Experimental cookery

The role the various ingredients play in batter products. Liquid. The liquid is a solvent for sugar, soluble salts, and proteins. It is through solution in the liquid that the chemical reaction of baking powder is brought about with release of COo. The liquid hydrates the flour and egg proteins, giving the flour proteins cohesiveness and increasing the extensi- bility of proteins. Sugar in solution in the liquid comes in closer contact with proteins. The absorption and consequent swelling of starch granules gives them adhesiveness and cohesiveness and aids in forming the frame- work of baked products. Flour. Flour forms the framework, the backbone, or skeleton of baked 460 BATTERS AND DOUGHS products. This framework is more or less modified by the other ingre- dients. The gluten forms a continuous network, and the starch granules, which swell to a greater or less extent, depending on the proportion of liquid, become more or less adhesive and are embedded in the gluten net- work. Fat. Fat renders a product tender or short. It is not soluble but is adsorbed strongly on the surface of other constituents and forms films separating and lubricating them. In this way it is one of the major factors in producing a velvety, soft crumb in cake. Fat adds richness and tends to decrease the volume. If creamed it is a means of incorporating air, thus increasing the porosity. Sugar. Sugar adds flavor. In increasing amounts up to the optimum it tends to increase the volume and tenderness of the product to which it is added. Fat is strongly adsorbed by sugar crystals and is thus distributed throughout the batter. Sugar peptizes egg and possibly flour proteins, ele- vating the coagulation temperature of these proteins. In increasing amounts it delays solution of baking powder and other salts, so that carbon dioxide is produced more slowly. It is also possible that it may tend to absorb some of the carbon dioxide, thus lessening the amount lost during mixing. Because it is somewhat porous it may be a means of adding more air to the batter. Egg. Egg adds flavor and additional protein for the framework. If the yolk and white are not separated, the egg tends to decrease the volume and increase the elasticity and rubberiness. The lecithio-protein of the egg yolk has strong emulsifying properties and in batters emulsifies all or a major portion of the oil or melted fat. When the white is separated from the yolk it can be used as a means of incorporating air, thus increasing the volume and tenderness of the product. Well-beaten whole egg can also be used as a means of incorporating air, if added quickly to the batter before the air is lost. Baki7ig powder. Baking powder in optimum amounts increases the porosity of products and, by stretching the elastic protein, thinner cell walls, more tender products, and products of larger volume are obtained. It is possible that ions of salts of the baking powder or their residual salts may modify the hydration capacity of the flour proteins and some ions may tend to peptize some proteins. Popovers