If you work with frozen or refrigerated dough or batter, you are probably familiar with encapsulated baking powder. And for good reason!
The ability to release chemical leavening systems on demand is a game changer for products that sit and thaw for long periods of time.
What all does encapsulated baking powder do?
- Provide consistent leavening following subsequent freeze/thaw abuse.
- Enhance dough/batter shelf life by delaying ingredients interactions and preventing premature leavening and CO2 gas build up.
- Protect the leavening system from moisture during dough/batter storage.
- Allow for more sustained leavening action resulting in a light and soft textured product free of discoloration.
How is it made?
Encapsulation technology has been around since the 1950s. For bakery applications, leavening agents such as baking powder or baking soda are coated with a fat or lipid. The coating stays in tact until the baking process, where it melts. Then, the leavener can do its work!
Different coatings have different melting ranges. The following is a list of main coating lipids (individually or blends) used in microencapsulating baking powder and their melting ranges:
- Fractionated palm oil (131-140 °F / 55-60 °C)
- Fully hydrogenated palm oil (136-145 °F / 58-63 °C)
- Mono- and diglycerides (136-145 °F / 58-63 °C )
- Fully hydrogenated cottonseed oil (142-149 °F/ 61-65 °C)
- Fully hydrogenated soybean oil (153-160 °F / 67-71 °C)
