Chapter 1

Raw Materials

INTRODUCTION

In the bakery industry the bakers prepare varieties of cakes, biscuits,

fermented products, sponge cakes, pastries and decorated cakes, etc. To
prepare these products, we mainly need some ingredients. These
ingredients are called raw materials and they are classified into two:

1. Essential ingredients

2. Optional ingredients

Essential Ingredients

We cannot make any products without the essential ingredients. If a product

is made without essential raw materials, it will have a major qualitative
deficiency. They are:

1. Flour 2. Sugar

3. Fat 4. Eggs

5. Yeast 6. Salt

7. Water

The raw materials are again classified according to the functions they
perform in production in the following ways:

1. Structure builders
2. Tenderizers
3. Moisteners
4. Flavourings
5. Driers

The essential ingredients for some products are given below:

Bread: flour, yeast, salt, water

Cakes: flour, sugar, fat, eggs
Biscuits/cookies: flour, fat, sugar
Sponge cake: flour, sugar, egg

Optional Ingredients

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The optional ingredients, on the other hand, are added to the products to
improve its quality.

They include:

1. Milk and milk products

2. Dry fruits, nuts and peels
3. Fresh fruits
4. Flavours
5. Chemicals
6. Chocolates
7. Cocoa powder
8. Corn flour
9. Mixed fruit jam
10. Custard powder
11. Seeting materials
12. Colours
13. Spices etc.

Some of these are discussed below.

Dry fruits, nuts and peels

Examples of dry fruits are

1. Figs 2. Tuttifruity

3. Glaced cherries 4. Dates

5. Sultanas 6. Raisins

7. Currants

Nutus include

1. Cashewnuts 2. Pista nuts or pistachios

3. Walnuts 4. Peanuts
5. Almonds 6. Brazil nuts
7. Hazelnuts 8. Chestnuts
9. Desiccated coconut
powder
Some peels are
1. Orange peel 2. Ginger peel
The following points should be kept in mind while using fruits, nutus and
peels:

1. Remove the sticks, stalks and stones from currants and sultanas.

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 2. Dry fruits should be washed properly, strained and spread on a dry
cloth to remove excess moisture.
3. Big size fruits and nuts should be chopped in an even size or
chopped nicely before using.
4. Dates should be chopped nicely and soaked in about half of their
weight of water for one hour or more until they are soft.
5. Fruits and nuts should be soaked properly, otherwise it will affect
the product texture.
6. Add acidic material, particularly cream of tartar, in a batter having
fruits and nuts so that it will not sink to the bottom.
7. For fruitcakes, soak the fruits, nuts and peels in caramel, rum,
brandy or sugar syrup. The fruits moisture will absorb it so that the
cake will not have any fungus.
8. Before using nuts for cakes, it should be roasted slightly in the oven
to remove the moisture content and to control the fungus.

Fresh fruits

Fruits can be divided into the following group :

1. Stone fruits, for example, (i) plums, (ii) cherries, (iii) apricot, and (iv)
peaches.
2. Hard fruits, namely,(i) apple and (ii) pears.
3. Soft fruits, including (i) raspberries, (ii) strawberries, (iii) logan
berries and (iv) goose berries.
4. Citrus fruits such as (I) orange, (ii)lemon, (iii) lime and (iv) grape
fruit.
5. Tropical and other fruits, namely (i) bananas, (ii) dates, (iii) figs, (iv)
guavas, (v) mangoes, (vi) papayas, (vii) pineapples, (viii) grapes,
and (ix) melons.

Flavours

Flavours are very important for a quality product. They hold the key to all
subsequent sales. Baked products can get the flavor from many sources.
For example,

1. The essential ingredients provide flavor to the products.

2. During fermentation (production of acids and alcohols) and baking (by
caramelization) process.

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 3. By addition of flavouring additives.

The flavouring materials are classified into three categories. They

Are (i) natural extracts, (ii) essences, and (iii) spices.

1. Natural extracts. Orange and lemon zests are grated and added to
cakes and other mixtures. These thinly grated zests can be soaked in
a liquied to produce flavoured syrups. These juices are also added to
the mixtures.
2. Essences. These exist in concentrated liquid forms and are extracted
from plants and fruits. These extracts are diluted with alcohol or oils.
3. Spices. These improve the eating quality as well as the physical
characteristics of the products. The principal spices are cardamom,
nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon.
Measure equal quantity of all the ingredients and mix them, dry the
mixture properly, powder and sieve it. Then keep it in an airtight
container and sue.
The following points should be kept in mind while using and

Storing flavouring materials:

1. The essence should be stored according to the strict instruction given

by the manufacturers.
2. The essence should be stored in a cool and dark place because higher
temperature weakness the additives strength.
3. Volatile essences are always stored in coloured glass containers.
4. The essence should not be stored for a longer time than necessary. It
should be used as quickly as possible.
5. The containers should always be closed tightly.
6. Spices should be stored in an airtight container and the storeroom
should be dry, cool and airy.
7. The flavouring materials should be measured accurately. Slight excess
of essence will spill the smell as well as the taste of the product.
8. If you use two types of essence, it will give special flavours to the
products.
9. Essence should be added during the last stage of mixing.

