Formulating irresistible sweet baked goods

Formulating irresistible sweet baked goods

By Sharon Gerdes,
Contributing Editor, Food Product Design

Contents
Rolling in dough
Flour power
Gettting in condition
What a sweetie-pie
Roll in the shortenings
Rising to the occasion
Adding richness
Sugar, spice and everthing nice
Make-up prochedures
Topping it all off


Despite aspirations of healthy eating, Americans love to indulge in sweet baked goods. Sales of full-fat products such as pastries and Danish continue strong. Entenmann's, which boasts the only national brand in the fresh sweet goods section, has a Light line, which seems to be one of the few fat-free survivors in the yeast-raised baked goods section. Still, its regular line, including cinnamon buns, coffee and crumb cakes and Danish strips, continues to be an American tradition.

A newer trend is to keep the full fat, but adjust or control the portion size. Typically, these products pack 12 to 15 grams of fat per serving, 13 to 24 grams of sugar and weigh in between 250 and 330 calories. For example, on the shelf-stable side, Kellogg's has recently introduced an individual toaster Danish. In the frozen section of the grocery store, choices include Sara Lee single-serving cheesecake bites and a Pepperidge Farm package of two individually wrapped cinnamon rolls. At Burger King, one can buy Danish or "Cini' Minis." In the convenience store, there are fresh-baked donuts to go, individually wrapped Tastykake cheese Danish, and Entenmann's "Singles." Most of these products also follow the trend towards more convenient, hand-held portable foods.

Low-fat has not totally disappeared, however. "There will always be two camps," notes Susan Murray, West zone corporate chef, General Mills, West Linn, OR. "The school foodservice system demands a lot of bread alternatives, and fat content is an issue there. Also, hospital healthcare foodservice still demands low-fat products."

Whether traditionally formulated or adjusted for the health market, typical yeast-raised sweet baked goods include cinnamon buns, donuts, sweet rolls, hot-cross buns, coffee cakes, Danish and croissants. These products are frequently flavored with spices or extracts, and filled or topped with fruit, nuts and cheeses. The category includes many ethnic specialty items, such as kolachy, an Eastern European pastry treat traditionally filled with prune or apricot jam, and Scandinavian almond ring, with its unique shape and sliced almond topping.

Bagels use a leaner dough and generally fall into the bread category rather than sweet goods, though many are loaded with fruits, nuts, sugar and/or chocolate chips to offer a sweet, but significantly lower-fat baked product. While cakes, cookies and other chemically leavened products also fit into the category of sweet baked goods, this article will focus on items that are leavened primarily by yeast.

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Rolling in dough
Putting together a bakery product that retains flavor and moistness over time requires careful ingredient selection. The formula must be adjusted for the type of dough, the make-up processes and the level of mechanical handling that the dough will receive. The basic types of sweet, yeast-leavened doughs include regular sweet dough, roll-in sweet dough and Danish dough.

Regular sweet dough is similar to bread dough, but contains a higher sugar level. Roll-in sweet dough has been laminated with layers of shortening. Danish dough tends to result in products that are more flat, have a relatively high density, and may be somewhat crisp. Donut formulations resemble a basic sweet dough, but require some formula and mix adjustments to minimize fat absorption during frying.

Ingredients for baked goods generally can be classified as either strengtheners or softeners. Strengtheners include flour, gluten, egg whites, cocoa, nonfat milk or whey ingredients, salt and water (due to water's action on gluten). Softeners include shortenings and oils, emulsifiers, sugars, egg yolks and any fruits, added to the dough.

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Flour power
The main ingredient in any sweet-dough formulation is flour, specifically flour from wheat. Wheat is unique among the cereal flours in its ability to form a gluten-based dough when mixed with water. Flour can be milled from hard or soft wheat varieties, and this determines the protein level in the resulting flour — hard wheats have more protein than soft wheats.

A high-gluten flour generally contains about 12% to 13% protein. Its extra strength and elasticity makes it the ingredient of choice for extruder lines. Bread flour, containing about 10.5% to 12.0% protein, is the most common flour for sweet doughs, and gives good overall volume. For a softer product, such as an éclair, or in a smaller operation with manual make-up, a softer pastry flour with a protein level range of 8.5% to 10.0% can replace as much as 30% of the bread flour. Cake flour, with 7% to 9% protein, generally is not used in yeast-raised products. All-purpose flour was developed for the home baker, and typically runs 9% to 11% protein.

