Baking & Pastry Fundamentals Flashcards

What role does gluten play in bread making?

Answer: It provides structure and elasticity, trapping gas bubbles produced by yeast

Gluten, formed when flour proteins (glutenin and gliadin) hydrate and are worked, creates an elastic network that traps CO₂ from yeast, giving bread structure and rise.

What is the approximate ratio of flour to water (by weight) in a standard bread dough?

Answer: 100% flour to 60–65% water

A standard bread dough uses approximately 60–65% water to flour by weight (baker's percentage), producing a workable, slightly tacky dough.

What is the purpose of 'proofing' yeast dough?

Answer: To allow yeast to ferment and produce CO₂, causing the dough to rise before baking

Proofing is the final fermentation stage where shaped dough rests and rises as yeast produces CO₂, giving the bread its final volume before baking.

What leavening agent is used in quick breads such as Canadian bannock?

Answer: Baking powder or baking soda

Quick breads use chemical leaveners like baking powder or baking soda for rapid leavening without the fermentation time required by yeast.

In pastry making, what is 'blind baking'?

Answer: Baking a pie shell without a filling, using weights to prevent puffing

Blind baking pre-bakes an unfilled pastry shell using weights (beans or pie weights) to hold the crust flat and prevent it from puffing and shrinking.

What is the main difference between puff pastry and shortcrust pastry?

Answer: Puff pastry uses lamination with layers of butter for flakiness; shortcrust uses rubbed-in fat for crumbly texture

Puff pastry is laminated dough where layers of butter are folded in repeatedly to create hundreds of distinct flaky layers, while shortcrust uses fat rubbed into flour for a crumbly, tender texture.