Fun Baking and Craft

This is a comprehensive text designed to present the principles of science that are applicable to baking. Each distinct chapter covers one or a group of related concepts, and contains introductory narrative and background information; an exemplary recipe; and a series of culinary lessons. Additional recipes are included in each chapter, and a step by step, full color series of photos accompanies each culinary lesson. The special features of this text include discussions of science related topics; pastry history; Lessons Demonstrated boxes, which highlight important principles in each chapter; Professional Profiles sections that highlight important culinary figures; and numerous tables, charts, and photographs designed to explain the principles in recipes. The unique presentation of material, the author s accessible writing style, the culinary lessons, and the numerous recipes provided make this text the most appropriate baking text available for today s culinary student.

Table of Contents
Chapter 1 Mise en Place 1
Introduction 2
Organizational Skills Needed for Baking 2
How to Measure the Ingredients in This Book 4
The Correct Tools of Measurement 5
How to Use a Baker's Scale 7
How to Use a Digital Scale 8
Baker's Percentages 10
Baking Tools and Equipment Defined 12
Helpful Hints in Using This Text 19
Procedure to Make Parchment Cake Pan Liners for Round Cake Pans 19
How to Line Sheet Pans with Parchment Paper 21
Proper Preparation of Cake Pans before Baking 21
Preparing Muffin Tins 23
Forming a Parchment Cone 23
Sifting Dry Ingredients 24
Storing Baked Goods 24
Properly Wrapping Baked Goods to Be Frozen 25
Chapter 2 Ingredients 26
Introduction 28
Wheat Flour 29
Sugar 29
Eggs 29
Starches 29
Gelatins 30
Fats 30
Fats in Solid Form 30
Liquid Fats 31
Storage of Fats 32
Dairy Products 32
Spices 35
Processed Flavorings 37
Seeds 38
Salt 38
Peanut Butter 39
Nuts 39
Products Derived from Nuts 39
Coconut 41
Toasting Coconut and Nuts 41
Fruits 42
Chapter 3 Wheat Flour: The Essential Grain (and Other Flours) 46
Introduction 48
Flour Defined 48
Composition of a Wheat Kernel 48
Types of Wheat 49
The Milling Process 49
Different Varieties of Wheat Flour 51
Grains and Flours Other Than Wheat 53
The Ancient Art of Stone Milling 54
Getting Flour Ready for Baking: Flour Treatments 54
Components of Flour Important to the Baker 55
Defining Gluten and Its Role in Baking 56
The Importance of Gluten 57
Controlling Gluten 57
Deciding Which Flour Is Best 58
Storage of Flours 58
Chapter 4 The Science of Mixing 60
Introduction 62
Four Mixing Factors That Affect Baked Goods 62
Gluten Revisited 63
Fats and Their Role in Mixing 64
The Correct Tools for Mixing 64
Five of the Most Common Mixing Terms 66
Properly Folding In Ingredients 67
Chapter 5 Thickeners and Stabilizers 70
Introduction 72
Starches Defined 72
The Three Stages of Gelatinization 73
Several Factors That Affect Gelatinization 73
Interesting Facts about Starches 74
Gelatin Defined 75
How Gelatin Forms a Gel 76
How to Use Gelatin 76
Other Gelatin-Like Thickeners and Stabilizers 77
Factors and Ingredients That Interfere with Gelatinization 77
Chapter 6 Eggs as Thickeners 86
Introduction 88
Composition of an Egg 88
Egg Products Other Than Fresh Shell Eggs 89
Storage of Egg Products 90
Proper Sanitation 90
Eggs as Thickeners 91
Custards Defined 91
Coagulation of Proteins 91
Ways to Prevent Curdling of Custards 92
Steps to Prepare a Stirred Custard 93
Steps to Prepare a Baked Custard 94
Problems to Avoid with Custards 94
Chapter 7 Eggs as Leaveners and Meringues 102
Introduction 103
Egg Foams Defined 103
Three Types of Meringues 103
Helpful Hints to Get the Fluffiest Meringues 106
Using a Stainless Steel versus a Copper Bowl to Prepare Meringues 107
Separating Eggs 107
One Method to Separate Eggs 107
Substituting Pasteurized Egg Whites 108
How to Prepare a Safe Meringue Using Fresh Shell Eggs 108
The Trouble with Underbeaten and Overbeaten Egg Whites 108
Defining Key Terms 109
Incorporating Egg Foams into Other Ingredients 110
Defining Souffles 110
Chapter 8 Working with Yeast in Straight Doughts 124
Introduction 126
Defining Yeast 127
Yeast and Fermentation 129
The Correct Temperature to Ferment Yeast Doughs 130
How Gluten Traps Carbon Dioxide Gas 132
Developing Flavor in Yeast Breads 132
How the Amount of Water in a Yeast Dough Can Affect Hole Structure 133
Ingredients That Negatively Affect Yeast Breads 133
The 12 Steps of Yeast Dough Production 135
Two Basic Types of Yeast Doughs 139
Chapter 9 Preferment 164
Introduction 166
Two Categories of Preferments 167
Yeast and Bacteria Living Together 170
