Essential Baking Ingredients: Milk, Yeast, Eggs, and Salt

Milk and Dairy Products

Milk is a food that comes from mammals. It is composed of 87% water, 4.6% carbohydrates, 4% fat, and 3.5% to 0.7% albuminoids and mineral salts.

Types of Processed Milk

• Concentrated: Natural whole or skimmed milk that is pasteurized and has a portion of its water removed.
• Condensed: Produced by the partial removal of water from natural, whole, or skimmed pasteurized milk, preserved by the addition of sucrose.
• Sterilized: Natural milk that undergoes thermal treatment to destroy all microorganisms.
• Powder: Milk subjected to a dehydration treatment to produce a dry, pulverized product.

Market Classification

• Fresh: Milk as it leaves the cow, sold directly or to cheese makers.
• Pasteurized: Raw milk subjected to a pasteurization treatment.
• UHT: Milk submitted to temperatures over 100°C to remove all pathogens.

Other Dairy Derivatives

Curd: A semi-solid product obtained from milk subjected to thermal treatment to achieve the appropriate microbiological characteristics.

Cream (Nata): Milk fat, existing as a fat-in-water emulsion.

Yogurt: Made from milk obtained by lactic fermentation through the action of microorganisms.

Yeast and Fermentation

Yeast consists of microscopic organisms from the fungi family. They play an important role through their biological intervention. Primarily responsible for fermentation, they act on sugars to produce alcohol and CO2, which increases the volume of the dough.

Types of Yeast

• Fresh: Contains 68-73% water, with the remainder being yeast cells and, to a lesser extent, other microorganisms.
• Dry: Water is removed by dehydration to a level of 7-9%. It is very stable, though the dehydration process kills a large proportion of the yeast cells.

Note: Gelling agents only bloat the product without changing its fundamental characteristics, whereas yeast alters the product's properties.

Eggs in Baking and Pastry

In baking, chicken eggs are widely used and represent one of the most important elements in various preparations. They function as:

• Binding agents: Used in creams.
• Emulsifiers: Used in whipped masses and pasta.
• Enriching agents: Used in pastries, bakery products, and brioches.

The Role of Salt in Dough

Salt is obtained by the evaporation of seawater or from mines (rock salt). It is added to fermented dough in a proportion of 2%. It is also used in masses and pasta with high sugar content to balance the flavor profile.

Functions of Salt

• Improves the plastic properties of the mass.
• Increases toughness and moisture retention.
• Restricts the activity of acid-producing bacteria.
• Stabilizes the action of yeast cells.
• Favors the color of the crust.
• Improves the overall flavor.