Experimental cookery

The results in Table 63 show less fat absorption at the higher tempera- tures. Sometimes the differences are not so great. Extreme temperatures were used in these doughnut experiments. In ordinary cooking as low a temperature as 155°C. would not be used, for the doughnuts would require too long a time to brown. Nor would the high temperature be used, for the doughnuts become too brown in a very short time. The doughnuts cooked for 2 minutes are not so brown as those cooked 4 minutes. Those cooked at 155° to 160° are very pale in color; those at 195° to 200°, except the ones cooked 2 minutes, are too dark in color. Usually the preferable color is obtained by cooking at 175° to 180° for 3 or 4 minutes. The doughnuts cooked at the highest temperature usually have a smaller volume than those cooked at 175° to 180°, probably because the crust hardens quickly at the higher temperature and thus prevents expansion. This would be one factor that causes decreased fat absorption at 195° to 200°, as the doughnuts would have less surface area. Letting the dough stand before frying. If the dough is allowed to stand a short time before frying the amount of fat absorbed while cooking is usually lessened, but sometimes just the opposite happens, and a larger quantity of fat is absorbed. The volume of the cooked doughnuts is usually greater after the dough is allowed to stand a short time. This would tend to cause greater fat absorption on account of greater surface area. VARIATION OF PROPORTION 561 Effect of variation of proportion of ingredients in the recipe. If different doughnut recipes are compared, the proportion of ingredients TABLE 64 Effect upon Fat Absorption of Increasing the Sugar in the Recipe FROM 1 TO \}4 Cups. Cooked 3 Minutes at 175° to 180°C. Number of strokes used for mixing Weight of uncooked dough- nuts, grams Weight of cooked dough- nuts, grams Fat absorption Grams Per cent 1 140 160 180 200 146.6 146.1 148.7 154.0 185.3 186.7 178.9 175.6 68 65 52 42 36.7 34.8 29.1 23.9 will be found to vary somewhat. One recipe may contain a larger propor- tion of sugar, another of fat. This variation of proportion of ingredients will influence the percentage of fat absorbed. Sugar. When the sugar in the regular recipe is increased from 1 to 1^ cups the dough is quite sticky and difficult to handle. The dough appears as if it contained a thick sirup. The fat absorbed during cooking is de- cidedly increased. If the dough is mixed longer it becomes less sticky and the gluten better developed, and fat absorption is decreased. The result upon the texture is similar to that obtained when sugar is increased in cake. The dough requires more mixing than the regular recipe to obtain good doughnuts. The best texture is usually obtained with 180 to 200 strokes.