Home Economics- Home Baking

Rubbing in

Rub butter into flour e.g. scones

Creaming

Beat butter and sugar together first until creamy e.g. cupcakes

All-in-one

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl e.g. sponge cake

Melting

Melt an ingredient first then add other ingredients e.g. chocolate biscuit cake

Whisking

Whisk egg/egg white and sugar together first e.g. meringue

Baking blind

Baking a pastry case without any filling to fully cook it

Advantages of home baking

1- No Additives

2- Cheap

3- Control over ingredients

4- Can be modified to suit special diets and allergies

Basic ingredients used in home baking

flour, sugar, egg, milk, raising agents.

Guidelines for home baking

1- follow the recipe carefully

2- measure the ingredients accurately

3- preheat the oven

4- grease and or line tin

5- don't open the oven door unnecessarily

Types of raising agents

Air, bread soda, baking powder, yeast.

Air

Natural raising agent- whisking, beating, rubbing in, sieving helps

Yeast

Biological raising agent - yeast bread & bread dough

Yeast + warmth + food + liquid = Bubbles of carbon dioxide (CO2)

Chemical

Acid + alkali + liquid + heat = CO2 bubbles

Buttermilk + bread soda makes CO2 gas. Heat speeds up the reaction

What are raising agents?

They make a gas (bubbles) ~> air + carbon dioxide

They make cakes RISE because gases expand in heat

Commercial Cake Mixes

•Contains dry ingredients e.g. flour, sugar, fat

•Add liquid e.g. water, eggs, milk

•Make a cake/bread

Advantages of Commercial Cake Mixes

Cheap

Quick

Easy- just add liquid

Fun for kids/beginners

Less skill needed

Disadvantages of Commercial Cake Mixes

Pictures can fool you

Lots of additives

Can't control ingredients

Types of Pastries

1-Shortcrust pastry e.g. apple tart

2-Rich Shortcrust e.g. mince pie

3-Puff pastry e.g. croissant

4-Choux pastry e.g. profiteroles

5-Filo pastry e.g. spring rolls

Rules for making pastry

1- Keep ingredients cold

2- Weigh ingredients accurately

3- Handle pastry as little as possible

4- Chill pastry in fridge before rolling

Changing some of the ingredients. Why?

1- Allergy

2- Healthier e.g. cut down on sugar

3- Double or reduce the recipe

4- Suit personal reference

5- Special diet e.g. vegan/diabetes