Blog
Why the Baking Industry Uses Emulsifiers
An emulsifier has a water-loving end and a fat-loving end. It is used in water-oil emulsions to prevent their immiscibility and to maintain these systems’ stability. In the baking industry, emulsifiers are used frequently, but surprisingly, not everyone knows their...
90 Days of Bread in the Books
90 days ago, I started with a loaf a day, at 149 pounds. And here at the end, not a single pound gained! I’d call that a successful challenge! It’s been quite a ride, with delicious bread eaten, inspiring ideas shared and hopefully some minds changed about bread’s...
It’s a Biga Deal! Baking with Fermented Dough
Artisan breads are in. One of the top food trends for this year is rustic breads, like Ciabatta. If you’re going to try your hand at a bread like this, you need to understand fermentation and starters like biga. What is biga? Biga is a preferment with no salt, usually...
Hydration: Why You Need to Get it Right
Hydration is a part of the mixing process that you MUST get right. No matter what you’re mixing—doughs, batters, or anything in between—there needs to be a way of making dry ingredients interact with wet ingredients. True, the level of hydration you’re aiming for is...
Pitching a Loaf Podcast S1E11 Cleaning Up Your Label and Baking Organically
There’s no question about it: consumers want a cleaner and simpler label. Although many chemicals have GRAS (Generally Regarded As Safe) status from the FDA, people want them out of bread. But don’t worry bakers! There are...
Why are there Different Amounts of Gluten in Flour?
All flours have the same amounts of gluten, right? Wrong. The level of gluten varies greatly between different types of flour. You can tell how much gluten is in your flour by looking at how much protein is in your flour. How do you do this? All flour mills produce...
Is Artisan Bread Healthier than Manufactured Bread?
Is artisan bread really healthier than plain white bread? The use of bleached flour and the addition of dough conditioners, emulsifiers, and mold inhibitors are seen as unhealthy and blamed for our modern health issues. As...
How Sweet it Is: An Emulsifier for Your Cakes!
Let’s face it. You can’t use the same products across the board. If you’re making sweet baked goods, you’re going to want an emulsifier that reacts in the best way possible for your product. What’s a good one for that? PGMEs...
Is Staling Due to Moisture Loss Over the Shelf Life of Bread?
Staling is a major problem in the baking industry. Staled bread and cakes have undesirable qualities, like a dry, crumbly interior and a loss of flavor. Many plant personnels insist that moisture loss during storage is the main factor contributing to crumbliness of...
Pitching a Loaf Podcast S1E10 Sourdough: Changing Our Taste in America
Could sourdough be the lean, clean savior of the bread industry? Dr. Lin Carson thinks so. Along with Dave Dahl, she addresses what many bakeries may be experiencing: as delicious and popular as sourdough is, it can be a headache! Between time, scheduling, need for...
Pitching a Loaf Podcast S1E9 Shelf Life: Making Your Bread Go Further
Ah, shelf life: one of the most important, yet challenging aspects of baking. Dr. Lin Carson and Dave Dahl dive into the two sides of the shelf-life coin: inhibiting mold and fighting staling. Lin suggests using ingredients like sugar or honey to make bread softer...
Can Gluten-free Taste Good?
Of course it can! We all know someone (or a few someone’s) who don't eat gluten. Whether it’s from sensitivity, celiac disease, or personal choice, there’s no denying that there is a growing market for gluten-free products. If you’re a baker, the question is probably...
Pitching a Loaf Podcast S1E8: Sprouts and Sprouting
Pitching a Loaf is on the road! Today’s episode comes to you from the Johnson and Wales International Bread Symposium. Dr. Lin Carson and co-host, David Deblauwe of Puratos, bring on founder Peter Reinhart to learn just why the world needs an academic platform to...
Function and Fun: It is Cake After All!
Maybe it is just clever marketing, but I would eat a superfood infused cake for breakfast IF it tasted good, texturally resembled cake and delivered super health benefits. What are the realities of making a functional super food...
The Importance of Gluten Hydration
Gluten thrives on hydration. While dough is in the mixer, water molecules are binding to the polar sites on the gluten proteins. When these proteins have enough water, they provide elastic and extensible properties. In other words, the better hydrated gluten is, the...
