Sugar Basics
This is the most common sugar used in baking.
What is granulated sugar?
A cake that is made with reduced sugar resulted in a tough and rubbery product instead of a soft, fluffy finish. What function of sugar was impacted?
What is tenderizing; rapidly interfering with gluten development, protein coagulation, and starch gelatinization / forming the structure too early before steam expanded?
Invert sugar provides what three properties to baked goods in bakeshops:
What is (1) keeps baked goods soft and moist, (2) creates smooth frostings, fondants, and icings with no cracks or drying, (3) prevents ice crystal formation in frozen desserts, keeping them soft
This liquid sweetener is commonly used to control crystallization in candies.
What is corn syrup
Sugar helps incorporate air into baked goods during this mixing method.
What is the creaming method
This sugar contains molasses and adds moisture and flavor.
What is brown sugar?
A baker decides to substitute granulated sugar for a high-intesntiry sugar in a recipe. After baking, they notice the final product lacks color, tenderness, and structure. Explain why this occurred and what functions of sugar were impacted.
What is high-intensity sugar only provide sweetness to a product functions affected: bulk/structure, browning, tenderness, moisture retention, and provide no assistance in leavening?
What syrup is the closest to invert syrup in its composition and is sometimes referred to as natural invert syrup? What similar properties does it contribute to baked goods?
What is honey. What is provides sweetness, browning, and helps keep baked goods and icings soft.
This dark, thick sweetener is a byproduct of sugar refining and adds strong flavor.
What is molasses
In the creaming method, sugar helps create this in butter, which contributes to leavening.
What are air pockets (tiny air cells)
This sugar is finely ground and used in icings.
What is powdered (confectioners’) sugar?
When making icing, a baker decides to add a small amount of invert syrup during the mixing process. They noticed an improvement in the texture and appearance, as it became smooth and glossy. What might be the reason for this?
What is mixed sugars interfere with regular sugar, slowing down the speed crystallization / prevents large sugar crystal formation in the icing.
When adding invert syrup in place of a small amount of table sugar in a batter/dough to improve texture, what should occur before placing it in the oven and why?
What is lowering the oven temperature about 25 F to avoid excessive browning.
These sweeteners provide sweetness but little to no bulk or structure.
What are high-intensity sweeteners
If sugar is not properly creamed with fat, baked goods may turn out like this.
What is dense or lacking volume
These are the two main sources of commercial sugar.
What are sugar cane and sugar beets?
A baked good is prepared with a larger quantity of sugar increasing its shelf life due to what TWO functions?
What is hygroscopic moisture retention and preventing microbial growth.
Explain the difference between full inverted syrup and medium inverted syrup.
Full invert syrup contains little to no sucrose; medium invert syrup contains half its sugar inverted into glucose and fructose.
This natural sweetener is produced by bees and contains glucose and fructose.
What is honey
Sugar competes with flour for water, slowing down this process during mixing and baking.
What is gluten development
Name six dry crystalline sugars (BONUS: list from largest to smallest crystal size).
What are coarse, sanding, granulated, superfine, powdered, brown?
You observe a batch of cookies that were baked off earlier in the day. The center of the cookie took on a brown, golden complex with a ‘baked’ caramel flavor. The edges look much darker and have a crispy texture, more exposed to the higher temperatures during the baking time. What reaction occurred overall to the cookie and why? What reaction took place at the cookie's edges and why?
What is caramelization and Maillard browning; Maillard browning was the overall reaction to the cookie due to the presence of sugars and proteins; Caramelization occurred to the edges of the cookie as it was more exposed to the higher oven temperatures.
Describe the inversion process of sucrose to invert syrup (BONUS: What is the name of the process that creates invert syrup?)
What is sucrose in water --> acid + heat or enzyme --> glucose + fructose in water; add acid to sugar --> heat --> filter --> refine --> concentrate --> glucose and fructose remain (BONUS: Hydrolysis)
Using liquid sweeteners instead of granulated sugar requires adjusting this in a recipe.
What is the liquid/moisture content
Why does sugar help create a finer crumb in cakes?
What is it delays structure formation and allows more even air expansion