Search Results for: granules

On a Related Note…

Reader Brendan writes:

For…tart dough, is it possible to overcream the butter and sugar mix before you add the flour in? And if it is possible, what would the ramifications be?

Hey Brendan! Over-creaming isn’t generally a concern. I once saw a butter and sugar mixture creamed for so long that it eventually turned a slight grey. That tint wasn’t a result of anything that happened to the mixture, rather it was caused by metal dust (sugar granules can actually sand down the inside of your bowl after a while). Otherwise the only risk of extended creaming is that friction will lead to heat buildup and melting.

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Egg Yolks: The Enzyme Problem

I confess I’ve been saving this question since the weekend, as it dovetails beautifully with today’s discussion on the subject of egg yolks. Reader Peet writes (wrote):

Hi Joe! I’m having a problem with my pastry creams, i.e. they’re too thin. I cook them but have never been comfortable with bringing them to a boil since I’m afraid of curdling, and anyway egg proteins thicken at a much lower temperature. Which means there’s no reason the creams shouldn’t be thick, but they start out thick and eventually turn to soup in the refrigerator. Is boiling really the key to a thick pastry cream? And if so, why?

I think I see the problem, Peet. The heart of it is that pastry cream isn’t a protein-thickened custard (at least not primarily), but rather a starch-thickened custard. But this poses an excellent question: why must starch-thickened custards be boiled? The answer has to do with an enzyme called amylase that’s present in egg yolks. If you remember how flour thickens watery mixtures, it does so when it warms enough that the individual starch molecules — long, string-like amylose molecules and branch-like amylopectin molecules — start to separate from the flour granules. They float off and get tangled up with one another, restricting the flow of the water around them.

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On High Ratio Cakes

Reader Jack writes:

Joe (actual name?),

I live in Chicago and want to reproduce the Jewel grocery store plain old yellow cake. They sell it by the piece and I want to reproduce the texture and taste. It has a very fine crumb, it is very firm, almost sponge like. It has tiny uniform holes, and would be perfect for a few baking “projects” I have in mind. I have tried a dozen yellow cake recipes from the net and they taste fine, but the crumb is soft, and does not have the sponge-like pores of the Jewel cake. I read your article regarding creaming, but that alone does not convert the existing recipes I have into what I am looking for. I tried separating the eggs, beating the whites, folding in…nope. I deconstructed the Jewel recipe using their ingredients list, but that list flies in the face of all cake science (no yolks, no butter). I am getting fat with all the experimentation!!! Do you have a recipe/technique that will help me achieve the desired results?

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Notice anything odd about that recipe?

For a cheese puff recipe it seems to be missing a couple of things. A leavener for starters. There’s no yeast and no baking powder. And then there’s the flour thing…there isn’t any. No wheat flour at any rate. Instead we have manioc flour, also known as the dried and ground starch of the cassava (also known as yuca) root. It’s the same starch that tapioca is made from, in case that helps.

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On Instant & Active Dry

Reader Chia writes in to ask:

Why do we have to choose between instant and active dry yeasts? Which one do you recommend? How do I substitute one with the other? How do you keep the freshness when one buys that huge bag from CostCo or Sam’s?

Very good questions, Chia. Thanks for asking! I use instant yeast (SAF Red or sometimes SAF Gold) almost exclusively for one reason: it’s less fuss. Unlike active dry, instant yeast can be added directly to any recipe that calls for yeast, no “proving” necessary.

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On the Many Uses of Gelatinized Starch

Reader Eric writes:

Following on your melon pan recipe, I was wondering if during your research you came across any recipes that called for a tangzhong or a water roux. It’s touted as an anti-staling method, or a softness improver.

Wondering if you’ve tried it yourself. My personal experience with East Asian pastries and breads is that they are generally soft and don’t go stale quickly, which might be because of the preservatives and conditioners that are added.

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How does flour thicken?

Good question, reader Luther! It’s commonly said that flour granules “pop” in a hot, wet environment, releasing their starches and creating thickening. But that’s not quite right. Think of a flour granule as a tightly-bound bundle of reeds and branches (amylose and amylopectin [starch] molecules), a broken-off chunk of wheat berry endosperm. Immerse that granule […]

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