Ever wondered why your bread rises or why your cookies spread in the pan?
The only right answer is chemistry.
Every ingredient you use in the kitchen has a science behind it. Flour is the foundation of all dough, while fat is the glue that holds it together. Eggs emulsify, and sugar tenderizes.
Want to learn more? You’re in luck because I’m about to take you on an interesting journey through ingredient interactions.
So, grab your lab coat—or, you know, your apron—because it’s about to get messy!
Flour Is the Backbone of All Baked Goods
While ingredients may vary from one baking recipe to another, flour is almost always there, but why?
Well, flour contains proteins, like glutenin and gliadin, which form gluten when mixed with water. As you might know, gluten is the not-so-secret ingredient that gives dough structure and elasticity.
Flour comes in different types, like all-purpose, cake, bread, and more. Each type has a different protein content, which affects the rise and the elasticity of the final product.
As a rule of thumb, high-protein flours are ideal for chewy bread, while low-protein flours give you tender cakes and pastries.
Baking Powder Is the Expander
Baking powder is a raising agent made of an acid and a base. When you mix it with warm water, it releases carbon dioxide, which causes the batter to rise into a fluffy and light dough.
Since baking powder is a generous contender that keeps on giving, this reaction doesn’t happen only once. It happens when you mix the dough and another time when you push it into the oven.
That’s why adding too much baking powder will lead to big air bubbles that’ll burst, leaving you with a flat dough. On the other hand, using too little will give you a heavy dough with soggy layers.
Eggs Are the Jack of All Trades
Eggs are a non-replaceable ingredient in baking recipes, and that’s mainly because of how many roles they have.
For starters, egg whites coagulate when heated, giving your dough structure and stability in the oven. As for the yolks, they contain fats, which emulsify in the mix, giving your baked goods a tender crumb.
Plus, beating eggs adds air into the mix, which expands in the oven, giving your dough more volume.
Sugar Is More Than a Sweetener
While the obvious role of sugar in any recipe is sweetening it, its role differs in baking. It retains moisture, giving your dough the right amount of tenderness.
On top of that, sugar is responsible for browning, giving a golden crust and rich flavor to many desserts.
Finally, in yeast breads, sugar is the main dish for yeast, feeding it so that it ferments and helps the dough rise faster.
Butter Gives You Tender Crumbs
The fat in butter coats flour particles, stopping gluten from forming and giving you a tender dessert with delicious crumbs. If gluten is left to its own devices, it won’t stop combining, and the dough will keep on rising.
Another role of butter in baking is expanding in cookies and cakes. When creamed with sugar, it traps air, which expands once in the oven.
Last but not least, butter retains flavor and moisture, giving your baked dessert a rich taste with a perfect texture.
Salt Is the Giver That Keeps on Giving
Believe it or not; the small amount of salt you put into your dough mixture makes all the difference in your end result.
Salt is a flavor enhancer that brings all of the other ingredients’ flavors in your recipe to life and balances the sweetness.
Not only that, but it also strengthens the gluten, giving you dough with enhanced structure and elasticity.
When used in yeast bread, salt controls the fermentation process by slowing down yeast activity. This prevents the dough from rising too quickly and gives you a better texture.
Final Thoughts
Each ingredient you use while baking has a specific role that can make or break your final result. Knowing them all will help you master your baking skills, as you’ll know which ingredients to use generously and which to use scarcely.
So, what are you waiting for? Go make the perfect dough!
Sarah is the founder of Baking Kneads, LLC, a blog sharing guides, tips, and recipes for those learning how to bake. Growing up as the daughter of a baker, she spent much of her childhood learning the basics in a local bakery.