1. Baking Ingredients
Functions

2. FLOUR Types of Flour Function:
Provides structure in batter and baked product
Gluten is the protein in flour. It develops long strands when mixed with liquid. These strands form a structure that traps air as the bread rises.
Types of Flour
Each ingredient in a quick bread has a special job to do.
Flour is the main ingredient in any bread recipe. Gluten is the protein in flour and it develops into long strands when mixed with liquid. These strands form a structure that traps air as bread rises. Just like flour in yeast bread, the gluten in flour gives a quick bread its structure. The difference is that in a quick bread, a strong structure like yeast bread is not desirable. Quick breads are mixed very little so the gluten develops a tender structure. For example, when muffins are mixed in a mixer, the ingredients should be mixed at low speed for less than a minute so the gluten will not overdevelop.
Most of the flour used in school kitchens is all-purpose flour. This is appropriate for quick breads, and will give an excellent product. Self-rising flour is all-purpose flour that contains a leavening agent and salt. Follow the recipe and use the type of flour specified. Cornmeal or whole-wheat flour are both sometimes used in combination with flour in quick bread recipes.

3. TYPES OF WHEAT
Hard wheats contain greater quantities of the proteins glutenin and gliadin, and are used to produce strong flours.
Strong flours are used to make breads and yeast products.
Soft wheats are used to produce weak flours often used in cakes, cookies, and pastries.

4. FLOUR A. All purpose flour (a.p.) blend of hard and soft wheat
B. Cake flour- soft wheat, produces less gluten, makes cakes/products more tender
C. Bread flour- has higher gluten, makes dough more elastic and helps with rise

5. SWEETENERS Functions:
Sugar gives a sweet flavor, helps tenderize the product and gives it color and texture. It also:
Increases keeping qualities.
Acts as a creaming agent with fats.
Acts as a foaming agent with eggs.
Provides food for yeast.
Examples: granulated sugar, powdered sugar (confectioners), brown sugar, honey, molasses, corn syrup
The amount of sugar in a quick bread recipe varies. Southern style corn bread has little or no sugar while banana bread may be sweet. In a quick bread recipe, sugar has several important parts to play. It gives a sweet flavor, helps tenderize the products and gives it color and texture.
There are many different kinds of sugar used in quick breads. White sugar comes in several size crystals with the size noted by the “X” on the label. The more “X’s”, the finer the crystal. Regular table sugar is 4X and powdered sugar is 10X.
Some quick bread recipes include other sweeteners such as honey or molasses. Follow the recipe and do not substitute one sweetener for another unless the recipe is being modified and tested. Most artificial sweeteners should never be used in products baked in high heat.

6. SWEETENERS
A. granulated sugar- standard white, comes from sugar cane or sugar beets
Powdered sugar or Confectioner’s sugar: ground to a fine powder and mixed with a small amount of starch to prevent caking. Dissolves instantly.
Brown sugar: contains varying amounts of caramel, molasses, and other impurities.
Non-Nutritive sweeteners-sugar substitutes.

7. EGGS Function of eggs in a recipe: Structure
Emulsifying fats and liquids
Leavening
Moisture
Flavor
Color
Nutritive value
Eggs aid in gluten development, help the crust brown, and improve texture and keeping qualities of bread and rolls. Egg in yeast products acts as an emulsifying agent that helps produce a smooth dough.

8. EGGS
Most standard recipes require a large egg (about ¼ cup)

9. FAT Functions: Adds flavor Tenderizes Delays staling Types:
Butter, margarine, lard, oil, shortening
Fat provides flavor and tenderness in yeast breads. It helps the crust to brown and it gives the bread keeping quality. Yeast bread recipes may call for oil, margarine, or butter. Use the kind of fat specified in the recipe.
Butter and margarine both have 20% moisture so oil cannot be substituted in the same amount. Butter or margarine should not be added to the top of rolls before they are served. Adding this extra fat is not necessary for good taste.

10. FAT
Butter:
Best flavor
Richness
100% saturated fat (different properties)
Some fat may be replaced with applesauce, soft fruit puree, yogurt
Quick bread recipes include some kind of fat such as margarine, butter, oil or hydrogenated shortening. The reason that fat is in the recipe is to keep the gluten in the flour from sticking together. This makes the batter or dough short or tender. Fat in the recipe also keeps the product from sticking and gives it ‘keeping quality’ (i.e. maintains the quality longer).
Try a new recipe that includes fruit or yogurt as a replacement for fat. Some newer quick bread recipes have less fat than older versions. In some of the recipes, a portion of the fat has been replaced with another product like applesauce or another soft fruit puree, such as prunes or bananas. Sometimes, a part of the fat in the recipe is replaced with yogurt. These quick breads are lower in fat and often, very tasty. Quick bread recipes that are lower in fat usually do not keep as long as the original recipe. When a lower fat recipe is used, the product should be baked and served on the same day.

