Effect of alkali upon texture of gingerbread. Soda is used with the
molasses or sorghum for leavening in gingerbread. Excess soda is often
used. For this reason gingerbread offers an excellent opportunity to observe
the effect of an excess of alkali upon the texture and the flavor of a batter.
The gluten of bread dough becomes more elastic, more extensible and
more soluble, i.e., dispersion is increased, as the acidity of the dough
increases. This results in a greater volume of the bread until a degree of
acidity is reached at which the gluten becomes too tender to stretch as
the gas forms. At this point some of the gluten films break and the cell
walls collapse. As the acidity is increased, more and more cells collapse
and a bread with a thicker, coarser texture is produced.
The gluten also becomes more elastic and more extensible with alkalies.
As the alkalinity is increased, the solubility or dispersion of the gluten
increases more rapidly than on the acid side. Thus with an alkaline
reaction the cell walls become more tender and collapse more quickly than
with an acid reaction. This with the larger proportion of liquid gives the
typical coarse structure of some gingerbreads and chocolate cakes.
Fortenbacker and Koch made a study of the effect on gluten of various
concentrations of acids, alkalies, and salts found in baking mixtures. They
found the gluten to be more soluble in alkaline solutions, for concen-
trations used in baking mixtures, than in acid solutions. In fact, the gluten
disintegrated rapidly in alkaline solutions of increasing concentration, so
that the gluten discs could be left in only for short periods or they could
not be lifted to be weighed. Because of the gluten being dispersed it loses
some of its elasticity. The cakes are tender owing to the dissolving of the
gluten.
The gingerbread batter like all cake batters contains enough buffer sub-
stances so that with the addition of alkali it does not become as alkaline
GINGERBREAD 517
as it otherwise would. Thus with the addition of 2 teaspoons of soda,
Experiment 87,1, the batter is not as distinctly alkaline as would be
expected, though the flavor is quite evident. With the large proportion of
soda a hollow may form in the center of the gingerbread during baking.
This is more likely to develop if the batter is allowed to stand a short
time before baking. The soda causes partial dispersion of the gluten. The
baking sets the crust, but the interior of the cake being baked last, the
soda continues its action on the gluten during part of the baking with
the result that the cake may be level across the top but have a hollow
in the center. Sometimes the cake sinks across the top instead of forming
the hollow in the center. With longer mixing and greater attenuation of
the gluten the sinking does not occur.
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Effect of alkali upon texture of gingerbread. Soda is used with the
molasses or sorghum for leavening in gingerbread. Excess soda is often
used. For this reason gingerbread offers an excellent opportunity to observe
the effect of an excess of alkali upon the texture and the flavor of a batter.
The gluten of bread dough becomes more elastic, more extensible and
more soluble, i.e., dispersion is increased, as the acidity of the dough
increases. This results in a greater volume of the bread until a degree of
acidity is reached at which the gluten becomes too tender to stretch as
the gas forms. At this point some of the gluten films break and the cell
walls collapse. As the acidity is increased, more and more cells collapse
and a bread with a thicker, coarser texture is produced.
The gluten also becomes more elastic and more extensible with alkalies.
As the alkalinity is increased, the solubility or dispersion of the gluten
increases more rapidly than on the acid side. Thus with an alkaline
reaction the cell walls become more tender and collapse more quickly than
with an acid reaction. This with the larger proportion of liquid gives the
typical coarse structure of some gingerbreads and chocolate cakes.
Fortenbacker and Koch made a study of the effect on gluten of various
concentrations of acids, alkalies, and salts found in baking mixtures. They
found the gluten to be more soluble in alkaline solutions, for concen-
trations used in baking mixtures, than in acid solutions. In fact, the gluten
disintegrated rapidly in alkaline solutions of increasing concentration, so
that the gluten discs could be left in only for short periods or they could
not be lifted to be weighed. Because of the gluten being dispersed it loses
some of its elasticity. The cakes are tender owing to the dissolving of the
gluten.
The gingerbread batter like all cake batters contains enough buffer sub-
stances so that with the addition of alkali it does not become as alkaline
GINGERBREAD 517
as it otherwise would. Thus with the addition of 2 teaspoons of soda,
Experiment 87,1, the batter is not as distinctly alkaline as would be
expected, though the flavor is quite evident. With the large proportion of
soda a hollow may form in the center of the gingerbread during baking.
This is more likely to develop if the batter is allowed to stand a short
time before baking. The soda causes partial dispersion of the gluten. The
baking sets the crust, but the interior of the cake being baked last, the
soda continues its action on the gluten during part of the baking with
the result that the cake may be level across the top but have a hollow
in the center. Sometimes the cake sinks across the top instead of forming
the hollow in the center. With longer mixing and greater attenuation of
the gluten the sinking does not occur.