The Art of Building Structures in Baking Structure is key to making a good baked product, and understanding structure helps a baker understand the interactions between proteins, carbohydrates, fats, and water at the molecular level. Breads and other yeast-raised products typically depend on gluten for their structure, gas retention plays a vital part in the resulting product, and different types of wheat act differently when baked. When making breads, different methods, such as straight-dough and sponge and dough methods, produce different results. Gluten-free products also present different structural challenges than products containing gluten. For chemically leavened products, structure-building ingredients include flour, eggs, and milk. Certain baked products such as cake doughnuts and soft cookies are extremely sensitive to fluctuations in flour and other ingredients. Understanding the formation of structures is key to keeping the art in baking. |