Posted on February 19, 2025February 20, 2025 by RedmanShop — Leave a reply

Dairy Cream

Dairy cream comes from the fat content of cow’s milk which is pasteurised and homogenised. It comes in the following categories, which relate to the minimum fat content of the product.

Cooking cream for sauces, soups

Whipping cream has applications in general baking and decoration.

Thickened cream
Containing a thickener (vegetable gums, gelatine, alginates) for stability. Used for general baking, mousse and decoration.

Double cream
High-fat content cream that whips well and holds its shape. Ganache cream fillings, mousse cake and decoration

Cream Cheese (made from a combination of milk and cream)
The cream is formed by adding Lactic acid, which thickens the mixture. Baked and non-baked cheesecakes, as a filling for bread and bagels

Crème Fraiche
The cream is produced with a bacterial culture, resulting in a lightly sour taste: soups, accompaniment with scones and baked goods.

Sour Cream
The cream uses a bacterial culture containing Lactic Acid, which sours and thickens the cream: cheesecakes, muffin batters, and fillings.

Milk Fat Content

18% – 20%

35%

35% – 38%

43% – 45%

33% – 34%

28%

12% – 16%

Preparation for Whipping Cream

The cream needs chilling before whipping, as do the mixing bowl and whisk attachment. These actions will ensure the cream whips quickly and remain firm.

Note

Generally, the thickened dairy cream will suit most applications.

Storage

Dairy cream requires refrigeration at 4°C and has a shelf life of up to 180 days when packaged in aseptic cartons (meaning it is free from microorganisms). Once opened, it is best (safest) to use it within three days.

Must Know

Dairy cream is not suitable for freezing in its liquid form as the fats will separate upon thawing, making it unsuitable for use.

Non-Dairy Whipping Cream

Dairy-free whipping cream is an oil-in-water emulsion that can whip to a stable foam. The composition comprises vegetable oil (Palm Oil being most common), milk proteins, sugars, water, emulsifiers and stabilisers. The advantage of this type of cream is its stability when whipped. It also yields a lighter and greater volume when compared to dairy cream. Preparation is the same as for Dairy cream.

Posted on February 4, 2025February 27, 2025 by izzah zainal — Leave a reply

Critical Elements of Bread Making

Introduction

Understanding the role of Flour, Water, Dough Development and Temperature control are the keys to successful bread making. Understanding the relationship between the four elements and their interdependence enables you to practice mastering the initial art of baking bread.

Floor Quality

Part One of this handbook listed the flour types, their protein content and their uses. On average, flour with 12 – 14% protein content will give the best result for bread making. The flour requires its ability to form a strong gluten matrix, whether mixed by hand or machine.

The retail supermarket’s flours will produce a satisfactory result, provided you follow the correct processes.

My advice for a beginner is to start with the flour available in the local supermarket and observe the results you achieve with the dough you make from it. Remember, it will require you to prepare many doughs to acquire proficiency with any flour. Resist the temptation to try different brands until you are happy with the process and the supermarket flour results. Once you are satisfied with the handling, processing, baking, etc., look for other flours that may provide different volumes, aromas, etc.

Quote: “Good flour is not cheap and cheap flour is not good “. The secrets are in the process, not the flour! The protein content will guide the amount of water the flour will hold.

Water Absorption

The water content can vary from 58% to 100%, depending on your product and process.

Starting with water at 60% to 75% based on the flour weight of the recipe is an excellent range. I advise having a tight dough (62% – 65%) as you will be more able to handle this. Once you have mastered the process, increase the water gradually and determine what amount suits you best. Water used in the dough also controls the dough temperature and the fermentation rate.

Dough Development

When mixed, the ingredients for the dough of flour, salt, yeast, and water will develop the gluten matrix, which becomes the structure for the bread.The gluten matrix holds the Carbon Dioxide CO2 produced through fermentation, causing the dough to rise. Hand development is satisfactory but a tedious process that requires time and technique to master.

Using a mixing machine will save time and generally develop better doughs. Some home bakers use their bread machine to mix the dough, remove it once mixed, and continue the bread making process. Reaching the optimum requires understanding the importance of developing the flour protein.

Gluten Matrix is the optimum development of the gluten proteins: Glutenin (elasticity – ability to resume shape after being stretched) and Gliadin (extensibility – the capacity to stretch). To test the dough development, you do the gluten stretch test. Take a dough ball and stretch it out by pulling it from the sides. A well-developed dough will be extensible, stretching and not breaking.

MUST KNOW

Dough development through building a solid gluten matrix that will hold in the gas CO2 the yeast produces during fermentation is crucial and will require lots of practice to achieve consistency.

