The Use of Dairy Products in Baking - Research Paper Example

Topic Dairy and Baking The Concept of Baking Baking is a procedure of cooking, wherein food products are cooked with the aid of dry heat in an oven using convection or convention method. Baking is an age old practice of cooking which flourished during Roman Era. According to (Reluctant Baking) “Baking was originally accomplished in the coals of a fire, or on a hearth. The Italian peasant bread, focaccia, comes from the Italian word for hearth. Notice that it is the same root as the word “focus.” The hearth was, literally and figuratively, the center, or focus, of the home”. In baking process, less fat is used to cook food products and dry heat is used to cook food items evenly to give a brown glaze to it. However, in order to bake a dish perfectly, the right recipe needs to be followed. When it comes to baking, the idea is attached to breads and pastries which are considered staple food and delicacies in most part of the world since centuries. However the use of dairy products in baking is the reason for the evolution and transformation of baking world. Dairy products are food originated from milk and these can be classified as fresh cream milk itself then butter, cheese, yoghurt, cream and so on. Dairy products when blended with flour and other baking agents created dishes which are delicate, innovative and palatable. It is the dairy products like butter and milk which give taste, texture and flavor to many baked desserts and savories. As baking evolved, the importance of dairy products has only increased so as to impart value and uniqueness to baked good products. The Use of Dairy Products in Baking The main reason behind the use of dairy products in baking is to increase the moisture and flavor of baked dishes. The most nourishing dairy product in baking is whole fresh milk, when added transforms the appeal, texture and taste of any dish. Whole milk produces the best result in baked dishes due to its fat content and other nutritional qualities. Milk is used in varied forms as whole milk or semi – skimmed milk according to the demand of the recipe of the baked food item. Milk in other forms as cream, cheese, evaporated milk also culminates the tastes of baked food into enjoyable reality. In the most popular desserts butter which is the derivative of milk is considered as an unavoidable cooking ingredient. Butter is the most richening dairy product acquired by churning milk and it makes every dish succulent and aromatic on baking. It could be mentioned that in baking process ,butter has a significant place .The reason is due to its semi – solid state and its easiness in blending with any ingredient to make a perfect baked dish. Butter gives flavor, aroma, texture and freshness to any baked food items like cake, bread and pastries. Even while baking meat, casseroles and vegetable dishes butter and milk does play a vital role in giving perfection to the dish. In the same manner cream attained from fresh milk known as “fresh cream” is added to many sweet dishes to impart a superior taste and satiny texture while baking. Cream can be further classified into heavy cream, clotted cream, whipped cream and double cream. These varieties of cream are mostly used as topping for baked dishes as pie, tarts, pasteries, puddings and cakes. Another variety of cream is “ sour cream” which is a decomposed version of cream .Sour cream is dense in consistency and when used in baking instead of milk lessen the amount of vaporization occurs during baking process. Like while cooking cakes, sour cream imparts a distinctive flavor, richness and moist chewy texture. . By using milk fat, the crust of the bread products gets softer and also yeast breads gets unique feature due to the presence of sugar in dairy products. The dairy products have natural protein which interferes with the heat of the oven to give way the “mallard reaction”. This process called “ maillard reaction” is the reason for the browning effect in baked products. As per (Fayle,6)“Several changes in the properties of foods have been attributed to the “maillard reaction” as browning, production of aroma, flavor and texture”. This is more visible in baked food like “pizza” “pastas” and other dishes where cheese are used. One of the other advantages of adding dairy product like milk and cream to dishes while baking is that it hydrates the protein content in the flour. By this, the gluten in the flour gets activated and imparts proper texture to the baked dishes. By using butter the flavor of the food gets evenly distributed to all parts while being baked. In the same manner, butter milk, yoghurt, sour cream adds flavors to the dishes in a unique and distinctive manner. Dairy product like milk and cream are essential for the texture and body of the baked food products. Moreover, real full cream has abundant lactic acid and butter fat content which gives tanginess, moistness and richness to baked foods. Moreover cream is used as filling, frosting and as accompaniment in baking .In addition, cakes, quick breads and yeast breads when made with dairy products gives a finer crust and taste. When dishes are baked with the use of dairy products, their shelf life and freshness get impacted on the long run. Due to the fat content and moisture, baked food gets detoriated faster at the room temperature and requires refrigeration in all cases. Most of the desserts baked with cream, milk, and butter has shelf life of 24 hrs or less. As per (Patent 32)“The unfortunate practice of ultrapasterization, which extends shelf life, has a negative effect on the taste and texture of the cream”. For the very same reason, it is recommended to consume baked food products as and when they are out of hot oven to get best out of them. Works cited Fayle, S E. The Maillard reaction. London: Royal Society of Chemistry, 2002. 6.Print. Patent, Greg. The Art and Soul of Baking. Baking In America: Traditional: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt,, 2002. 32. Print. Reluctant Gourmet. "The Art of Baking - a dry heat method of cooking." The Reluctant Gourmet .com. The Reluctant Gourmet, 1997. Web. 4 Feb. 2012. . Read More