 |
|
 |
 |
|
|
Forum
-> Recipe Collection
-> Cakes, Cookies, and Muffins
studying_torah
|
 Mon, Jun 01 2015, 7:22 am
I see a lot of baking recipes ( esp for cupcakes or muffins) that call for alternating wet/dry ingredients. Does anyone know why? Is there a scientific basis for this?
Would love to understand more!
| |
|
| Back to top |
 0
|
livinginflatbus
|
Mon, Jun 01 2015, 7:37 am
|
If u mix the dry ingredients with the wet just very shortly until just combined the muffins come out light and fluffy as opposed to heavy and dry
| |
|
| Back to top |
0
|
studying_torah
|
Mon, Jun 01 2015, 7:48 am
|
Yes I know but I was wondering why. Also sometimes you need to specifically alternate the two.
| |
|
| Back to top |
0
|
imasoftov
|
Mon, Jun 01 2015, 9:27 am
|
If you add the liquid before the flour, the flour won't dissolve well. If you add the flour before the liquid you'll have to stir it more and will develop gluten, which is good for bread but not for cake.
| |
|
| Back to top |
2
|
ilovesem
|
Mon, Jun 01 2015, 11:06 am
I read recently that the alternating ingredients was an old instruction for when people didn't have food processors but now you chuck it all in.
But I was wondering why all the new recipe books/magazines still advise this then.
| |
|
| Back to top |
0
|
Amarante
|
Mon, Jun 01 2015, 11:13 am
Baking is really a form of chemistry which is why most people should follow instructions unless they understand the science behind the instructions. With regular food, it's easier to improvise and get good results.
Why alternate wet and dry ingredients when mixing cake batter?
It's all about the bubbles, batter bubbles being a crucial factor that great bakers don't tend to talk about. When you beat sugar into softened butter or eggs into a frothy foam, this adds air to the batter. Bubbles give cakes a tender, open crumb. Gradually adding the dry ingredients keeps those bubbles from popping. Dump-and-stir is an effective mixing method for dense desserts like brownies, but for fluffy cake, you have to alternate, carefully and patiently, to keep the bubbles at their best.
| |
|
| Back to top |
0
|
studying_torah
|
Mon, Jun 01 2015, 12:11 pm
thanks amarante, I did some googling and found that answer as well as the flour coats the butter and any liquid develops gluten in uncoated flour. so alternating it means that enough gluten develops but not too much... something along those lines. 
| |
|
| Back to top |
0
|
|
Imamother may earn commission when you use our links to make a purchase.
© 2024 Imamother.com - All rights reserved
|  |
 |
|
 |
|
|
