Baking Theory Notes: Cake Baking and Ingredients 6

It all started as...
----->Bread dough enriched with butter and spices, leavened with yeast and air was whipped into the dough.

----->ca. 1837 : Baking Powder revolutionizes cake industry (allows for consistent leavening)

moist coconut cake by babe_kl

Characteristics of Cakes:

*Pound / White / Yellow

• Batter - high ratio cake (fats) , Chemical leavened.

*Angel Food

• Foam - Air leavened, uses whipped egg.

*Chiffon

• Combo of Batter & Foam - whipped eggs added to batter

Ingredients:

1. tenderizers
2. moisteners
3. flavorers

*Flours Used in Cake baking

• Mainly cake flour (7-9% protein, soft milled)
• Can use AP, Pastry,

Why Specific Protein Count needed, how it forms Gluten Structure:

1. Bleached flour (has carotenes taken out)
2. Flours are Made with Matured Wheat - if using a heavier protein percentage (i.e in bread flour etc, will cause cake structure to become dense, unstable and collapse into it's self.
3. Moisture content comes from the flour

*Sugars Used in Cake Baking

What sugar does for cakes:

1. Acts as a Sweetener
2. Extends the shelf life of the cake
3. Aides in creaming (process of whipping air into the batter)
4. Gives cake crust it's color
5. Spreading action (the process of melting during bake off)

Related Posts:

• Baking Theory Notes: Chemical Leavening, Dough Strengthener, Crumb Softeners
• Baking Theory Notes: Eggs
• Baking Theory Notes: Sweeteners
• Baking Theory Notes: Fats
• Baking Theory Notes: Wheat / Flours
• Baking Theory Notes: Salt & Yeast

Croissant Madness 1

Here are a list of Croissant related posts from Renaissance Culinaire:

Renaissance Culinaire Related Posts:

• Baking Theory Notes: Fermentation Chemistry
• The Story of The Croissant
• Technique: Shaping Croissants
• Technique: Chocolate croissant
• Walnut croissant & French turn overs
• Formula/recipe: Croissant with a starter
• My first competency has come and gone...
• Quotes from a pastry master...
• baking 101
  

Vintage Photog : Baker and Staff 4

I found this while browsing flickr. I love this photograph, and I intend on asking john if he would have it copied for me, I would pay him of course, and then have the picture sent to me.

Baker and Staff, originally uploaded by mrwaterslide.

This is what he had put under the photo :

One day at the hotel I had all my work finished and I asked the chef if I could
leave early. It must have been about three o'clock. I got in my car and drove
madly down the interstate, and then turned off on a state road, heading towards
Lake of the Ozarks. Every time I came to an antique store or flea market I
pulled over, ran inside, and scanned the stock hurriedly. I found this photo at
my last stop of the day (it was almost five o'clock, when most everything
closes). It's marked $4.00 on the back, so I suppose that's what I paid for it.

I would say that is a pretty cool find.

Styled in J. Lambeth Fashion 11

Hail J. Lambeth, originally uploaded by Amber *.

Here is one of the pictures I took of my cake from Friday's Cake class.

We were working on the Joseph Lambeth scroll work. This Frenchman wrote a book in 1910 and it typically sells for $400 due to it's rare publishing of a dozen copies. My instructor snagged a copy for $75 at an auction.

His work is described as classic, with lots of string design and layering of basic borders to create a very impressive design.

Here are other shots, click to see larger sizes :

The Story of The Croissant 0

My old instructor, originally from Denmark and a long line of Bakery heritage, would talk fondly about lessons he had learned. A smile would spread from ear to ear, his eyes brimmed with excitement as he talked of bakery times. On one such occasion my group in Laminated pastry station, were gathered around the 40 qt Hobart - waiting for a batch of croissant dough to reach full development.

Do you know the story of croissant dough? A long, long , long time ago The Turks were invading Vienna. Everyone retreated to hide. As there was constant strife - many normal practices were shut down, this included Bakeries --- baking was deemed forbidden. Forming alliances Bakers made deep underground "bakeries". The Turks, while seeking a strategic attack that would overwhelm The Viennese --- found out about the bakeries , troops were ordered to start tunneling toward these secret caves.

As the tunneling neared , Fighting the Turks off with everything they could , a lone baker was able to run and alert the king's guard, and The Turks were defeated. The King told these bakers " Since you have shown such loyalty and bravery, I declare, If you create a pastry, I will patent the formula and name it for you", so out came croissant dough. Although it had quite less layers or butter as modern dough does. It also contained a small amount of egg. In Europe it is widely called "Vienna Pastry". It's Formula still can be found made today.

I have learned that to find the story behind your formulas -- it can prove quite interesting.

Danish Bakeri : home of the Baker 1

Where does the quiet history of the baker reside? In the dilapidated ruins of ancient civilizations? Or in the failing masonry of eleventh century European buildings. If I were to lay my ear upon these stones, would I hear the soft murmurs of ancient oven doors, of an artisan bread song or the benching and rolling of laminated doughs?

I am now in the Laminated Pastry station. In class I was told today from a reliable source [a 4th generation Baker from Denmark], about Denmark and it's bakery history. We were making Kringles. Kringles are Danish pastries and are based from Danish pastry [Weinerbrod dough]. The demonstration was on the "Wisconsin Kringle". The Wisconsin Kringle varies immensely from traditional Danish Kringle, due to the Round or oval shape and 10 additional fillings. You can follow this link to learn a little history & the process of Wisconsin Kringles from a old world Danish bakery in Wisconsin .


The Danish are quite rigid in keeping with their traditional pastry standards. The traditional filling for the Danish Kringle is :

• a thin layer of Remonce [ mixture of butter, sugar,vanilla can contain : almond paste, white cake crumbs, honey] ;
• Pastry Cream [handmade custard];
• Finally a thin roll of Almond Filling [Paste : crushed almonds or apricot kernels,butter,sugar; Then mixed with egg whites and more sugar]

The Pastry before fill is carefully rolled out with a French rolling pin into long strips, and the width is no bigger than 3-4 inches. The 2 fillings are spread in a 2 inch stripe in the center of the pastry, then the roll of almond filling is centered onto the stripe. The edges are brought up and over the filling to form a seem. It is then rolled out slightly on the bench. Here a baker from Edgar's Bakeri [bakeri is bakery in Danish] is forming the traditional Danish shape :




From as far back into Danish history, the Kringle has been a symbol of bakery. In fact the Kringle symbol means "home of the baker". Buildings from the middle ages and stones in graveyards can be found with the Kringle symbol. In modern day Denmark, neon signs loom over the walk ways, beckoning foot traffic. So if you are ever in Denmark, look for home - home of the baker.