortening in another mixing bowl. Beat slowly using a
manual or electric beater until the butter is smooth and creamy.
4. Add the sugar and cream the mixture at moderate speed until the mixture is
light and fluffy. Some bakers prefer to add the salt and flavorings with the sugar
to ensure uniform distribution. If melted chocolate is used, it is added during
creaming.
5. Add the eggs one at a time. After each addition, beat until the eggs are
absorbed before adding more. The mixture should be light and fluffy after the
eggs are beaten in.
6. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure even mixing.
7. Add the sifted dry ingredients (including the spices if they were not added in
step 4) alternately with the liquids. This is done as follows:
a. Add one fourth (1/4) of the dry ingredients. Mix just until blended in.
b. Add one-third (1/3) of the liquid. Mix just until blended in.
c. Repeat until all ingredients are used. Scrape down the sides of the bowl
occasionally for even mixing.
8. Immediately pan and bake the batter.
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NVCFI – Basic Baking | Semi Final
Sponge Method
This is the first of the three methods used in cakes that contain little or no shortening.
Leavening takes place due to the air trapped in the beaten eggs.
1. Measure all ingredients accurately. Have all ingredients at room temperature. If butter
is included, it must be melted. If liquid and butter are included, heat them together
just until the butter is melted.
2. Combine the eggs and sugar preferably on a warm bowl and beat the eggs at high
speed until very light and thick. This may take 10 to 15 minutes.
This step is very important. One of the most frequent causes of failure in the sponge
method is not whipping the eggs and sugar enough. The foam must be very thick.
When the beater is lifted from the bowl, the foam falls slowly from it and makes a
ribbon that slowly sinks into the batter in the bowl.
3. Fold in the sifted flour, being careful not to deflate the foam. If dry ingredients are
used, such as cornstarch or baking powder, they are first sifted with the flour.
4. If melted butter or a butter-liquid mixture is being used, fold in at this point. Be careful
not to over mix, or the cake will be tough (because of developed gluten).
5. Immediately pan and bake the batter. Delays will cause loss of volume.
Angel Food Method
Angel food cakes are based on egg-white foams and contain no fat.
1. Measure ingredients accurately. Have all ingredients at room temperature. The
egg whites may be slightly warmed for achieving better volume.
2. Sift the flour with half of the sugar. This step helps the flour mix more evenly with the
foam.
3. Beat the egg whites, until they form soft peaks. Salt and cream of tartar are added
before the beginning of the beating process.
4. Gradually beat in the sugar that was not mixed with the flour. Continue to beat
until the egg whites form soft, glossy peaks. Do not overbeat.
5. Fold in the flour-sugar mixture just until it is thoroughly absorbed but no longer.
6. Pan and bake immediately.
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NVCFI – Basic Baking | Semi Final
Chiffon Method
Chiffon cakes and angel food cakes are both based on egg-white foams, but in
chiffon cakes, a batter containing flour, egg yolks vegetable oil, and water is folded into the
whites. Egg whites for chiffon cakes should be whipped until they are a little firmer than those
for angel food cakes, but do not over whip them until they are dry. Chiffon cakes contain
baking powder, so they do not depend on the egg foam for all their leavening.
1. Measure ingredients accurately. Have all ingredients at room temperature. Use
good quality, flavorless vegetable oil.
2. Sift the dry ingredients, including part of the sugar, into the mixing bowl.
3. Mixing at medium speed, gradually add the oil, then the egg yolks, water, and
liquid flavorings, all in a slow, steady stream. While adding the liquids, top the
machine several times and scrape down the bowl and the beater. Mix until
smooth, but do not over mix.
4. Whip the egg whites until they form soft peaks. Add the cream of tartar, and
sugar in a stream and whip to firm, moist peaks.
5. Fold the whipped egg whites into the flour-liquid mixture.
6. Immediately put the batter in ungreased center-tube pans (like angel food
cakes) or in layer pans that have the bottoms greased and dusted, but not the
sides (like sponge layers).
