Leavening
The Science of Leavening
The term leavening specifically means air rating in food. This means a dough is used to be made larger or thicker by using carbon dioxide. This can be done with leavening agents and other baking goods. The air is trapped within the bread or dough to make it rise or bigger. The leavening agents require air by such methods such as beating or generating chemical reactions.
Blueberry, Lemon and Passion Fruit Cake
Ingredients Between 2:
With this cake, another chemical reaction had been used. This was coagulation and denaturation. THe denaturation had occurred in the beating of the eggs while the coagulation had occurred in the beating and the cooking of the butter mixture. Besides this, the leavening agent used was steam, self-raising flour and yeast. All these products made the cake rise while it became heated in the oven.
Evaluation:
The cakes would not be able to rise in the oven without leavening or their agents. They require this to be able to harden and the baked good becomes lighter. It becomes lighter because most of the pace has been taken by air inside it. These cakes have the golden, yellow colour and also has a light weight.
- 150g softened butter
- ¾ cup caster sugar
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 11/2 cups self raising flour
- 50ml milk
- grated zest of 1/2 a lemon
- ½ cup blueberries
- ½ cup passion fruit pulp.
- Preheat the oven to 170c fan assisted
- Grease 2 bar tins sides and bottoms. Cut out baking paper and line just the bottom of the tin.
- Cream the butter and the caster sugar together in a bowl until pale in colour and fluffy
- Add the eggs to the mixture one at a time, beating in between
- Fold in the flour, then stir in the milk and the lemon zest and passion fruit pulp.
- Carefully fold in the blueberries
- Pour the mixture in to the prepared baking tin and bake in the centre of the oven for 25 – 30 minutes until golden brown ( the cake doesn’t rise a lot but is very light)
With this cake, another chemical reaction had been used. This was coagulation and denaturation. THe denaturation had occurred in the beating of the eggs while the coagulation had occurred in the beating and the cooking of the butter mixture. Besides this, the leavening agent used was steam, self-raising flour and yeast. All these products made the cake rise while it became heated in the oven.
Evaluation:
The cakes would not be able to rise in the oven without leavening or their agents. They require this to be able to harden and the baked good becomes lighter. It becomes lighter because most of the pace has been taken by air inside it. These cakes have the golden, yellow colour and also has a light weight.
ANZAC Biscuits
Ingredients:
ANZAC biscuits are involving the chemical reaction leavening as the baking soda acts as the leavening agent. It lets out its carbon dioxide as it is cooked in the oven and causes these cookies to rise. The other ingredients also acted on their behalf on the flavour of the biscuits that makes the flavour burst into the eaters' mouths.
Evaluation:
These biscuits are full of flavour and were created for the World War as there was a shortage of food on the battlefield. On the bright side, these cookies are golden brown with oatmeal to make the biscuits more appealing and enjoyable. With the leavening, these cookies would be harder, flat and skinny.
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 2 cups flour
- 2 cups coconut
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 250g butter
- 4 tbsp golden syrup
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 tbsp boiling water
- Turn oven to 160°C. Lightly grease oven trays.
- Place oats, flour, coconut, sugar in big mixing bowl.
- Melt butter and golden syrup in saucepan. Take off heat.
- Mix baking soda and boiling water in a cup. Add to melted butter mixture in the pan. Quickly add to big mixing bowl. Mix well.
- Roll tablespoonfuls of the mixture into balls. Place on trays 5cm apart. Press lightly with fork.
- Bake for 20 minutes.
ANZAC biscuits are involving the chemical reaction leavening as the baking soda acts as the leavening agent. It lets out its carbon dioxide as it is cooked in the oven and causes these cookies to rise. The other ingredients also acted on their behalf on the flavour of the biscuits that makes the flavour burst into the eaters' mouths.
Evaluation:
These biscuits are full of flavour and were created for the World War as there was a shortage of food on the battlefield. On the bright side, these cookies are golden brown with oatmeal to make the biscuits more appealing and enjoyable. With the leavening, these cookies would be harder, flat and skinny.
Croissants
Ingredients:
In the making of the croissants, the active dry yeast acts as a leavening agent to make the croissants to rise. The yeast had reacted to the heat within the oven. This had causes the yeast to release carbon dioxide which had caused the croissants to rise.
Evaluation:
The overall croissant had a flaky and soft bread like feeling that had been due to the ingredients. the croissant is really light and is quite aesthetically pleasing. It has butter contained inside and had an overall softness and sweetness. The bread is given a golden and crispy like colour and gives the sense of France.
- 3 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
- 1 cup of warm water
- 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
- 1/4 cup of milk
- 1/2 tablespoon of melted butter
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 3/4 cups of cold unsalted butter
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon of milk
- In a bowl, use a cup of the all-purpose flour and mix it with the yeast and water. Mix well until the flour is spread evenly and there are no visible clumps of the flour.
- Put in the remaining flour, the milk, the melted butter and the salt in the mixture.
- Knead he current mixture for approximately a minute.
- Let the bowl set by covering it with a wet cloth or paper towel for 20 minutes.
- 20 minutes later, take the dough out and knead the dough again by hand. The kneading should cause the dough to become even, smooth and elastic.
- Wrap the dough in plastic and place it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Use the cold butter to shape it into an approximate 20 cm square.
- After refrigerating, remove the dough from the refrigerator and roll the dough into 22 by 43 cm rectangle. Place the butter on the bottom half of the rectangle.
- Fold the top half of the rectangle of dough down over the bottom half. Press together the edges of the square to seal in the butter.
- Roll the square with a rolling pin to stretch the dough and the butter in it.The dough should be rolled into a 45 by 22 cm rectangle.
- Fold the rectangle into thirds. Start with a narrow end and begin folding the bottom third up towards the middle. After, fold the top third down. ( This has a term called a 'turn'. It will be used later).
- Turn the dough so the single fold is on your left.
- Repeat step 10 and 11.
- Refrigerate the dough again.
- After refrigeration, the dough must be turned two more times.
- *Wrap the dough for 24 hours. (This enhances dough flavour).
- Cut the dough in half and put one half aside.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll one half of the dough into a 16.5 by 50 cm rectangle.
- Transfer each large rectangle onto one of the prepared baking sheets. Refrigerate for about 20 minutes or until the dough is firm.
- Long end facing you, cut triangles from the dough equally and accurately.
- In each triangle, make a small slit in the middle of the base of the triangle. This allows you to roll the triangles into a crescent shape.
- Using both hands, roll the triangle into a crescent by rolling from the base up.
- Make an egg wash with the egg and tablespoon of milk to brush onto the croissants.
- Turn on oven to 190 degrees Celsius and bake the croissants on baking trays.
In the making of the croissants, the active dry yeast acts as a leavening agent to make the croissants to rise. The yeast had reacted to the heat within the oven. This had causes the yeast to release carbon dioxide which had caused the croissants to rise.
Evaluation:
The overall croissant had a flaky and soft bread like feeling that had been due to the ingredients. the croissant is really light and is quite aesthetically pleasing. It has butter contained inside and had an overall softness and sweetness. The bread is given a golden and crispy like colour and gives the sense of France.