Baking is the cooking of food by dry heat in an oven in which the action of the dry convection heat is modified by steam. The dry heat of baking changes the form of starches in the food and causes its outer surfaces to brown, giving it an attractive appearance and taste. The browning is caused by the caramelization of sugars. Online baking classes have emerged as the only solution for quality education due to the pandemic & global lockdown.
When baking, consideration must be given to the amount of fat that is contained in the food item. Higher levels of fat such as margarine, butter, or vegetable shortening will cause an item to spread out during the baking process. A bakery (or baker's shop) is an establishment that produces and sells flour-based food baked in an oven such as bread, cakes, pastries, and pies. Online baking classes provide comprehensive knowledge on 3 different methods of baking & they are as follows,
● Dry Baking:
When baking, steam rises from the water content of the food; this steam combines with the dry heat of the oven to cook the food, e.g. cakes, pastries, baked jacket potatoes.
● Increased Humidity Baking:
When baking certain foods, e.g. bread, the oven humidity is increased by placing a bowl of water or injection steam into the oven, thus increasing the water content of the food and so improving the eating quality.
● Bain Marie:
When baking, place food in a container of water (Bain Marie) which modifies the heat so that the food cooks more slowly, and does not overheat or overcook.
Scope of Baking
The bakery industry in India today has an important place on the industrial map of the country. Bakery products are an item of mass consumption given their low price and high nutrient value. With rapid growth and changing eating habits of people, bakery products have gained popularity among the masses. The sector, typically, constitutes cakes, breads, and biscuits. The bakery industry in India is on a growth curve. The sector which is difficult to define has indicated promising growth prospects and has been making rapid progress.
The bakery industry has achieved the third position in generating revenue in the processed food sector. The first and second segments are wheat flour processing and fruits and vegetables processing, stated experts from the food industry. The bakery industry also is a lucrative sector for entrepreneurship in the food industry. This calls for honing skills in baking science and technology. With Globalization and India being viewed as a potential growth market, there has been a profusion of bakery chains springing up across the country. Online baking classes offer assistance to aspirants in terms of theoretical knowledge & hands-on training to make competent bakers.
Qualities of an Efficient Baker
Being a baker is a lot more than just knowing how to bake bread. Bakery and confectionery as a career is both an art and a science. A baker makes various kinds of loaves, bread rolls, croissants, buns, pastries, cakes, and savories by adding his innovation to his basic knowledge of baking. Every course on online baking classes teaches how to weigh out and measure ingredients, mix, divide, and mold dough, set the dough to rise, bake different bread and confectionery products, and decorate, slice, and wrap the final product. 'Proper knowledge of ingredients, costing, proper methods of preparing products, and pricing is essential. One should at least know that mozzarella and not Amul Cheese should be used to make pizza. One should also take care not to waste ingredients.
A good baker & confectioner should be well-acquainted with the products that he/she is using, the reaction when he/she mixes products and correct presentation.' A hotel management course will just give the student the basics. To be an excellent confectioner one needs to develop new recipes regularly. If you are catering to Indian confectionery items you need to learn the ropes from a Mathai Wallah.