Most sweet baked goods use white flour rather than whole-wheat flour, because whole-wheat flour can result in reduced volume. Enrichment adds back those nutrients that were removed when the wheat germ and bran were separated, iron and certain B vitamins (thiamin, niacin, riboflavin and folic acid). Enrichment is optional and does not affect the baking quality of the flour or sensory characteristics of the finished product.

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Getting in condition
Freshly milled flour does not produce quality baked goods. Flour is often bleached, which not only makes flour whiter, but also oxidizes or matures the flour, resulting in improved volume and crumb structure. Various treatments may be added to the flour, or dough conditioners may be added to the formula to achieve certain results.

Typical oxidants that add strength to the dough include ascorbic acid, potassium bromate, azodicarbonamide (AZO) and calcium peroxide. Potassium bromate, previously a common oxidizer, is rarely added to U.S. flour because of health concerns. Ascorbic acid is very common in frozen doughs.

Reducing agents, such as l-cysteine, relax dough, which aids in rolling and sheeting. These compounds reduce disulfide bonds to sulfhydryl groups, thus weakening gluten.

Surfactants also help dough withstand the mechanical abuse of processing and extend shelf life. Staling in bread crumb is a result of recrystallization of the starch, also known as retrogradation. Typical surfactants complex with amylose, thus slowing the staling rate. These include sodium stearoyl lactylate (SSL), succinylated monoglycerides, sorbitan monostearate, propylene glycol monoesters (PGME) and DATEMs. One sweet baked product currently on the market contains four of these ingredients, just enough to extend shelf life for days and mystify the typical label-reading consumer for weeks.

The make-up process will affect the choice of dough conditioners. Some chemical oxidants, such as AZO, are fast-acting and work in the mixing stage, while ascorbic acid has both rapid and time-dependent effects on dough rheology. There are a wide variety of dough conditioner blends on the market for special applications such as frozen doughs and no-time doughs.

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What a sweetie-pie
The "sweet" in sweet baked goods most often comes from sucrose or high-fructose corn syrup, though alternative sweeteners such as malt syrups, honey and molasses can be used. On a flour weight basis (FWB), traditionally known as baker's percent, 15% to 25% sugar or other sweetener is typical for these products. High sugar levels, over 30%, interfere with gluten development by reducing the water activity and inhibiting the interaction of gluten proteins during mixing.

Sugars serve as a fermentation substrate for yeast, and contribute flavor and browning. Crust color during baking results from caramelization of sugars and from Maillard browning, which is a reaction between reducing sugars and amino acids. Glucose, fructose, maltose and lactose are common reducing sugars used in baked goods. Sucrose is not a reducing sugar, but yeast or acid invert sucrose to produce glucose and fructose.

Honey can be used as an alternative sweetener. Marcia Cardetti, director of scientific affairs, of the National Honey Board in Longmont, CO, offers some suggestions for its use in baked goods. Generally honey is 1 to 1.5 times sweeter on a dry weight basis than sugar, and its unique flavor is often preferred by consumers. Because honey contains a variety of carbohydrates and other nutrients, it is capable of holding moisture and extending shelf life in baked goods. Honey, at a level of 4% to 6% FWB, improves the rheological properties of frozen doughs, protects gluten proteins from damage during freezing, significantly improves dough strength and decreases staling.

Honey can be substituted for part of the sugar in sweet-dough formulations. To replace 1 lb. of sugar, use 1.214 lbs. of honey and subtract 0.214 lbs. liquid from the total formula. Levels above 50% replacement may affect the yeast. Heat-treated honey, commonly called "pasteurized," is recommended in yeast breads, as raw honey could contain "wild" yeasts that interfere with the desired fermentation. Honey may also be spread in the bottom of the baking pan, along with nuts to produce a sticky-bun product.

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Roll in the shortenings
Customers expect their bakery treats not only to be sweet, but also rich and tender. That is where shortenings come in. As mentioned, high sugar levels inhibit yeast activity. In products like Danish and croissants, a roll-in shortening compensates for this lower activity by creating a fat barrier that traps carbon dioxide and water vapor. This process also creates those flaky layers that beckon you to devour them.