11. LEAVENING AGENTS Baking Powder Baking Soda Yeast Air Steam Function:
An ingredient that adds or produces gas in a dough or batter.
The gas makes the product rise and/or have a light texture.
Leavening agents in baking are:
Baking Powder
Baking Soda
Yeast
Air
Steam
Breads rise from air, steam or gas (carbon dioxide). All breads get some rise from steam when they are baked. A leavening agent is an ingredient that produces gas in a dough or batter. The gas makes the product rise and have a lighter texture.
Quick breads usually include either baking powder or baking soda as the leavening agent. When the leavening agent is mixed with liquid, it produces gas that is captured in the dough or batter. Baking causes the batter or dough to become firm and the gas stays inside making the product light and open. Too much leavening makes a quick bread loose and crumbly. Too little makes it heavy. Follow the recipe to get it just right!
You may be interested to know that a common recipe for 1 tsp of baking powder is:
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cream of tarter
The most common form of baking powder is double acting. It reacts first when mixed with liquid at room temperature. It reacts again when heated in the oven. Thus, the action is double. Be sure to check the date on the baking powder to be sure it is fresh. Old baking powder will not react and cannot make a quick bread rise.

12. LEAVENING AGENTS Baking powder Baking soda
contains acid and alkali (double acting)
Baking soda
contains only alkali (must be mixed with an acid)

13. LEAVENING AGENTS
Air
is incorporated into all doughs and batters during mixing. (creaming & foaming)
The formation of air cells is important even in products leavened by yeast or baking powder because the air cells collect and hold the leavening gases.
Steam
When water turns to steam, it expands to 1100 times its original volume.
Because all baked products contain some moisture, steam is an important leavening agent.
Yeast
Fermentation is the process by which yeast acts on sugars and changes them into carbon dioxide.
Yeast is a living organism. It is sensitive to temperature.

14. LIQUIDS Functions: Liquid dissolves the ingredients and
forms a mixture.
Combines with protein in flour
to form gluten
Examples: water, milk, buttermilk, fruit juice
Liquid ingredients in a quick bread may include water, milk, buttermilk, juice, mashed fruit and others. When the liquid is added to the dry ingredients, it dissolves the ingredients and forms a mixture. The mixture should have a bumpy look, not a smooth look like cake batter. In the oven, the liquid helps the product rise when it gets hot enough to form steam. The liquid in the recipe helps the quick bread have moisture, flavor and tenderness. It also keeps the bread from getting stale too quickly.

15. LIQUIDS The functions of milk in baked products are: Adds texture.
Adds flavor.
Provides crust color.
Provides keeping quality.
Provides nutritive value.

16. SPICES & FLAVORINGS Sweet spices: Cinnamon, nutmeg,
Function: Adds flavor
Measure spices and flavorings carefully to get the right taste or flavor.
Sweet spices: Cinnamon, nutmeg,
cardamom, anise, ginger
Savory: Herbs, basil, oregano, pepper
Extracts: Vanilla, maple, lemon, almond
Fresh flavorings: Citrus peel, zest or juice
Depending on the recipe, quick breads may contain one or more spices such as cinnamon or nutmeg. Spices are used in small amounts but they should pack a big punch. Measure spices carefully and use only high quality, fresh spices. Since only small amounts are used, the spice needs to give the flavor needed for the recipe.
Flavorings include salt, vanilla, lemon oil and others. Measure the flavorings carefully to have the right taste in the recipe. Other ingredients in a quick bread recipe can also be used to add flavor and texture such as cheese, corn, dried fruit, bell peppers, grated carrots, fresh cranberries, cherries and more.

17. FLAVORINGS Salt Adds flavor
Controls yeast action and strengthens gluten
In yeast preparations too little makes texture dense and heavy; flavor will be flat or yeasty

18. CHOCOLATE & COCOA
Chocolate and cocoa are derived from cocoa or cacao beans. The beans are fermented, roasted, and ground, yielding chocolate liquor, which contains cocoa butter.
Cocoa is the dry powder that remains after part of the cocoa butter is removed from the chocolate liquor.
Dutch process cocoa is processed with an alkali to make it darker and more easily dissolved in liquids.

19. CHOCOLATE & COCOA Unsweetened chocolate is straight chocolate liquor.
Sweet chocolate is bitter chocolate with the addition of sugar and cocoa butter.
Milk chocolate is sweet chocolate to which milk solids have been added.
Cocoa Butter is the fat pressed out of the chocolate liquor.
White chocolate is made of cocoa butter, sugar, and milk solids. Technically, it should not be called chocolate because it does not contain cocoa solids.