Chapter 8 Desserts and Baked Goods

Baker’s Ingredients strengtheners provide stability and ensure that the baked item doesn’t collapse once it is removed from the oven Gluten (protein in flour is developed as bread is kneaded = elastic quality) All-purpose flour: falls between pastry flour and bread flour in gluten Bread flour: high gluten, used for breads, hard rolls Cake flour: low gluten content, soft, smooth texture Durum flour: hard, wheat flour used to make breads; gluten content is higher than bread flour Pastry flour: in between bread and cake flour in gluten content Semolina flour: type of durum flour used in pasta Shortenings/fats: make baked goods moist, add flavor, and keep the baked item fresh longer. 8.1 Chapter 8 | Desserts and Baked Goods

Baker’s Ingredients Leaveners allow the dough or batter to rise Chemical leaveners: (introduces carbon dioxide) Baking powder: mixture of baking soda and acid; needs liquid and heat to activate Baking soda: must have liquid and acid to activate Physical leaveners: (introduce air into batter) creaming method: beat fat and sugar = air in batter (cakes and cookies) foaming method: beat egg whites w/ or w/o sugar (meringue, angel food cake) Organic leavener: yeast (microscopic fungus) needs warm liquid and sugar to activate = CO2 & alcohol

Bakers Ingredients Sweeteners add flavor and color to baked goods (as sugar caramelizes, it turns brown) Thickeners: combined with the stirring process Determines the consistency of the finished product Gelatin, flour, arrowroot (starch from a tropical root), cornstarch, and eggs Flavorings: affect a baked item’s taste and color Cocoa, spices, salt and extracts Liquids: one of the most important elements of baking Provides moisture & allows gluten to develop properly water, milk, cream, molasses, honey, or butter.

Baker’s Measurements Standardized recipes for bakery products are called formulas. Flour always has a proportion of 100%, and the percentages of all other ingredients are calculated in relation to the flour. The formula for baker’s percentages is: Weight of ingredient ÷ (Weight of flour × 100 percent) = percent of ingredient A yield is how much of something is produced. Sifting adds air to flour, cocoa, and confectioner’s sugar; removes lumps 8.1 Chapter 8 | Desserts and Baked Goods

Types of Dough Lean doughs are made with flour, yeast, water, and salt. Rich doughs are made with the addition of shortening or tenderizing ingredient (sugar, eggs, milk) Kneading: develops the gluten in the dough; gives it the stretch Straight-dough/mix method: can be used to make all yeast breads (lean, rich, and sponge) Mix all ingredients in bowl, mix and knead Sponge method Mix yeast, ½ liquid, ½ flour to form a “sponge” After sponge rises, add the remaining ingredients 8.2 Chapter 8 | Desserts and Baked Goods

Types of yeast doughs Sourdough: Made with a starter (water, yeast and flour that has fermented until it smells sour – usually overnight)

Yeast Bread Preparation Scaling ingredient Mixing and kneading ingredients Fermentation (1st rising, warm spot) Punching down Portioning Rounding Shaping Proofing (2nd rise), warm spot, until double in size Baking (400-425 degrees) Cooling and storing 8.2 Chapter 8 | Desserts and Baked Goods

Quick Breads and Cake Batters Quick breads use chemical leaveners rather than organic ones (yeast) and therefore don’t require a rising period (biscuits, muffins, etc.) A batter is a semi-liquid mixture containing flour, liquid, and other ingredients. A batter typically has more fat and sugar than a dough and is usually thin enough to be poured. 8.3 Chapter 8 | Desserts and Baked Goods

4 Methods for Preparing Quick Breads Creaming method: cream fat and sugar to produce a very fine crumb (yellow cake) Foaming method: foam of egg whites and sugar (angel food cake) Straight-dough method: combine all ingredients at once (cornbread, muffins) Two-stage method: used for high ratio cakes higer ratio of sugar than flour in recipe Fine crumbs and are very moist Devil’s food cake

Icing Icings have three main functions: Buttercream: sugar and fat protective coating around cake flavor and richness. improve appearance. Buttercream: sugar and fat Fondant: shiny icing with nonsticky coating when dried Ganache: chocolate and cream Glazes: drizzles rather than spread Royal icing: sugar and egg whites 8.3 Chapter 8 | Desserts and Baked Goods

Steamed Pudding and Soufflés Steamed puddings and dessert soufflés are made of batters that require special handling. Steamed puddings are more stable than soufflés because of the greater percentage of eggs and sugar in the batter. Soufflés are lightened with beaten egg whites and then baked. Baking causes the soufflé to rise like a cake. As the soufflé rises, the moisture evaporates and the light batter sets temporarily. 8.3 Chapter 8 | Desserts and Baked Goods