Lynn Lawrence, manager of product development, Humko Oil Products, a division of ACH Food Companies, Memphis, outlines some basic guidelines for shortening selection. A good shortening to use in the development of the dough would be one designed for yeast-raised applications. These will contain emulsifiers (crumb softeners) that aid in the finished-product shelf life. A fully saturated mono- and diglyceride added to the shortening system provides excellent crumb softening.

Fat may be added through an "all-in" method that adds the shortening during mixing. As the dough is extruded, folded and passed repeatedly through sheeting rollers, the fat particles become flattened into the dough. This results in a flaky end product. More commonly, dough and shortening are layered or co-extruded, then repeatedly folded and sheeted to the desired thickness and degree of lamination. For extrusion processes, dough should be under-mixed and on the drier side.

Special roll-in shortenings and margarines have been developed for the production of Danish pastries and other laminated doughs. They not only provide tenderness, keeping quality and richness, but also make possible the formation of fat and dough layers that give Danish pastries their flaky characteristics.

"The roll-in shortening or margarine should be of medium to slightly firm consistency, slightly firmer than the dough. It should remain plastic (pliable) over a wide temperature range," adds Lawrence. Some shortenings and margarines become too brittle at refrigerated temperatures and too soft at temperatures slightly above room temperature. These types of products make it difficult to maintain the layers of dough and fat during make-up.

Butter has always been valued for its flavor, but its natural melt profile is not ideal for pastry lamination. The technology exists in the United States to produce milkfat fractions with specific higher melt points, yielding a flavorful, flaky puff pastry. "This product has been popular with European chefs for many years," notes Kerry Kaylegian, milkfat applications researcher at the Wisconsin Center for Dairy Research, Madison, WI. However, it has not been commercialized in the United States. Currently, butter can be used to replace part or all of the shortening in the dough, and may see a resurgence, based on how the "trans fatty acid" issue develops.

Soy lecithin is a common emulsifier added to bakery formulations. With the current popularity of soy, this ingredient gains new favor on the ingredient legend. Soy flours may also be used in sweet dough, though they are not as common in sweet yeast-raised products, and find their greatest popularity and function in chemically leavened donuts.

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Rising to the occasion
As noted, lamination will provide some leavening action, and occasionally some chemical leaveners are added to increase oven spring, but yeast will be the main form of leavening. Sponge systems will typically use no more than 4% yeast in the first stage, with possibly some additional yeast in the dough stage, notes Jan van Eijk, PhD., research director, Lallemand/American Yeast, Montreal. These methods produce a softer product. Straight dough generally uses a similar level of yeast, and is generally favored in small shops.

Bakers can choose between several forms of yeast. Fresh yeast includes cream, granular and cake. Dry yeasts include active dry yeast (ADY), protected active dry yeast (PADY) and instant dry yeast (IDY). Most large retail and small wholesale bakeries can use either fresh yeast or instant yeast with equal success. Instant yeast is available in a wider variety of forms, including a sugar-tolerant variety that outperforms fresh yeast in sweet dough. As a rule of thumb, a 3:1 conversion ratio is used for replacing fresh yeast with instant yeast.

By definition, sweet baked goods contain higher levels of sugar, which affect the choice of yeast. Sugar has a strong inhibitory effect on the gassing power of yeast, caused by high osmotic pressure on the yeast cell. A sweet dough with 20% sugar requires two to three times more yeast to obtain the same gas production as a typical lean dough.

Salt is typically used at a level of 1.5% to 2.0% (FWB), and excess salt has an inhibitory effect on yeast. Salt improves flavor, and sweet doughs, as well as breads, taste quite flat without it. Salt also affects the dough's rheological properties, making the dough stronger.

Bakers can also modify yeast performance by altering processing conditions. While a no-time process works well for leaner doughs, sweet doughs generally perform better with a longer proof time. This gives the yeast time to adapt, and can also provide a considerable improvement in gas production during the final proof. Frozen doughs have become more popular, and work best with slow yeasts that retain their activity well.

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Adding richness


Whole eggs and milk solids are constituents of most sweet dough formulations. These ingredients add richness, flavor and tenderness to the product. Most wholesale bakeries use frozen whole eggs to facilitate handling and extend ingredient shelf-life. Egg whites aid in air entrapment, while yolks emulsify and tenderize. Yolks also add a desirable golden color, which gives a rich appearance. Powdered eggs may also be used, but generally do not give the same volume to baked goods as fresh or frozen eggs. A starting level might be to add eggs at the same level as sugar in a sweet dough formulation.

