The document discusses why learning to bake is important and provides an overview of key baking ingredients and techniques. It notes that baking expands culinary skills and allows working parents to make home-cooked meals. Baking is described as both a science and an art that involves understanding ingredients like flour, fats, sugars, eggs, and leavening agents. The document also reviews various flours, fats, sugars, liquids, chocolate, spices and other common baking ingredients and how they contribute to finished baked goods.

1. Why Learn to Bake?
Prepared by:
Sharon Davis
Family & Consumer Sciences Education
Kansas Wheat Commission www.kswheat.com

2. No Food Skills
= Fewer Resources
• Expand culinary skills, employability
• Working parents need food prep partners to
make meals and celebrations at home happen
• Communities are richer from having local bakers

3. Baking is… Science
• Ingredient knowledge is power
Flour is Just Flour…NOT
water, milk, sugars, fats, salt
• Leavening—chemical, air, yeast, egg
• Temperature effects
liquids, dough, baking, staling
• Techniques and Timing
• Substitution Success
• Problem solving
More at www.ksu.edu/grainscience

4. Baking is…
Hands On History
• Wheat, corn, oats, rye, soy history
• 5,000 years of world bread history
personal, family bread traditions
Kansas kolaches, houska, povitica
U.S.—hoe cakes,“thirds bread” sourdough
• Bread Events
Famine/bread wars
Shrove Tuesday Pancake Race (right)
Kansas Festival of Breads, www.kswheat.com
Pillsbury Bake-Off
Bread Bakers Guild of America
Coupe de Monde, Paris, www.bbga.org

5. Baking is… Math
• Determine temperatures for liquids, batters,
doneness of products, storage
• Weigh and measure ingredients, dough,
batter
• Calculate yield, net weight, nutrition facts
label
• Product cost/price point
• Time use
• Consumer product acceptance surveys

6. Baking is… Art
• Artisan shapes
• Effective ads/labels
• Adding value
• Food styling
• Egg wash, decorating
• Connect with baking
pros and spokespersons
at www.kswheat.com

7. BAKING INGREDIENTS
Flour
Fats
Sugars
Eggs
Liquids
Leavening agents
Chocolate & flavorings
Salt

8. Flours
White wheat flour
1. Contains 7% to 15% gluten
(protein)
2. High gluten flour (strong flour)
makes chewy products
3. Low gluten flour (weak flour)
makes tender products
4. Gluten is developed by mixing a
dough – the more a dough is mixed
the more gluten will develop and
the product will be firmer and
chewier.

9. Flours
Whole Wheat flour
1. The entire kernel of wheat is
ground, including the bran (outer
covering) and the germ
2. The ground bran has sharp edges
and cuts gluten strands. The germ
contains oil which also shortens the
gluten strands. This is why whole
wheat products cannot be as firm
or chewy as white flour products.

10. Flours
Rye flour
1. Does not contain gluten and so
cannot make a crisp or chewy
product. Usually some wheat flour
must be added.

11. Fats
 Fats coat the strands of gluten and
prevent them from holding together, thus
fats shorten the strands and help create a
tender product.
 Solid fats are called shortening.
 Fats tenderize baked goods, create
moisture and richness, add flavor and
increase keeping qualities.
 In some cases they act as a leavening
agent…

12. Shortening
1. Usually vegetable based, although butter or
lard may be used.
2. Regular shortenings have a tough, waxy
texture and hold together in particles within
a dough or batter.
3. Emulsified shortenings are soft and spread
easily and are used to make cake batters.
They are used when there is more sugar than
flour in a formula and are sometimes called
high ratio shortenings.
4. Puff pastry shortening is very firm and is
used for making rolled-in doughs when it is
important that the fat stay in distinct layers
between the layers of dough.

13. Oils Little used in baking except in
some muffins & cakes.
Lard Used less and less today,
however it is excellent for pastry.
Butter
1. The best flavor for most baked
goods.
2. Melts at a low temperature so it
“melts in your mouth”, unlike some
fats. Its low melting point can make
it hard to work with.

