7 Essential Baking Ingredients

Baking is an art that requires a perfect blend of science and creativity. A perfect combination of ingredients is the key to a successful baking experience. If you are a beginner baker, then it is essential to understand the science behind each ingredient’s role in creating fluffy cakes, perfect cookies, and soft bread. In this blog post, we will discuss 7 essential baking ingredients that every baker must have in their kitchen pantry.

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Who am I to tell you about it and why should you listen to me?

Well, I have been baking since my school years and completed my hotel management. Went on to work as a chef for almost four years, taking a break in between to hone my skills in pastry arts.

Brands often reach out to hotels and restaurants for product sampling, so we place bulk orders from them. Naturally, I was a part of that sampling at work and we have tasted some amazing and some mediocre products. None of them were trash, but we had to be extremely picky about the ingredients because we used to charge premium prices so we had to choose the best but also ensure that it fits our allocated budget.

So I have had my fair share of experience with ingredients and how they work with each other to create the best-baked goods!

In this blog post, we will talk about:

• The ingredient types
• The way it works
• The role it plays
• My favorite brand and why so that you can get an idea on what basis you need to choose a brand. 

[Treat the brands as recommendations, please make sure the product suits your specific needs (eg-any allergies) when purchasing a product]

Flour

Flour is the backbone of baking, and it is the primary ingredient in most baking recipes. It is made by grinding grains like wheat, rice, or corn. Flour comes in different types, including all-purpose flour, bread flour, cake flour, and self-raising flour. The type of flour you use depends on the desired texture and structure of your baked goods.

All-purpose flour is versatile and commonly used in baking recipes. It has a high amount of starch and moderate protein content thus making it an indispensable ingredient for baking bread, cakes, cookies, and pastries.

Bread flour is high in protein, which gives a chewy texture to bread. It is suitable for making yeast bread, pizza dough, and bagels. The protein is also known as gluten and it ranges from 11-13% for bread flour.

Flour contains gluten, a protein that gives elasticity to dough and helps it to rise. The gluten strands trap carbon dioxide gas produced by yeast or baking powder, causing the dough or batter to rise.

Cake flour is low in protein, making it suitable for making delicate and soft cakes. It is not ideal for making bread, as it does not have enough protein to support the dough’s structure. We are talking 8-9% gluten here.

Self-raising flour is a mixture of all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. It is suitable for making quick bread, biscuits, and pancakes where you skip a step of adding leavening or raising agents.

My Pick: Refined Flour

Select a good quality refined flour like the one linked here. This is an all purpose flour and it is commonly available in Indian markets. If you bake a lot of a particular product such as cake or breads, it makes sense to buy a flour with protein content suited for the particular product.

Butter

Butter is another essential baking ingredient that adds richness, flavor, and moisture to baked goods. It is made from churning cream and comes in salted and unsalted varieties. Unsalted butter is the preferred choice for baking because it allows you to control the salt content in your recipe.

Butter contains fat, which coats the flour particles and prevents gluten formation, resulting in a tender crumb. The fat also helps to trap air bubbles during creaming, resulting in a light and fluffy texture.

My Pick: Unsalted Butter

Way better than conventional butter options available in the Indian market. Packs in higher amount of butter fat compared to other brands.

Sugar:

Sugar is a sweetener that is used in most baking recipes. It is a baking essential ingredient that comes in different types, including granulated sugar, brown sugar, powdered sugar, and honey.
Sugar adds sweetness, flavor, and color to baked goods. It also interacts with the other ingredients and helps to caramelize the crust, creating a golden-brown color. In addition, sugar provides the necessary fuel for yeast to ferment and produce carbon dioxide, which helps the dough or batter to rise.
Sugar also contributes to the texture of baked goods by tenderizing the crumb. The sugar granules cut through the gluten strands, creating a tender and moist texture. It also helps to retain moisture in the baked goods, preventing them from becoming dry and crumbly.

My Pick: Castor Sugar

We used this brand in the bakery where I was working and it’s quite good. The product was of good quality and there were never any sugar lumps.

Oil:

Oil is a versatile baking ingredient that can be used in place of butter or shortening. It comes in different types, including vegetable oil, canola oil, and olive oil.
Oil adds moisture, richness, and tenderness to baked goods. Unlike butter, oil does not contain water, which makes it an ideal choice for creating moist cakes and bread. It also helps to keep the baked goods soft and tender for longer periods.

My Pick: Refined Sunflower Oil

I would recommend using a good quality refined vegetable oil that will not add it’s own flavor to the baked product. Refrain from choosing sesame or coconut oil that have a strong flavor as it may overwhelm the product’s own unique or desired flavor.

Eggs:

Eggs are a binding and leavening agent in baking. They come in different sizes, including small, medium, and large. The medium sized eggs are available easily in Indian markets and ranges from 45-50 grams.

Eggs add richness, moisture, and color to baked goods. The yolk contains fat, which adds richness and flavor, while the egg white contains protein, which helps to create a light and airy texture. Eggs also provide structure to the baked goods, helping them to hold their shape and preventing them from collapsing or becoming too dense making it an indispensable ingredients for baking cakes, cookies.

Eggs also interact with the other ingredients to create a stable emulsion, resulting in a smooth batter or dough. They also help to create a glossy and golden-brown color on the surface of the baked goods.

My Pick: Honestly, just buy any chicken egg.

Baking Powder:

Baking powder is a leavening agent that is used in recipes that do not contain yeast. It is made from a combination of baking soda, cream of tartar, and cornstarch.

Baking powder releases carbon dioxide gas when it comes into contact with liquid and heat, causing the dough or batter to rise. It is essential to use the correct amount of baking powder to avoid a bitter taste in your baked goods.

My Pick: Baking powder