Milk solids, typically used at a level of 5% to 12% (FWB), also add flavor and tenderness, and contribute to crust color. Nonfat dry milk (ndm) contains about 52% lactose, which is a reducing sugar, and contributes to Maillard browning. Bakers use high-heat ndm almost exclusively, because of its effect on loaf volume. High-heat ndm has typically been treated to 190˚F for 30 minutes to denature the milk proteins. This increases their water-binding capacity and gives a finished loaf with good volume. Low-heat ndm, on the other hand, has less heat treatment and produces a slack dough with low volume. One ethnic sweet bread, Hawaiian panulu bread, requires a low volume, so low-heat ndm is the ingredient of choice.

Whey ingredients are often substituted for milk solids, primarily for cost savings. Dry sweet whey is very economical, and contains a lower level of protein and a higher level of lactose than ndm. A whey protein concentrate of 34% has roughly the same levels of protein and lactose as ndm and thus can be substituted for ndm on a 1:1 basis in most bakery formulations. "Whey-protein ingredients that have been partially denatured are well-suited for bakery applications because they won't interfere with the gluten formation," notes Kimberlee J. Burrington, whey applications coordinator, Wisconsin Center for Dairy Research, Madison, WI. Products with higher levels of whey protein concentrate are also available, which add increased nutrition and functionality, such as dough softening.

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Sugar, spice and everything nice
Generally, consumers eat sweet baked goods with little regard for the nutritional content, but strictly for the taste. So bringing together the right flavors is critical to product success. "Generally, the flavors used in sweet doughs include citrus, spice, butter and vanilla," notes Paulette Kerner, director of marketing communications, Virginia Dare, Brooklyn, NY. "Rather than using a pure vanilla extract, vanillin or a natural and artificial flavor will hold up better in a baked good, and give you more bang for your buck."

Spice oils, such as cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves, also work well in this system. A frequent addition to sweet baked goods is cardamon, explains Ernie Symanski, senior food technologist, Haarmann Reimer, Teterboro, NJ.

Bakery emulsions are very popular with bakers, also. These products dilute concentrated oils, such as almond or lemon, to a level that is easier for the baker to measure and work with. Emulsions can also be made with propylene glycol as a carrier. Spray-dried flavors also hold up well in bakery systems. Haarman Reimer is developing some new encapsulated flavors, that are more bake-stable, and provide unique functional characteristics such as a burst of flavor.

Symanski reminds formulators to remember the basics when working with flavors. True fruit character of a flavor can be enhanced with the optimum choice and usage level of food-grade acids. Likewise, optimizing the salt level in a product can enhance a peanut flavor.

When it comes to flavors, don't cut corners; a good flavor can make or break the finished product, says Janet Schurig, director of applications, Virginia Dare. Flavors are fairly expensive, so it is always wise to compare cost-in-use to get the best value. Most flavors should be used within six months and storing them in a cool dry area, away from heat and sunlight, will help ensure freshness. Citrus flavors benefit from refrigerator storage.

Baked sweet goods often have several flavor systems including, the dough, filling, icing and toppings. Fruit, and cream cheese fillings are often used (for more on fruit fillings, see "Fruitful Designs for Fillings and Preps" in the January 1997 issue of Food Product Design). "Balancing all the flavors at the right level so that they blend well is the key that sets your product apart," notes Schurig.

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Make-up procedures
Sweet goods can use either a sponge-and-dough process or a straight-dough process. In a sweet-dough sponge system, water, yeast sugar, milk, eggs, shortening and part of the flour are mixed and allowed to ferment for several hours. Then, additional flour and possibly more yeast are added. The sponge process produces good volume and softness.

>A straight-dough system is preferred in small shops and for specialty bakers to reduce labor and equipment time. In this process, all ingredients are added in consecutive steps, with just one fermentation period. Danish doughs are typically straight doughs.

Bakery production involves many complicated steps, but here is a quick overview of a straight-dough process, starting with the mixing procedure: Water is a very important ingredient, and somewhat variable in quantity. Water serves as a plasticizer and solvent, and allows the formation of gluten strands. In the initial mix stage, the mechanical action of the paddles allows the flour particles to become hydrated. Dough is said to be optimally mixed when all of the flour's protein and starch has been hydrated. Water temperature is also important, and for most formulas, a final dough temperature
in the range of 74˚ to 80˚F is ideal.