14. Sugars
 Sugars create sweetness
 Sugars also create tenderness because they
weaken gluten
 They add color to the crust when they bake
 Sugars improve keeping qualities because
sugar is hydroscopic, meaning it absorbs
water.
 Sugars act as a creaming agent with fats…

15. …Sugars
Refined sugar
1. Granulated sugar is the most commonly used.
2. Very fine sugars are used in cakes and cookies.
3. Coarse sugars are called sanding sugars, for topping
baked goods
4. Icing sugar is very fine and is used in icings or for
dusting finished products.
Molasses and brown sugar
1. Molasses is concentrated sugar cane syrup with the
sugar removed.
2. Brown sugar is simple white sugar with some of the
molasses left in. You can make it by mixing molasses
with sugar.

16. …Sugars
Corn syrup
A liquid sweetener containing natural sugars called
fructose.
Honey
A natural sweetener containing fructose and glucose.

17. Liquids
Liquids are essential in the baking
process because gluten cannot
develop without the presence of some
liquid
Water
The basic liquid used in baking

18. Liquids
Milk and cream
1. Add texture, flavor, nutritional value
and color to baked goods
2. Whole milk and cream contain fat,
which must be accounted for as part
of the shortening in baking formulas
3. Buttermilk is slightly acidic and is
often used in quickbreads
4. Cream is more often used in fillings &
puddings than in doughs
5. Powdered dry milk is often used
because of low cost and convenience

19. Eggs
 Available whole, frozen or dried
 Add structure because the proteins in eggs
coagulate when baked. This is important for
baked goods with a high ratio of fat which
weakens the gluten structure.
 Emulsification of fats-egg yolks help make
smooth batters.
 Leavening-beaten eggs contain air bubbles
which expand when baked.
 The fat in egg yolks help shorten gluten
strands, making a tender product.
 Eggs also add moisture, flavor, nutritional
value and color to baked goods.

20. Leavening agents
Leavening is the production of gases in baked
goods which increases their volume.
For example, bread dough rises when proofed
because of the gas CO2.

21. Leavening agents
Yeast
1. A microscopic plant
2. Yeast ferments, which means it converts
carbohydrates into CO2 and alcohol when it
gets warmth and moisture.
 Below 6 to 7 degrees C yeast is inactive
 At 15 to 20 degrees C yeast grows slowly
 20 to 32 C yeast grows best (proofing
temperature)
 Yeast dies at 60C or 140F
 Yeast is available as compressed yeast,
which must be refrigerated, or as active
dry yeast, which must be dissolved in
warm water before use.

22. …Leavening agents
Baking soda
1. A chemical leavener
2. When moisture and an acid are added to
baking soda it releases CO2
3. Baking soda releases CO2 as soon as
moisture and acid are added and thus
must be baked immediately after mixing.
It needs no proofing, unlike yeastbreads.

23. …Leavening agents
Baking powder
1. Also a chemical leavener
2. Baking powder is actually just baking
soda with the acid already added.
3. Single-action baking powder releases CO2
as soon as water is added to it.
4. Double-action baking powder releases
CO2 when water is added to it and again
when it is heated.
5. Adding too much baking powder or baking
soda gives an undesireable taste.

24. …Leavening agents
Baking ammonia
1. A chemical leavener
2. Usually used only in large-scale
commercial cookie baking.
3. The ammonia evaporates when the
cookies bake.

25. Air
1. Creaming is the process of beating fats
and sugar together to incorporate air into
the mixture.
2. Usually used in cake and cookie baking.
3. Air beaten into the mixture during
creaming may be the only leavening
agent.
Steam
1. When water is heated and turns to steam
it expands to 1600 times its original
volume, thus moisture is an important
leavening agent in baking.
2. Pie crusts, cream puffs and puff pastry are
all leavened by the action of water
flashing to steam when heated.

26. Chocolate and Cocoa
 Chocolate and cocoa are made from cocoa or cacao
beans
 The beans are roasted and ground to make a paste
called chocolate liquor
 The fat content of this is called cocoa butter
 Cocoa is the dry powder left after cocoa butter is
separated from chocolate liquor
 Unsweetened chocolate (bitter chocolate) is just
hardened chocolate liquor. Popular in Europe.
 Sweet chocolate is bitter chocolate with sugar
added
 Milk chocolate is sweet chocolate with milk solids
added. Popular in North America.
 White chocolate is cocoa butter with milk solids and
sugar added. It can be dyed with food coloring.

