AY Honors/Baking/Answer Key

1. Explain the difference in food value between whole wheat flour and white flour.

Whole wheat retains the bran and germ as well as the endosperm, in contrast to white flour which retains only the endosperm.

Whole wheat foods are nutritionally superior to refined grains, richer in dietary fiber, antioxidants, protein (and in particular the amino acid lysine), dietary minerals (including magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, and selenium), and vitamins (including niacin, vitamin B6, and vitamin E).

The greater amount of dietary fiber, as much as four times than found in refined grains, is likely the most important benefit, as it has been shown to reduce the incidence of some forms of cancer, digestive system diseases, coronary heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. Some of these protective effects occur because carbohydrates from whole grains are digested and enter the bloodstream more slowly, avoiding the "sugar rush."

2. Describe the effects of yeast in bread making.

Yeast interacts chemically with sugar in warm water to provide leavening. This allows the bread to "rise".

In more detail, yeasts make up a group of single-celled fungi, a few species of which are commonly used to leaven bread. In the absence of oxygen, yeasts produce their energy by converting sugars into carbon dioxide and ethanol. In baking, the carbon dioxide raises the bread and the ethanol evaporates.

3. Give one Old Testament and one New Testament incident where leavening is mentioned.

Old Testament: Exodus 12:34 & 39 -- The Israelites prepared unleavened bread for the first Passover

New Testament: Jesus mentioned leavening several times including: Matthew 13:33; Luke 13:20, 21

Jesus compares the Pharisees to leaven in Matthew 16:6-12; Mark 8:15; Luke 12:1

6. Explain why the use of baking powder and soda should be avoided and why the mixture of milk, sugar, and eggs is harmful to health.

Baking soda and baking powder

In The Ministry of Healing, Ellen White wrote that baking soda and baking powder should not be used for making bread. She wrote, "Soda causes inflammation of the stomach and often poisons the entire system."

Milk, sugar, and eggs

When these ingredients are mixed and eaten, they ferment in the abdomen, giving the same effect as alcohol products.

7. How do you test a cake for being done? How do you keep a cake from "falling"?

You can test to see if a cake is done by inserting a toothpick or butter knife carefully into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean without any "cake goo" attached, then the cake is done.

You can keep a cake from falling by not introducing a cake to temperatures drastically different from the oven too quickly and by not slamming the door on the oven before the cake is done.

8. Prepare two of the following:

a. Cake from basic ingredients (any flavor)

See the Wikibook Cookbook recipes for Cakes and Cupcakes

b. Cake from a mix (any flavor)

The best advice we can give here is to buy a mix and follow the directions on the package. Cake mixes were introduced to the market in the 1950's, though they were not initially well-received. At that time, the only thing the homemaker needed to do was add water, blend, pour it in a pan, and bake. Marketeers determined that homemakers did not like this because it did not feel enough like "homemade" so they omitted powdered eggs from the mix and had the homemaker add fresh eggs along with the water. As soon as this change was made to the formulation, sales skyrocketed.

It should be noted however, that it is perhaps impossible to find a cake mix that does not use either baking powder or baking soda, or the combination of eggs, milk, and sugar (see requirement 6). However, 3 tablespoons of water plus 1 tablespoon of either cornstarch or ground flax seed makes a good egg-substitute.

9. Make one pie in each of the following categories:

a. Baked, any fruit, including lemon

See the Pie Section in the Wikibooks Cookbook for more recipes.

b. Unbaked (baked pie shell only), fresh fruit, gelatin, etc.

See the Banana Cream Pie recipe in the Wikibooks Cookbook.

10. Make and bake one recipe of cookies. Make one recipe of refrigerator cookies. It is preferable to use wholesome ingredients such as fruit, oatmeal, nuts, etc.

By definition, refrigerator cookies are made from a stiff dough that is refrigerated to become even stiffer. The dough is typically shaped into cylinders which are sliced into round cookies before baking. Refrigerator cookies are any type of cookie where the dough needs chilled before baking the cookies.

Examples of refrigerator cookies include:

• Gingerbread cookies
• Most "cookie cutter" cookies
• Some types of chocolate chip cookies.

11. Prepare recipe file for all of the items required above and any others desired. See how many recipes you can find using fruit without large amounts of sugar.

Try one of many recipe sites online such as recipesource.com. Or, even better, use this as an opportunity to learn recipes that your parents and grandparents have made over the years! Be sure that you include your favorite recipes!

References

• Wikipedia articles
  • Yeast
  • Whole grain