The content is just an excerpt from the complete note for SS2 First Term Catering Practice Lesson Note – Principles of Cooking Methods: Baking (Pastry and Confectionery). Check below to download the complete DOCUMENT
WEEK six (6)
TOPIC: Principles of cooking methods (baking) e.g. pastry and confectionery.
Sub Topic: Baking (pastry and confectionery)
Baking is method of cooking by heat in an enclosed space; the air enclosed is heated and the hot air cooks the foods.
General rules for baking
- Heat the oven to the correct temperature before putting in the food.
- Plan to do a lot of baking in one day and save fuel.
- Avoid crowding the oven, as this prevents the hot air from circulating.
- Avoid baking foods that give off moisture (e.g. meat) with foods that should be crisp when baked.
- Bake together foods which take about the same length of time to avoid frequent opening of oven as this reduces the temperature in the oven.
- Avoid banging the oven door, to prevent an in rush of cold air.
- Meat and poultry can be cooked in an oven if one is available. It called oven roasting.
Bakery goods, pastries and confectionaries use flour mixtures ingredients using basic methods of mixture. The ingredients used are:
- Flour: the flours used in bakery are whole wheat flour, white flour (these are common in bakery), cornflower made from maize and only used for mixtures which is not required to rise. Flours composition varies and its important constituent is a protein known as gluten. Therefore, the success of raised pastries depends on its efficiency of gluten in flour. Grade of flours according to their quality are (i) strong flours (ii) medium flours (a blend of strong and weak flours), weak flours of poorer gluten quality suitable for very light spongy mixtures and pastries, soft flour, hard flours. The finer the flour the lighter its appearance and softer it gluten. Corn flour is smooth and fine it has no gluten and sometimes used in shortbreads.
Gluten is improved by acidity where is important that the gluten should be able to hold gas bubbles in blown up mixtures e.g. puff and flaky pastries. General rules in using flours;
- Bread requires strong flours which is suitable for rolls and plain buns and puff pastry
- Richer yeast mixture (with fat or egg) will become tough if flour is too strong and medium general-purpose flour is better.
- Scones, plain cakes, and fruit cakes, short curst pastry and pudding mixture are best made from medium flours- the usual plain on the market.
- Light sponges, biscuits and extra short- short curst pastry require weak flour for best result.
Store flour in a dry place.
Shortenings: these are fats used in bakery they include butter, lard, margarine and all the brand of cooking fats and oils on markets. The efficiency of shortening depends on
- The ease with which it can be dispersed throughout the mixture to coat the flour particles.
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