6 KEY DESSERT ELIMENTS

The Wonders of Water in Pastry: A Deep Dive into Its Functions

Water is more than just a liquid ingredient in pastry-making; it’s the silent hero that impacts every stage of the baking process. Beyond simply humidifying baked goods, water interacts dynamically with other ingredients like sugar and starch, transforming its role based on the recipe. Let’s explore how water functions in pastry, from mixing to baking, and how it transforms baked goods into culinary delights.

water partnership with other ingredients

Water works in combination with other ingredients to perform essential roles in pastry making. Water’s behavior evolves depending on its interactions with other ingredients like sugar and starch, which alter its role in the final texture and structure of the baked goods.

Even when water is not an ingredient in a recipe,

it plays a part during the mixing of all batters and doughs,

because many ingredients are significant sources of water. Check the chart on the left side.

It is so fascinating that many solid ingredients, like strawberry or cream cheese, are surprisingly rich in water (92% and 54%), and this hidden water content plays a crucial role in baking.

water and mixing: the essential role

DISSOLVING AND HYDRATING: Dry ingredients like sugar, salt, and baking powder need water to activate their roles in a recipe. For example, when sugar or salt remains as solid grains, their flavors are uneven, and the sweetness or seasoning is incomplete. But when dissolved in water, these ingredients blend smoothly into the batter or dough, ensuring even flavor distribution and proper texture. Similarly, baking powder must dissolve to release carbon dioxide for leavening.

ADJUSTING TEMPERATURE: Cold water ensures flaky pie crust, while warm water breathes life into yeast. Controlling dough temperature with water helps bakers manage environmental impacts that are otherwise hard to control.
CONSISTANCY CONTROL: Batter and dough draw their identities from water. Batter, fluid and pliable, is a canvas for cakes and muffins. Dough, firm and structured, shapes breads and cookies. Water defines their destinies.

2. BALANCING WATER WITH OTHER INGREDIENTS

2-1. FATS AND SUGARS:

PLASTICIZING EFFECT: Water softens, and lubricates dough, increasing its workability.
BALANCING LIPIDS: When fats are reduced, water must be increased to maintain consistency and vice versa.
SUGARS AS PARTNERS: Sugars dissolved in water or eggs enhance moistness and tenderness, as in custards or sponge cakes, and even alter how starch gels form in recipes like puddings or pie fillings.

2-2. fruits: poaching and diffusion

WATER WORKS WONDERS WHEN COMBINED WITH FRUITS, ENHANCING BOTH TEXTURE AND FLAVOR. DEPENDING ON THE SUGAR RATION IN WATER, THE LIQUID HELPS FRUITS MAINTAIN A FIRM STRUCTURE OR BECOME TENDER AND FRAGILE DURING COOKING:

POACHING FRUITS: When fruits are poached in sugar syrup, water and sugar diffuse in and out of the fruit. This process sweetens the fruit while maintaining or firming its structure. For example, a 2:1 liquid-to-sugar ratio gently sweetens and firms fruits like pears, creating a delightful texture without excessive shrinkage.
PRESERVING STRUCTURE: Poaching in plain water, however, can flood the fruit with moisture, causing it to break down into a puree-perfect for jams or sauces but unsuitable for maintaining structure.
ENHANCING FLAVOR AND COLOR: Sugar syrup not only sweetens but also helps retain vibrant color and appealing texture in fruits like apples or peaches, making them ideal for desserts or garnishes.

2-3. starch gelatinization

STARCH IS ANOTHER ESSENTIAL STRUCTURE BUILDER IN BAKED GOODS:

GELATINIZATION: Starch granules absorb water as they heat, swelling and forming the crumb structure. This process is more pronounced in cakes (high water content) than in cookies or pie crusts (low water content).
TEMPERATURE SENSITIVITY: Ingredients like sugar and fat raise the temperature required for gelatinization, altering the final texture. Starch gelatinization typucally begins when the internal temperature of batter or dough reaches 60-75°C. However, in recipes high in sugar or fat, such as rich cakes or custards, the gelatinization process can be delayed until temperatures of 70–85°C are reached, as sugar and fat compete for water.

While bread is baked at higher oven temperatures 190–240°C, the gelatinization process happens at the internal temperature range of 60–75°C, setting the crumb structure. Similarly, cakes with high sugar content experience delayed gelatinization, allowing for a softer, moister crumb. For example, pie fillings thickened with cornstarch take longer to achieve the desired texture because sugar delays gelatinization. Cakes, with their high sugar and fat content, often require lower oven temperature and longer baking time to allow the inner temperature to rise slowly and reach the gelatinization point for starch. On the other hand, bread, which is leaner in sugar and fat, is baked at higher over temperatures for short periods, as the starch reacts more quickly to form its structure.

The high water content in cake batters leads to significant gelatinization, giving cakes their soft crumb. In contrast, cookies, with less water, rely on gluten and egg proteins for structure.

2-4. controlling gluten development

GLUTEN FORMATION DEPENDS HEAVILY ON WATER. FLOUR PROTEINS (GLUTENIN AND GLIADIN) HYDRATE AND BOND TO FORM GLUTEN:

LOW WATER CONTENT: Produces tender results, like in pie crusts and biscuits.
HIGH WATER CONTENT: Fully hydrates proteins, essential for bread and cakes.
WATER HARDNESS AND pH: Hard water’s minerals strengthen gluten excessively, making dough too elastic. Slightly acidic water (pH 5-6) excessively, making dougj too elastic. Slightly acidic water (pH 5-6) optimizes gluten strength. Adjustments like using dough conditioners or acidifiers help balance these effects.

cookie vs. bread vs. batter

Bread , pastry batters, and cookie doughs sit on a spectrum of hydration, with water playing distinct roles in each. In bread dough, water hydrates gluten proteins for elasticity and rise.💧

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2. WATER