baking powder, edible alkali, baking soda, yeast and salt are commonly used auxiliary materials in pastry making, which determine the shape and taste of the pastry when it is ripe. So what are their functions? What are the differences? Next, I will give you a detailed explanation.

salt is required in many pasta dishes, such as noodles, dumpling wrappers, bread, cakes, etc. Why do you want to put edible salt in these pasta dishes?

1. Strengthen gluten and enhance gluten. Lamian Noodles requires that the dough should have strong extensibility, and adding a small amount of edible salt can adjust the gluten well.

2. Increase the flavor of food and improve the quality. Adding a small amount of edible salt to bread and cake can increase the flavor and sweetness.

3. Adjust the fermentation speed. Salt can inhibit the activity of yeast, thus controlling the fermentation time. Make the fermented dough more stable.

the chemical name of baking soda is sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO? ), which is made of soda solution or crystal after absorbing carbon dioxide. Its alkalinity is weaker than that of edible alkali.

firstly, baking soda dissolved in hot water above 5 degrees will be decomposed into sodium carbonate, water and carbon dioxide. Encountering acidic substances will produce a lot of carbon dioxide. Therefore, it can be used as a leavening agent for food, and can also replace edible alkali when frying food, and add a proper amount of baking soda to make food more crisp.

Secondly, because baking soda is an alkaline substance; Therefore, when the old fermented dough is leavened, you can also put some baking soda to neutralize the sour taste produced in the process of leavening.

the chemical Name of edible alkali is sodium carbonate (na? CO3), which is widely used in pastry making. Its specific functions are as follows:

1. It has the function of neutralizing the sour taste of hair.

steamed bread steamed with old leavened dough has a unique fragrance, but it is easy to be steamed when the time is not well grasped, which makes the dough sour. A small amount of alkaline noodles is often added to neutralize the sour taste.

However, if the edible alkali is added too much, the steamed bread will turn yellow and taste a little bitter.

I remember when I was a child, because my mother was too busy with business to make steamed bread (at that time, steamed bread was made by herself in rural areas), and steamed bread made with old yeast was often sour or too alkaline. I have eaten the shadow, so far I am not very friendly to the food with alkaline noodles, especially the noodles with edible alkali. Every time I eat Regan Noodles and Xiangyang butter noodles, I never finish them. Fortunately, yeast appeared later, and you don't have to eat sour or bitter steamed bread anymore.

2. Make the pasta more puffy

Add a little edible alkali when making sesame seed cake or fried onion cake, and the food made is not only crisp but also puffy. A small amount of edible alkali is often added to the wonton skin and miscellaneous grain pancakes that we often eat. Of course, baking soda also has the same functional effect.

3. Noodles are more vigorous and smooth.

When cooking noodles, adding edible alkali can make noodles more vigorous and smooth, and it is not easy to paste so quickly. After cooking, you can take it out and put it for more time. In Regan Noodles and Xiangyang, some edible alkali was added to beef noodles, which was cooked in advance and fished up. It was enough to have hot water when eating, which greatly reduced the time for eating.

4. Fried food is more crisp.

a small amount of edible alkali is added to fried foods such as crispy meat and fried dough sticks, which makes them more crisp.

baking soda and edible alkali are not only widely used in pastry making, but also have strong oil removal ability, which can be used to clean kitchen supplies. At the same time, it can also be used to clean fruits and vegetables to remove pesticide residues.

baking powder is a chemical leavening agent, which is a leavening agent made by adding acidic materials into baking soda. Compared with baking soda, it is more convenient and simple to use, and there is no need to add acidic substances. When it comes to water and heat, acid and alkali will react rapidly to produce carbon dioxide gas, which will swell the dough and make the food fluffy.

its advantages are: not limited by temperature, short fermentation time and strong controllability. Because the total nutrient content of pasta made of baking powder is relatively less than that of yeast fermentation, many people often use yeast and baking powder at the same time when making dough food.

it is usually used in making cakes, cakes, steamed buns, steamed buns, cakes with scallion and flour, pies, biscuits, bread and other foods.

remember, when buying baking powder, it is best to buy double-effect aluminum-free baking powder, aluminum is harmful to human body.

Yeast or noodles containing yeast belong to biological leavening agent, and yeast can multiply and decompose starch in large quantities under the condition of suitable temperature and humidity. Thus, a large amount of carbon dioxide is generated, so that the dough is filled with gas, forming a honeycomb cavity, and the dough volume increases accordingly, thus achieving the effect of leavening.

The advantage of yeast fermentation is that the fermented dough is richer and more comprehensive in nutrition: on the one hand, yeast itself is a high-quality nutrient; on the other hand, the fermented dough will also produce B vitamins which are rare in plant foods, and it will also emit a strong special flavor.

However, biological fermentation of dough takes a long time, usually taking 2-3 hours. Moreover, the temperature requirement is relatively high, usually around 22-35 degrees, which is more suitable for yeast fermentation. If the temperature is too low, the activity of yeast will be inhibited, and it will take longer to ferment, or even not to ferment.

First of all, there are essential differences between yeast and baking powder. Yeast ferments dough by producing gas by microbial proliferation, while baking powder produces gas by chemical reaction.

Secondly, baking powder can't replace yeast when making steamed bread and steamed buns, and yeast can't replace baking powder when making some fried crispy and fluffy foods.

Finally, baking powder and yeast can be used together when making steamed bread and steamed buns, but it is better not to rub them together directly, but to add them separately.

That's my discussion on the role of baking powder, edible alkali, baking soda, yeast and salt in pastry making. Please leave a message to discuss any shortcomings.

Pay attention to @ Chef Adu, and share the knowledge about food making and food with you every day!