After mixing, the dough is fermented. Successful sweet doughs can be made with any number of fermentation processes, including no-time, short-time and continuous methods. Generally, sweet doughs are more tolerant of various production processes than are bread doughs. Subsequent steps include rolling-in shortening, or laminating, followed by sheeting or forming. While small shops will use manual make-up procedures, extrusion will be the ticket for large, wholesale operations.

Yeast-raised doughs are generally viscous, yet elastic. The activities of sheeting, reducing and forming introduce energy, or bounce, into the dough. Doughs may require a resting period to allow this mechanical energy to dissipate. Roll-in sweet doughs and Danish are generally rested or refrigerated. It is important to limit the stress placed on the dough. Newer equipment includes "stress-free" stretchers.

Make-up might include forming the dough into unique shapes, and/or incorporating cinnamon smear, or topping with a fruit or cheese filling. Next, the product is proofed. Most regular sweet doughs are proofed at 95˚ to 100˚ F and 90% to 95% relative humidity (RH). Roll-in sweet doughs are proofed at 85˚ to 90˚ F and 90% to 95% RH, and then baked, or fried, as in the case of donuts or fritters. Items generally are cooled slightly before being iced or glazed.

For companies that do not want to put together a yeast-raised formula, mixes, bases, concentrates and various frozen products are available. Mix make-up includes adding just water and possibly yeast; bases require the addition of eggs and oil or shortening; concentrates require the previous ingredients plus flour and possibly sugar. All add convenience and save time, with mixes finding popularity in foodservice operations, and bases or concentrates being most efficient in wholesale and in-store settings.

Products may be frozen at various stages. Doughs to be frozen before baking require a special dough-conditioner system and yeast. These products are then thawed and baked on-site, resulting in that wonderful fresh-baked aroma that beckons customers. Thaw-and-bake products have a fresh-baked appeal but require limited baking skills.

Alternatively, the product may be baked on-site at a large wholesale operation, then thawed at a retail location. Thaw-and-serve products also work well in situations with limited skilled labor or space. These may be topped with flavorful glazes, decorator icings, or served "as is."

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Topping it all off
Various miscellaneous ingredients such as raisins, nuts and citrus peel are often added to sweet doughs. Regina Lam, food technologist, Blue Diamond Research Center, Sacramento, CA, noted that: "Almonds add value to a baked product. Almond paste makes a great addition to sweet baked goods, as well as sliced almonds, and diced almonds." A few sliced almonds sprinkled on top turn a plain croissant into a gourmet item. European bakers sometimes grind almonds to produce almond flour that not only gives a unique flavor, but adds a gourmet touch. "Many consumers are not aware that almonds are high in healthy monounsaturated fats," adds Lam.

Almonds come in regular, select or sheller run, and supreme. They are graded by the count per oz. These grades range from 20/22 to 40/50 nuts per oz. Almonds can be stored from six months to four years; and refrigeration increases shelf life.

Murray lists several tips for adding value and pizzazz to baked goods. Dried fruits always make a good addition. Plumping raisins by soaking in hot water ensures a moist end product. Raw or toasted oats add a healthy appeal, as do poppy seeds and crushed nuts. Dusting with cocoa, powdered sugar, cornmeal or toasted coconut increases eye appeal. A combination of cereals, yogurt and sugar yields a super streusel.

Product formulators need to remember that sweet baked goods are most often eaten as a reward or treat. A baker for a major sweet goods manufacturer notes that the company spent 90% of its product development time trying to formulate new healthful baked goods.

Recently, Entenmann's celebrated its 100th anniversary with the theme "Sweet Satisfaction." The company has built its reputation on products made with high-quality ingredients from the basic flours, sugars and fats, to the gourmet touches of dried fruits, nuts and real cream cheese. In an industry driven by indulgence, that seems to be the key to success.


Sharon Gerdes answers a technical support line for the dairy industry. She also writes and consults for other food industry clients, with emphasis in regulatory compliance and formulating baked goods and nutrition specialty items. Gerdes holds a Bachelor's Degree in Food Science and Nutrition from Kansas State University, Manhattan.

• Photo: The Cherry Marketing Institute
• Photo: California Prune Board
• Photo: Bunge Foods
• Photo: National Honey Board
• Photo: Pacific Northwest Canned Pears
• Photo: ACH Food and Nutrition

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