The Bakery Ingredient List

Bakery owners and all bakers must have knowledge of the ingredients used for the products they are baking.  Certain properties of these raw materials are distinct, and the quantity incorporated into each recipe is critical for a good tasting product.

Some of the basic ingredients found in bakery recipes are:

Flour – The major ingredient for any bakery product, it is known as the heart of all delicious baked goods.  Wheat flour can be substituted for white flour when making batter and dough.  Wheat flour is also desirable for most bakery products.  Gluten is a protein like substance which provides resistance and structure to baked goods.  As a rule, the moisture content in flour should typically be less than 10% for best results.

Sugar – Sugar is the ingredient that provides sweetness to the product, and it can also act as a preservative.  Sugar can be used in crystal, granular, and powdered form, depending upon the recipe.  Also available in a liquid form, this form or sweet sugar has an advantage over the granulated type as it can be easily mixed into dough.

Fat – The main function of fat, whether it is butter, vegetable oil, or margarine, is to retain moisture in the product you are baking.  Fat also comes in other forms such as refined ground nut oil, sunflower oil, coconut oil, and many other varieties.

Preservatives – Preservatives help to increase the shelf life of a product and prevent oxidation of fat and sugar.  Some types of preservatives apart from the sugar form are ascorbic or citric acid, tbhq, salt, calcium propitiate and acetic acid.

Emulsifier – An emulsifier is an agent that holds oil and water inside the dough or batter to retain moisture and also provide a softening effect. This will make the dough easier and more manageable when working with bakery tools to roll it out.  Examples of emulsifiers are gums, glycol, monostate, and potassium bromate.

Leavening Agent – A leavening agent provides puffiness to bakery products.  As the ingredients release gas, the dough lifts and creates spaces within the dough structure.  Popular examples of leavening agents are yeast, eggs, ammonium bicarbonate, and sodium bicarbonate.

Improvers – Improvers are chemical agents which affect taste and texture.  Examples of an improver can be an artificial color or flavor.  Artificial colors are colors that are added to the product to give a tint to the dough or batter.  Artificial flavors are select flavorings added to the dough or better to improve taste, such as vanilla, strawberry, or citrus.