How Baking Works

    Today was my first day of  How Baking Works. This class is going to be completely different from Chocolates and Confections. In this class we learn all about the science in baking. It is very interesting but there is a lot of information that we are going to have to learn. For example the whole baking process. Baking is a process of traveling heat that transforms batter or dough into a firmer product. There are many different, complex steps in this process but I'll just give you a synopsis of it. When you put something in the oven to bake, the fats will start to melt and gases will form and start to expand. This essentially makes the baked good more tender. Then the sugars will start to melt making a kind of syrup; this for example helps with cookies spreading out. As the product gets around 140 degrees F. microorganisms die and the egg and gluten proteins coagulate. The egg and gluten proteins are very important to the structure of the baked good. After this step, the starches start to gelantinize, or set. Now the gases will start to evaporate which will lead to the development of the crust. It will then start to caramelize. The last part of the baking process is that the enzymes are now inactivated, the nutrients will start to change and the pectin will break down. When all of this has occurred, the product will finally be completely baked. This is a very intricate process that most people don't know.
     Today for our production we made chocolate chip cookies and muffins. We have 7 groups and 6 groups made the cookies. Each group used the same ingredients and measurements but used a different method of mixing it. It is fascinating how differently they turned out. This proves that you have to follow the directions completely so that you get the correct finished product. My group had a different experiment and made 3 different types of muffins. We used the same ingredients and measurements also but all 3 muffins turned out differently. The first muffin we made was with the creaming method. This method just means that you cream the shortening or butter and mix the dry and wet ingredients separately. Then alternate mixing in the dry and wet ingredients until everything is incorporated together. The next method we used was the blending method. This is very easy, you just melt the shortening and mix that with the other wet ingredients. Then you combine all the dry ingredients together. When you have both of these you just add them all together and mix. This recipe is only different because you mix all the ingredients at one time instead of alternating between wet and dry. The last method we made was a biscuit method. For this, you once again mix the dry ingredients together and then the wet. But then you take the shortening and mix it into the dry ingredients like you're making a pie crust or biscuits. And then just add in the wet ingredients. I would recommend using the creamy method because it worked out the best in this experiment. There is so much more to learn and I'm intrigued on what else we will learn. Tomorrow is going to be extremely interesting because we are going to lean about gluten free foods. I can't wait to receive all this knew information and I'll tell you everything I learn.