In the laboratory outline an effort is made to control the amount of
mixing in most of the batter and dough series by counting the number
of strokes used to stir the batter, particularly after the flour is added. It
has been found that this gives more uniform results when mixing is done
with a spoon or similar utensil, than to mix for a definite time. Some
girls will use more than twice as many strokes in a stated time as others.
To have the strokes more uniform they should all be made across the bowl
or all used in a stirring motion. If a very large spoon or one with slots is
458 BATTERS AND DOUGHS
used, it may be necessary to mix with a smaller number of strokes than the
ones suggested.
When it is possible a mechanical mixer with a definite speed is pref-
erable to use for school work. Here, too, the amount of mixing required
depends somewhat upon the size of the mixer and the quantity of ma-
terial used. With large classes it is not always possible to have enough
mixers not to delay the class work. Mixing with a spoon has the advantage
of being the method used under most home conditions.
There is an amount of mixing, which partially or completely dissolves
the sugar, develops the gluten network sufficiently, and distributes the fat
throughout the batter, that gives the best flavor and texture to the finished
product. The product is tender and the volume is good. This amount of
mixing, which may be called the optimum amount, will vary with each
recipe, i.e., with the ingredients and their proportion. One illustration is
the kind of flour used, for the optimum amount of mixing is not alwaj^s
the same for bread and pastry flours. It will also vary with the temperature
of the ingredients when they are mixed.
The temperature of the ingredients when mixed. The tempera-
ture of the ingredients when mixed influences the structure obtained,
particularly in cakes and doughnuts. The protein particles of flour imbibe
water more rapidly at higher temperatures. Sugar is more soluble with
increasing temperature. But perhaps the consistency of the fat and its dis-
tribution throughout the batter are most affected by temperature. If the
temperature is low a fat is firmer, and less plastic. It spreads less readily
throughout the other ingredients. The temperature of the other ingredients
may be such that fat is rendered more or less plastic, i.e., they may be
warmer or colder than the fat. In cake batters, if an oil is used the oil may
be partially or wholly emulsified as an oil-in-water emulsion, the flour and
egg proteins acting as the emulsifiers and surrounding the spheres of oil.
If a fat is melted and added to a cake batter and the temperature of the
ingredients is such that they do not harden the fat, a portion or all of the
fat may be emulsified as an oil-in-water emulsion and the structure is
similar to that produced by oil. This distribution of the oil in a batter
as well as adsorption of fat and proteins at interfaces is probably influenced
by the electrical charge.
Page 374
Presented as published in 1932. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
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In the laboratory outline an effort is made to control the amount of
mixing in most of the batter and dough series by counting the number
of strokes used to stir the batter, particularly after the flour is added. It
has been found that this gives more uniform results when mixing is done
with a spoon or similar utensil, than to mix for a definite time. Some
girls will use more than twice as many strokes in a stated time as others.
To have the strokes more uniform they should all be made across the bowl
or all used in a stirring motion. If a very large spoon or one with slots is
458 BATTERS AND DOUGHS
used, it may be necessary to mix with a smaller number of strokes than the
ones suggested.
When it is possible a mechanical mixer with a definite speed is pref-
erable to use for school work. Here, too, the amount of mixing required
depends somewhat upon the size of the mixer and the quantity of ma-
terial used. With large classes it is not always possible to have enough
mixers not to delay the class work. Mixing with a spoon has the advantage
of being the method used under most home conditions.
There is an amount of mixing, which partially or completely dissolves
the sugar, develops the gluten network sufficiently, and distributes the fat
throughout the batter, that gives the best flavor and texture to the finished
product. The product is tender and the volume is good. This amount of
mixing, which may be called the optimum amount, will vary with each
recipe, i.e., with the ingredients and their proportion. One illustration is
the kind of flour used, for the optimum amount of mixing is not alwaj^s
the same for bread and pastry flours. It will also vary with the temperature
of the ingredients when they are mixed.
The temperature of the ingredients when mixed. The tempera-
ture of the ingredients when mixed influences the structure obtained,
particularly in cakes and doughnuts. The protein particles of flour imbibe
water more rapidly at higher temperatures. Sugar is more soluble with
increasing temperature. But perhaps the consistency of the fat and its dis-
tribution throughout the batter are most affected by temperature. If the
temperature is low a fat is firmer, and less plastic. It spreads less readily
throughout the other ingredients. The temperature of the other ingredients
may be such that fat is rendered more or less plastic, i.e., they may be
warmer or colder than the fat. In cake batters, if an oil is used the oil may
be partially or wholly emulsified as an oil-in-water emulsion, the flour and
egg proteins acting as the emulsifiers and surrounding the spheres of oil.
If a fat is melted and added to a cake batter and the temperature of the
ingredients is such that they do not harden the fat, a portion or all of the
fat may be emulsified as an oil-in-water emulsion and the structure is
similar to that produced by oil. This distribution of the oil in a batter
as well as adsorption of fat and proteins at interfaces is probably influenced
by the electrical charge.