Pies 3-2-1 dough—used to make pie crusts; it is made of three parts flour, two parts fat, and one part water Crusts should be flaky, tender and flavorful Baking blind is the procedure for baking an empty pie crust (must be weighted down or poke holes using fork) Cheesecake: made from a cream cheese or quark (a cheese that is a lot like sour cream) and egg batter on a crumb crust, using a spring-form pan. 8.4 Chapter 8 | Desserts and Baked Goods

Pastries Roll-in dough method: used to make Danish, croissant, and puff pastry. Puff pastry can be used in both sweet and savory applications. Use phyllo dough to prepare baklava, a dessert made of thin pastry, nuts, and honey. pâte à choux: combine water (or another liquid), butter, flour, and eggs into a smooth batter. éclairs, cream puffs, and profiteroles. 8.4 Chapter 8 | Desserts and Baked Goods

Cookies Use the same creaming method as quick breads and cake batters, but with the liquid and the flour added at the same time. Due to their high sugar content, cookies are best when they are baked in convection ovens. The seven makeup methods for cookies are: Dropped (chocolate chip) Bagged (ladyfingers) Rolled (sugar cookies) Molded (peanut butter) Icebox Bar Sheet (brownies) 8.4 Chapter 8 | Desserts and Baked Goods

Chocolate Preparation and Products Chocolate is made from cocoa beans picked from cacao trees. 1. Processors roast the cocoa beans 2. Crack the beans into small pieces, called nibs, which are the basis of all cocoa products. 3. Beans are crushed into a paste that is completely unsweetened, called chocolate liquor. 4. Chocolate liquor may be ground to give a smoother texture, or pressed to separate the liquid from the solid materials: The liquid is cocoa butter, which can be combined with chocolate liquor to make eating chocolate, or flavored and sweetened to make white chocolate. The solids are further ground to form cocoa powder. 8.5 Chapter 8 | Desserts and Baked Goods

Chocolate Storage To store chocolate, wrap it carefully, and keep it in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area. Do not refrigerate chocolate. Refrigeration causes moisture to condense on the surface of the chocolate. Sometimes a white coating, called bloom, appears on the surface of the chocolate. The bloom indicates that some of the cocoa butter has melted and then recrystallized on the surface. Properly stored, chocolate will last for several months. Cocoa powder stored in tightly sealed containers in a dry place will keep almost indefinitely. 8.5 Chapter 8 | Desserts and Baked Goods

Tempering Chocolate Tempering: melting chocolate by heating it gently and gradually. To temper chocolate, chop the chocolate into coarse pieces and place it in a double boiler, a stainless steel bowl over water, simmering on very low heat (until it reaches 105 degrees) If chocolate becomes grainy or scorched, discard it Tempered chocolate will coat items with an even layer and then harden into a shiny shell. Tempered chocolate can be drizzled or piped out into designs with a piping bag for decoration, or can be used as a glaze. 8.5 Chapter 8 | Desserts and Baked Goods

Frozen Desserts Quality ice cream has a custard base, melts readily in the mouth, and does not weep, or separate, when it softens at room temperature. Gelato is an Italian version of ice cream. Unlike ice cream, however, it does not contain eggs. Sherbet contains milk and/or egg for creaminess. Sorbet contains no dairy, just fruit juice or purée with sweeteners and other flavors or additives. Frozen yogurt contains yogurt in addition to the normal ice cream ingredients. 8.6 Chapter 8 | Desserts and Baked Goods

Poached Fruit and Tortes To poach fruit, combine fruit with a liquid, usually a mixture of sugar, spices, and wine. Heat the fruit and liquid together until the fruit is tender. Use fruits that are firm enough to hold their shape during cooking (peach melba and pears belle Helene) A torte is an elegant, rich, many-layered cake often filled with buttercream or jam. Normally, pastry chefs use Génoise, French sponge cake, in preparing a torte. 8.6 Chapter 8 | Desserts and Baked Goods

Dessert Sauces and Creams Vanilla sauce, also known as crème Anglaise, is a classic accompaniment to soufflés and steamed puddings. Fruit sauces can be raw or cooked, depending upon the desired flavor (coulis, fresh berry sauce) Fruit syrups: cooked sugar based juice Chocolate sauce is a family of sauces and syrups with cocoa or melted chocolate as the base. Pastry creams: used as filling for eclairs Bavarian creams: three basic ingredients: vanilla sauce, gelatin, and whipped cream. 8.6 Chapter 8 | Desserts and Baked Goods

Plating and Presenting Desserts Good plate presentation requires careful attention to colors, shapes, textures, and arrangement of food on the plate. Guests eat first with their eyes, then their noses, and finally with their mouths. There are two areas of presentation technique: first, the food itself, and second, the plate, platter, or dish as a whole. When plating desserts, everything on the plate should be edible. It’s best to place dessert decoration in threes, because that tends to be appealing to the eye. 8.6 Chapter 8 | Desserts and Baked Goods