Reliability and Hardiness of Starters 170
Developing Flavor in Sourdough Breads 171
Chapter 10 Laminated Doughs 194
Introduction 196
Laminated Doughs Defined 196
Solid Fats and Plasticity 197
Preparing a Base Dough 197
Enclosing Fat Inside the Dough 198
Folding and Layering 198
How Laminated Doughs Puff Up and Rise 201
Choosing a Flour for the Base Dough 201
Dimensions of the Base Dough 201
Tips for Successful Laminated Pastries 201
Freezing Laminated Doughs 201
Chapter 11 Working with Fats in Pies and Tarts 236
Introduction 238
The Difference between Tenderness and Flakiness in a Pastry Crust 238
Choosing the Right Fat 239
Three Different Types of Pastry Doughs 240
Six Ways to Ensure a Tender, Flaky Pastry Crust 242
Blind Baking 243
Helpful Tips to Roll Out a Pastry Crust 243
Preventing a Soggy Bottom Crust 244
Chapter 12 Using Chemical and Steam Leaveners 268
Introduction 270
Chemical Leaveners 270
The Important Role of Air in Leavening 273
Steam Leavening 273
Two Methods to Bake Eclair Paste 275
Chapter 13 Quick Bread Mixing Methods 284
Introduction 286
Differences between Yeast Breads and Quick Breads 286
Different Mixing Methods 287
Preparation of Muffin Pans 290
Chapter 14 Cake Mixing Methods 308
Introduction 310
Two Categories of Cakes 310
Cake Batters as Emulsions 311
Mixing Methods for Cakes High in Fat 312
Knowing Which Fat to Use in High-Fat Cakes 314
Mixing Methods for Cakes Low in Fat 315
How to Tell When a Cake Is Done 316
Chapter 15 Frostings 352
Introduction 354
Frosting Defined 354
Four Reasons to Use Frostings 354
The Seven Categories of Frostings 355
Pairing the Cake with the Appropriate Frosting 359
Basic Tools to Properly Frost a Cake 359
How to Frost a Layer Cake 360
Chapter 16 Cookies 372
Introduction 374
Categories of Cookies 374
Three Basic Cookie Mixing Methods 376
Understanding the Characteristics of Cookies and How to Manipulate Them 376
Tips for Making Successful Cookies 379
Chapter 17 Building Blocks with Sugar 404
Introduction 406
Three Basic Steps in Preparing Sugar Syrups for Desserts and Confections 406
Two Ways to Determine When a Sugar Syrup Is Done 408
Understanding the Process of Crystallization 409
Ways to Control Crystallization 410
Two Methods to Prepare Caramel 411
Where Caramel Gets Its Flavor 412
Using Caution When Working with Sugar 412
Tips for Preparing Sugar Syrups 412
Storage of Confections Made from Caramel 413
Chapter 18 Frozen Desserts 428
Introduction 430
The Importance of Good Sanitation When Preparing Frozen Desserts 430
Two Categories of Frozen Desserts 430
Churn-Frozen Desserts 431
Why Churning Is So Important 432
Between Churn-Frozen and Still-Frozen 432
Still-Frozen Desserts 433
Factors That Contribute to Texture 434
Summing Up Texture with Mouthfeel 435
Building Flavors in Frozen Desserts 435
The Power of Sugar and Salt in Preparing Frozen Desserts 436
Tips for Preparing Successful Frozen Desserts 437
Chapter 19 Chocolate 456
Introduction 458
The Origins of Chocolate 458
Cocoa Butter and Mouthfeel 459
The Most Common Types of Chocolate 460
Water and Chocolate 463
Properly Melting Chocolate 463
The Fat Crystals in Cocoa Butter 464
Why Chocolate Is Tempered 464
Determining When Tempering Is Necessary 465
Tempering 465
Two Methods of Tempering 466
Determining When the Chocolate Is Tempered 468
Commercial Tempering Machines 469
What to Do With Tempered Chocolate 469
Blooming 470
Ganache 470
Dense versus Light Truffle Centers 471
Molding Chocolate 471
Chapter 20 Dessert Sauces and Plating 482
Introduction 484
The Purpose of Dessert Sauces 484
Types of Dessert Sauces 485
Painting a Plate with Sauces 488
How to Layer Different Sauces on One Plate 488
Tips to Follow When Painting Plates with Sauces 493
Garnishes: Adding Depth and Dimension to a Dessert Plate 494
Chapter 21 Healthy Baking 506
Introduction 508
How to Modify Ingredients Containing Refined Grains with healthier Alternatives to Enrich Baked Goods 508
Fats-Why They Are Necessary 509
Substituting Healthier Fats for Less Healthy Fats 512
Some Healthier Fat Substitutions 513
Replacing Sugar with Sugar Substitutes 514
Easy Substitutions 516
How to Modify a Recipe's Ingredients with Healthier Alternatives 517
Antioxidants and Health 519
The Health Benefits of Chocolate 519
Chapter 22 Troubleshooting 546
Introduction 548
What Can Go Wrong? 548
Custards 550
Yeast Breads 551
Pies and Tarts 552
Quick Breads 553
Cakes 554
Frostings 555
Cookies 557
Working with Sugar 558
Frozen Desserts 559
Chocolate 560
Appendices 563
Glossary 569
References 583
Recipe Index 585
Subject Index 589
Recipe Calculator Cd-Rom Overview 602