10. Essence should be added in the ratio of 4 ml for 1 kg of flour.

11. Cheaper quality essence will give off flavor to the product.

12. If you use too much quantity, it will give a bitter taste.

Chocolate

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 Chocolate is made with cocoa beans (the fruit of cocoa tree, also used as
seed) which are roasted and then ground to a fine powder which is called
cocoa mass. There are different types of chocolate:

1. Unsweetened chocolate
2. Cocoa powder chocolate
3. Milk chocolate
4. White chocolate
5. Dark chocolate

The last four varieties of chocolate are most common in baking.

Tempering. While melting the chocolate, the bowl should be free from
water (i.e., it should be dry.) The double-boiling method is the best way to
melt the chocolate.

Method

1. Break the chocolate into small pieces and put them into a clean bowl.
2. Place the bowl over the water.
3. The temperature should be between 40oC and 50 C (making sure that
no water or steam can get into it during melting).
4. Keep heated till all the pieces are fully melted.
5. Slightly mix it to cool (to come to 28 oC). Do not beat it as too much air
will get into it.
6. Again heat it to 320C, mixing it well again. Now it is ready to use.

Note: Milk chocolate needs to be cooled to 27 oC and heated to 31oC and

white chocolate needs to be cooled at a little cooler temperature till 26 oC
and heated to 30oC.

Test for checking chocolates

1. Chocolate should be warm when touched and it should be cold while

tasting.
2. When you drag and pour you can find the formation of spiral.
3. Put a small drop of chocolate on the marble table. It should set down
within a minute in the cold room temperature.
4. They should be shining after demoulding.

Cocoa power

Cocoa powder is produced from cocoa beans. The cocoa beans are roasted
and ground to a fine powder. The powder has a strong bitter flavor. The

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powder is paler in colour and contains more fat and sugar. For making cakes
it should be added into flour and for cream it may be creamed with fat.

Corn flour and custard powder

Corn flour is milled from maize corn. It is white in colour with a particular
crunchy feel when pressed in the hand. It contains no gluten and mostly
starched. Corn flour is a thickening agent and is mainly used for pudding
and sauces.

Corn flour with addition of flavor and colour is called custard power.

Setting materials

Some products are required to set or to prevent stickiness in the ingredients

and they are called setting materials. They are (i) Gelatin, (ii)agar agar, and
(iii) pectin.

1. Gelatin. It is derived from calfs hooves. It is an animal protein which

in not a gum but is included as a stabilizer. Pure gelatin is a transparent
brittle substance without colour, smell or taste. It is available in sheet form
or in crystalline powder. It will have a longer shelf life if it remains dry. When
moistened it deteriorates rapidly. It dissolves only in boiling water. It too
much quanity is used, It will make a tough and rubbery product.

2. Agar agar. It is a jellying agent derived from red seaweeds. It is also

called vegetable gelatin. It is insoluble in cold water but soluble in boiling
water and forms a gel upon cooling. It is used in glazes, icings, etc. It is
mostly found in China.

3. Pectin. Commercially pection is prepared from citrus fruit pulp or

papaya, guava, etc. These are used in baking, primarily as icing stabilizers.

Colour

Colour is used for enhancing eye appeal as well as for decoration. The
colouring materials are available in liquid and powder form. They can be
divided into two categories:(i) natural, and (ii) artificial.

1. Natural colours. These are obtained from plants. They are limited in
variety but careful mixing can give excellent shades. Examples are

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 Yellow - Turmeric powder

Green - Chlorophyll of leaves

Orange - Saffron

Dark brown - Caramel

Brown - Cocoa

2. Artificial colours. These are made from inorganic pigments, which are
unlimited in variety. As with flavoring agents all colouring agents must also
meet all legal Colours are subdivided into

1. Primary

2. Secondary

3. Tertiary

Yellow, red and blue are primary colours. By mixing any two primary
coloours se get secondary colour:

Red + Yellow Orange

Yellow + Blue Green

Blue + Red Violet

Tertiary colours are formed by mixing all primary colours or all secondary
colours:

Green + Violet Olive green

Yellow + Red + Green Neutral gray

While using colour the following points should be kept in mind:

1. Good quality colour should be used which mixes easily with other
ingredients and does not disturb the flavor of the products.
2. Dilute the powder with hot water completely and shake the liquid well
before use.
3. Right colour should be used to complement the flavoour added in the
product.
For example,
Pineapple cake Yellow colour + Pineapple essence
Orange cake Orange colour + Sweet orange essence
Srawberry cake Raspberry red + Strawberry essence
Pista cake Green colour + Pistachio essence
4. For icing do not use two much colour because it will give a salty taste.
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 5. Use mild colours for decorating the cakes. Too much of colour will spoil
the attraction or eye appeal of the cakes.
6. According to the Food Act, the colour should be added only in the ratio
of 2% per kg of food.

REVIEW QUESTIONS

1. What do you understand by the terms essential and optional

ingredients ?
2. What are the essential and optional ingredients in a bakery and
confectionery.
3. What are the points that should be borne in your mind while using
fruits, nuts and peels ?
4. Name the types of fruits and give some examples.
5. Name the types of chocolate.
6. What is the correct temperature for tempering chocolate?
7. Define gelatine, corn flour and custard powder.
8. Name the basic and secondary colours.
9. What are the natural colours?

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