FoodNet

Experimental cookery

1932

Page 372

Presented as published in 1932. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
The Percentage of Carbon Dioxide Lost from Biscuit Doughs Compared WITH THE Reduction in Specific Volume of Biscuits {Barackman) Acid ingredients < CO2 avail- able in dough at 2 minutes, per cent COo lost after 15 minutes, per cent of available Specific volume of biscuits baked immediately Reduced specific vol- ume due to standing, per cent loss Phosphate 49 78 70 76 4.0 6.5 13.0 6.5 2.24 2.75 2.65 2.41 8.5 S. A. P. P Tartrate 9.0 11.0 Sulfate phosphate* . . . 3.0 * E.xception due to eflFect of acid on colloidal properties of dough. Barackman's conclusion was that a correlation exists between the carbon dioxide left in doughs after mixing and the volume of the baked product. **The major portion (70 to 80 per cent) of the carbon dioxide generated from baking powders during the mixing of doughs is lost." In the above table the reduced specific volume is due to the biscuits being mixed and allowed to stand 15 minutes before cutting and baking. The controls were baked within 2 to 3 minutes after mixing. Fineness of division of baking powder. The fineness of division of a baking powder may affect the grain and texture of the baked product. With finely ground powders It seems reasonable to expect that the bubbles of carbon dioxide produced will be smaller than with coarser baking pow- ders, and that a finer grain will thus be produced In cakes and other products. Patterson refers to such a result with finely ground baking pow- ders. Sifting the baking powder with the flour aids In mixing the baking powder more uniformly throughout the batter or dough, and prevents loss of gas that would occur If the baking powder were mixed with the liquid. Brown spots are often produced on the crust of cookies, biscuits, cakes, 456 BATTERS AND DOUGHS TABLE 56 Carbon Dioxide Content of Cake Batters and the Specific Volume OF Cakes {Barackman) Acid ingredients Per cent COo in batter by analysis Specific volume of cakes Specific volume increase over control (1.72) Phosphate 23.0 54.0 41.5 52.5 2.73 3.14 2.90 2.89 1.01 S. A. P. P Tartrate Sulfate phosphate* 1.42 1.18 1.17 * Exception due to effect of acid on colloidal properties of dough. and other products when baking powder is used in them. If the baking powder used contains soda that is not finely ground, these spots are more likely to occur. The spots do not develop in the thin batters because of the large proportion of liquid, for solution of the soda is thus obtained. The brown spots appear in the product when the baking powder has been mixed only a short time with the dough. With longer mixing the soda is dis- solved and the spots do not appear. If doughs are allowed to stand before baking, the spots may not develop or a smaller number may form. Since cakes are usually mixed longer than biscuits and cookies, the spots develop more frequently in cakes when the baking powder is added after the mix- ing of the batter is partially completed. The Structure o£ Batters and Doughs The texture or structure of the finished product depends partly upon the structure obtained in the batter or dough when it is mixed. The role the flour plays in batter and dough products is the same as in bread, but since the batter or dough may contain different proportions of liquid and other ingredients the structure of the baked product is often unlike that of bread.