Fats

Fats

Not in all bakery products fats are a normal part of the formulation. If we however add a little (up to 3 Baker’s%) in bread we have an increase in volume and a more homogenous pore structure, in a cakes we see a slight decrease in volume. Reducing a fat (harder, shortening, butter or margarine) the crumb of a cake might become a bit more coarser, but we see an increase in volume. This is a result of the fact that all oils and fats have the tendency to interfere with the foam, resulting in a lighter mass (lower specific gravity or density). Once the fat content is low enough we can get a sponge or foam cake: light and airy. Where the fat has as a main function in most bakery products to tenderise it is during the baking process also important for carrying the heat within a product facilitating the baking process.

In systems were there is little to no sugar a high amount of fat 50 Baker’s% or more can indicate that you will be making a laminated product. Here, the lower amount will result in more open structure (if the right method of lamination is used) like preferred in Danish pastry or croissant. Higher amount of fat/ butter (up to 100 Baker’s%) is traditionally used in some puff pastry products, it creates the typical flaky characteristics we like and results in lower volume (and more dense pore structure)

Deposited dough types, such as certain shortbread products require sufficient fat to enable the process in which the structure is ‘broken’ down and aeration in happening (“Sprits” or Shortcake). Increasing fat above 65% can lead to incoherent products leading here to more breakage due to brittleness. Lowering fat might lead to less air incorporation and harder products, making it less pleasant to eat.

 

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