Bakery and Confectionary

BAKERY AND CONFECTIONARY FDNT 315 3 (1+2)

Lesson 5:Other Essential Ingredients Used In Baking

Salt

Salt is an essential baking ingredient. It is used to enhance the flavors and taste of other ingredients in baking and cooking. Fine table salt is the best to use in baking. Salt is an important ingredient inbread baking as it slows down yeast activity and growth in the dough, besides making gluten stronger and more elastic. In bread, it is used for taste and helps to improve flavour and characteristic of bread. Without salts, dough appears wet and therefore improves grain and texture of loaf by strengthening the dough, thus indirectly helping colour, grain and texture. Salt also lowers caramelization temperature of cake batters and aids in obtaining crust colour. By adding a pinch of salt, cream will whip better and egg whites will beat faster and higher.

Functions of Salt

• Increases gluten stability,
• Controls fermentation,
• Develops flavour,
• Retains water.
• Contributes to the crust and crumb formation.

Characteristics of salt for use in the bakery:

• Should be completely soluble in water.
• Should give a clear solution. Cloudy solution will indicate presence of certain impurities.
• Should be free from lumps.
• Should be pure and free from bitter or biting taste