The Science of Ingredients: Achieving Results through Working Characteristics and Properties

• Food Preparation and Nutrition
• Upper Secondary (Key Stage 4)
• GCSE

The Science of Ingredients: Achieving Results through Working Characteristics and Properties

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Learning Objective

At the end of the lesson, you will be able to develop and apply knowledge and understanding related to the working characteristics, functional, and chemical properties of ingredients to achieve a particular result.

Introduce the learning objective of the lesson to the students.

Carbohydrates: Gelatinisation and Dextrinization

Carbohydrates play a crucial role in the texture, structure, and taste of baked goods. Understanding the working characteristics of carbohydrates such as gelatinisation and dextrinization can help achieve specific results.

Explain the concept of carbohydrates, gelatinisation, and dextrinization to the students.

Fats/Oils: Shortening, Aeration, Plasticity and Emulsification

Fats and oils contribute to the flavor, texture, and appearance of baked goods. The working characteristics of fats and oils such as shortening, aeration, plasticity, and emulsification can impact the final product.

Provide an overview of fats and oils and explain the working characteristics to the students.

Protein: Coagulation, Foam Formation, Gluten Formation, and Denaturation

Proteins are essential for the structure, texture, and colour of baked goods. Understanding the working characteristics of proteins such as coagulation, foam formation, gluten formation, and denaturation can help achieve specific results.

Explain the concept of proteins and the working characteristics to the students.

Fruit/Vegetables: Enzymic Browning and Oxidisation

Fruits and vegetables add flavor, moisture, and texture to baked goods. The working characteristics of fruits and vegetables such as enzymic browning and oxidisation can impact the final product.

Provide an overview of fruits and vegetables and explain the working characteristics to the students.

Carbohydrates: Gelatinisation

Gelatinisation is the swelling and thickening of starch granules when heated in a liquid. This process is used to thicken sauces, soups and to create the structure in baked goods such as bread and cakes.

Demonstrate the process of gelatinisation through a visual aid or a hands-on activity.

Carbohydrates: Dextrinisation and Caramelisation

Dextrinisation is the breakdown of starch into dextrins, which are shorter chains of glucose molecules. This process is used to create a crispy crust, characteristic smell and golden colour in baked goods such as bread and biscuits.

Caramelisation is a change in the food's molecular structure due to the removal of water, resulting in a nutty flavour and brown colour. The food must contain sugar for this to happen. It contributes to the change in colour of baked goods, meats and vegetables (these all contain sugar). Dry foods allow high temperatures to be reached so that browning occurs (moist methods of cooking cannot get hot enough).

Demonstrate the process of dextrinization through a visual aid or a hands-on activity.

Maillard reaction

This requires the presence of carbohydrate AND protein. Many different flavour compounds are created. A good example is the flavour, smell and colour of steak.

Fats/Oils: Shortening

Shortening is a type of fat that is solid at room temperature and is used in baked goods to create a crumbly texture, a flaky pastry, and a tender crumb.

Rubbing in the fat helps prevent the gluten formation, keeping the gluten strands short - shortening.

Provide examples of baked goods that use shortening and demonstrate the process of shortening through a visual aid or a hands-on activity.

Fats/Oils: Aeration

Aeration is the process of incorporating air into a mixture to create a light and fluffy texture. This is achieved in baked goods through the creaming method, where sugar and fat are beaten together to create air pockets.

Demonstrate the process of aeration through a visual aid or a hands-on activity.

Fats/Oils: Plasticity

Plasticity is the ability of fats and oils to change shape without breaking. This is important in baked goods such as puff pastry, where the dough needs to be rolled out and folded multiple times without breaking.

Butter is very plastic, whereas olive oil is not at all plastic.

Provide examples of baked goods that use plasticity and demonstrate the process of plasticity through a visual aid or a hands-on activity.

Fats/Oils: Emulsification

Emulsification is the process of combining two liquids that do not mix, such as oil and water, to create a stable mixture. This is achieved in goods such as mayonnaise (egg yolk is added) and cake mixtures through the use of an emulsifier such as lecithin.

Fats are hydrophobic - won't mix with water, which is why an emulsifier needs to be added to allow water and oil to mix together.

Demonstrate the process of emulsification through a visual aid or a hands-on activity.

Protein: Coagulation

Coagulation is the process of solidifying a liquid into a gel (a liquid dispersed in a solid) or a solid - to become solid or to set. This is important in baked goods such as custards and cheesecakes, where the protein in the eggs and cheese are coagulated to create a stable structure.

The process is irreversible - think cooked quiche.

Demonstrate the process of coagulation through a visual aid or a hands-on activity.

Protein: Foam Formation

Foam formation is the process of incorporating air into a liquid to create a stable foam. This is important in baked goods such as angel food cake or meringues, where egg whites are beaten to create a stable foam. The protein unravels, increasing the surface area and air is trapped. The foam should be cooked soon after mixing to avoid any separation on standing.

Demonstrate the process of foam formation through a visual aid or a hands-on activity.

Protein: Gluten Formation and Denaturation

Gluten is a protein found in wheat flour that gives baked goods such as bread its structure and texture. Gluten formation is achieved through kneading the dough, while denaturation can occur through heat or acid.

Lots of gluten is desirable in bread to hold the airy structure. It is not desirable in shortcrust pastry, which should be crumbly. Rubbing in the fat helps prevent the gluten formation.

Demonstrate the process of gluten formation and denaturation through a visual aid or a hands-on activity.

Maillard reaction

This requires the presence of carbohydrate AND protein. Many different flavour compounds are created. A good example is the flavour, smell and colour of steak.

Fruit/Vegetables: Enzymic Browning

Enzymic browning is the process of fruit and vegetables turning brown when exposed to air. This is important in baked goods such as apple pie, where the browning of the apples adds flavor and color to the pie.

The enzyme is polyphenol oxidase.

Demonstrate the process of enzymic browning through a visual aid or a hands-on activity.

Fruit/Vegetables: Oxidisation

Oxidisation is the process of fruit and vegetables turning brown when exposed to oxygen. This can be prevented through the use of an antioxidant such as lemon juice or by cooking the fruit or vegetable. This denatures the enzyme, preventing it from working.

Demonstrate the process of oxidisation through a visual aid or a hands-on activity.

Write down 3 things you learned in this lesson.

Have students enter three things they learned in this lesson. With this they can indicate their own learning efficiency of this lesson.

Write down 2 things you want to know more about.

Here, students enter two things they would like to know more about. This not only increases involvement, but also gives them more ownership.

Ask 1 question about something you haven't quite understood yet.

The students indicate here (in question form) with which part of the material they still have difficulty. For the teacher, this not only provides insight into the extent to which the students understand/master the material, but also a good starting point for the next lesson.