27. Salt
 Salt strengthens gluten and makes it more
stretchable in bread doughs
 Salt helps control yeast growth in doughs
because it acts against the yeast
 Salt enhances the flavor of most foods, even
sweet foods because it turbocharges your
taste buds

28. Spices
 Spices add flavor and interest to baked
goods
 The most commonly used are cinnamon,
nutmeg, mace, cloves and ginger
 Most spices are made from the bark, nuts,
seeds or roots of tropical plants
 Indonesia was originally known as “The
Spice Islands” and European countries
fought wars for control of them

29. Extracts and emulsions
 Extracts are oils dissolved in alcohol
1. Vanilla extract is a common example
2. Vanilla beans are processed to extract the oils from
them and this is dissolved in alcohol. True vanilla
extract and vanilla beans are quite expensive, partly
because of the current popularity of novelty items
such as vanilla flavored soft drinks and vanilla
scented cosmetics and soaps
 Emulsions are oils mixed with water
1. Lemon and orange emulsions are the most common
2. Lemon or orange oil is extracted from the skin,
where most of the flavor is and mixed with water.
You can zest or grate lemon or orange skins yourself
to add to baked goods for the same flavor

30. Review
Most baked goods are made from only
a very few ingredients.
A good understanding of ingredients is
necessary so you can produce the
type of baked goods you want

31. …Flour
 Flour forms the basis of most baked goods
 Wheat flour contains proteins called gluten
 A strong flour contains a high percentage of
gluten and will make crisp, chewy products
like baguettes or bagels
 A weak flour contains less gluten and will
make tender products, like cakes or pastry
 Whole wheat flour includes the bran and the
germ. It is weaker than white flour
 Rye flour contains no gluten and will not
form a strong structure unless some white
wheat flour is added

32. …Fats
 Fats coat the strands of gluten and prevent
them from holding together, thus fats
shorten the strands and help create a tender
product.
 Solid fats are called shortening.
 Fats tenderize baked goods, create moisture
and richness, add flavor and increase
keeping qualities.
 In some cases they act as a leavening agent
 Fats include vegetable shortening, butter
and lard

33. …Sugars
 Sugars create sweetness
 Sugars also create tenderness because they
weaken gluten structure
 They add color to the crust when they bake
 Sugars improve keeping qualities because
sugar is hydroscopic, meaning it absorbs
water.
 Sugars include white granulated sugar, icing
sugar, brown sugars, corn syrup and honey

34. …Liquids
 Liquids are essential in the baking process
because gluten cannot develop without
some liquid
 Water is the basic liquid used in baking
 Milk or cream may be used for flavor, to
develop color or to add nutritional value
 Buttermilk is slightly acidic and is often
used in quickbreads
 Cream is most often used in custards and
fillings

35. …Eggs
 Eggs add structure because they contain
proteins
 Eggs contain fats and make a product
tender because they shorten gluten strands
 Eggs add flavor and nutritional value
 Beaten eggs contain air bubbles which
expand when baked and thus leaven some
baked goods

36. …Leavening agents
 Leavening is the production of gases in
baked goods which increases volume
 Yeast is a microscopic plant which produces
CO2 when it gets warmth and moisture
 Baking soda also produces CO2 when
moisture and an acid are added to it
 Baking powder produces CO2 when it gets
warmth and moisture
 Water in baked goods leavens because it
expands to 1600 times its original volume
when it flashes to steam
 Yeast, baking powder, baking soda and
water all leaven baked goods and increase
their volume

37. …Chocolate and cocoa
 Chocolate is made from roasted cocoa or
cacao beans. The beans are ground to make
chocolate liquour.
 Hardened chocolate liquour is just bitter
chocolate
 The addition of sugar makes it into sweet
chocolate and milk solids make it into milk
chocolate
 Chocolate liquor can be separated into
cocoa powder and cocoa butter. Cocoa
butter becomes white chocolate with the
addition of sugar and milk solids

38. …Salt
Salt strengthens gluten and weakens yeast
growth. Most importantly it turbocharges your
taste buds to bring out flavors
…Spices
Spices such as nutmeg, cloves, ginger, mace
and cinnamon add flavor and interest
…Extracts and emulsions
Extracts are flavorful oils, such as vanilla,
dissolved in alcohol
Emulsions are oils like lemon or orange oil mixed
with water