Temperature Control

The dough’s water temperature depends on the environment, machinery, time taken for fermentation, and the style of dough you are making. Home bakers prefer chilled water in Singapore or warmer climates.Place the dough water in a chiller (4°C) overnight, ready for use the next day. The chilled water will assist with the finished dough temperature (after mixing) and the amount added will help control the yeast’s growth.

The water temperature where the climate is seasonable will require adjustments to maintain yeast activity. Observing the performance of the dough at different times of the year will help you better understand how the yeast performs.

What is the optimum temperature for yeast activity?

Yeast works best at temperatures of 36 to 40°C. The objective when making bread is to be able to control this activity until the dough is in the final proofing stage. In a warm climate keeping the dough cool is the objective.

In contrast, a warmer dough is necessary for consistent fermentation growth when it is frigid in winter in a temperate environment. Hence the use of chilled or tempered water depends on the climate and dough-making style used.

Room temperature refers to the ambient temperature of the room where the doughs are mixed, which will vary due to climatic conditions. An ideal room temperature will be between 22°C to24°C.

The pH of Yeast Dough

The acidity level of the bread is the result of the fermentation process. During the dough fermentation stage, alcohol and carbon dioxide (CO2) react with the organic acids that produce flavour. The yeast growth activity is related to the ambient temperature, water and fermentation time. In typical bread, the pH ranges between
5.3– 5.8, depending on the processing style. In sourdough bread, the pH is lower and ranges from3.8 – 4.6, giving the bread its characteristic flavour.

Posted on February 4, 2025February 27, 2025 by izzah zainal — Leave a reply

Your Personal Guideline

BEST BAKES

B

Buy a set of digital scales that measure in 1g units. Start your baking journey methodically!

E

Examine and understand the nature of each stage of the process before undertaking it. Check critical details.

S

Specifically weigh all the liquids in the recipe.

T

Temperature management of ingredients and maintaining process control temperatures are vital elements in your success.

B

Baking times and baking temperatures will vary from oven range to oven range. Develop suitable oven settings from your actual experience with that oven.

A

Aeration in its many forms, is the key to all baking. Achieving optimum aeration requires adherence to critical stages of the process and a proper understanding of mixing speeds and times.

K

Keep records of what you have done to identify success when the product is out of the oven. Photos are a good idea.

E

Enjoy each baking experience and be patient with yourself. You might have many failures as you travel along the baking journey. However, family and friends will have the opportunity to enjoy your attempts with gusto.

S

Study the recipe and ingredients thoroughly before attempting to make it!

Posted on February 4, 2025February 27, 2025 by RedmanShop — Leave a reply

Wheat Flour

Flour Categories

Flour comes in four categories to cover a variety of bakery products. The Flour classification refers to its protein level. The protein content is determined by the wheat strain planted by the farmer and the subsequent climatic conditions during growing.

Wholemeal Flour

Protein average: 12% – 14%

High Protein Bread Flour

Protein average: 12% – 14%

Medium Protein Plain Flour

Protein average: 10% – 12%

Low Protein Cake Flour

Protein average: 7% – 9%

Rye Flour

Protein average: 8% – 15%

Types: Dark Rye, Light Rye

Specialty Flour

Protein average: 12% – 14%

Suitable for Bread, Buns, Pastry, Cakes and Cookies. It can be used alone but mainly in conjunction with other flour types as a percentage of the total flour.

Suitable for all types of Bread, Buns and some Pastry.

Suitable for Bread, Pastry, Cakes and Cookies.

Suitable for all types of Cakes, Sponges Cookies and Muffins. Cake flour can be chlorinated (It denatures protein and increases absorption) or straight-stream unchlorinated cake flour.

Suitable for bread making on its own or blended with white flour. The protein differs from wheat flour, containing only Gliadin, resulting in smaller, more compact breads.

Spelt, Einkorn, Kamut and Buckwheat are known as ancient grains. They can be used individually to make bread but are challenging to handle as doughs are sticky. You will blend these with white flour to make bread. Some speciality flours have a gluten-free label.

Flour Type and Availability

The protein content of the harvested wheat will finally determine its category and use. Flour is the base ingredient in a recipe, with each grade playing different roles across product ranges. A specific name often identifies flour types, e.g. all-purpose flour from the medium protein range; and self-rising flour, a medium protein flour containing baking powder. 

Country generic names such as Hong Kong Flour are identified with certain dim sum products and are low protein flour. European Flours, very popular with Artisan bakers, use a different system which identifies the flour by its extraction rate, e.g., T45 (like plain flour), T55 (like bread flour), and T65 (high- end bread flour) 

The extraction rate relates to the flour obtained from the milling process. Flour with a high number after the T means the flour has a high bran content (minerals) from the milling process.

Come & Shop With Us!

Let's Get Sourdough Pretzels Recipe!

Baking for Non-Bakers

Join Our Baking Class!