Baking Techniques

GCSE food technology

1. Candidates should have knowledge
and understanding of a range of
processes used to make products and
have the opportunity to use the
following skills and processes in their
practical work:
Baked products: rubbing in,
creaming, melting, whisking, all-in-
one, kneading, folding, rolling,
shaping, cutting

2. Rubbing in
•Technique where flour is rubbed into a fat
to make dishes such as shortcrust pastry,
crumbles and scones.
•Using your fingertips, rub the flour and
butter together until the mixture resembles
breadcrumbs
•Lift the mixture up as you rub it in so that
the air going through it keeps it cool.
•Shake the bowl every so often to bring the
larger lumps of butter to the surface.

3. Creaming Method
•'Creaming' means combining sugar with a
solid fat used in cake making.
•Ensure the fat has softened to room
temperature before you start.
•Beat the fat with the sugar to a light and
fluffy texture - start mixing quite slowly
and, as the mixture becomes softer and
well combined, you can mix faster.
•As you beat it, the mixture should increase
in volume and take on a paler colour.

4. Melting Method
•This is also classified as a rich cake as
there is half the amount of fat to flour so
these cakes also have good keeping
qualities, flapjack, gingerbread.
•The texture and flavour of these cakes
would improve if they were kept for at
least a day before serving. The crust will
have softened and the flavour would have
developed.

5. Whisking Method
•Contains no fat. The eggs and sugar are
whisked together until thick and creamy.
•Swiss roll, flans, gateaux.
•An electric mixer facilitates whisking but
with hand whisking, placing the bowl over
hot water helps to give a faster result.
•Then gently fold in the flour with a metal
spoon or spatula.

6. All-in-one Method
•Exactly as the name suggests, these
cakes are mixed all in one go.
•Victoria sponge and fairy cakes.
•All the ingredients go into the bowl
together and the mixing is done in
seconds.

7. Kneading - dough
•Kneading means working and stretching
dough, either by hand or using an electric
dough hook.
•The process makes the dough smoother
and softer and develops the elasticity of
the gluten in the flour.
•It also evenly incorporates air and any
additional ingredients.

8. Folding
•Folding is to combine a light ingredient or
mixture with a much heavier mixture while
retaining as much air as possible.
•Carefully cut through the mixture with the
edge of the spoon, working in a gentle
figure of eight and moving the bowl as you
go.
•Scrape around the sides and base of the
bowl at intervals to incorporate all of the
lighter ingredients into the mixture.

9. Shaping and Cutting
•Shaping – using your hands or a pastry
cutter to style the product into desired
shape (bread rolls)
•Cutting – using a pastry cutter to cut out
shapes (scones, biscuits)

10. Rolling Out - pastry
•Be as cool as possible.
•Firm consistency.
•Lightly floured survey.
•Use short, even strokes.
•After each stroke, spin the pastry through
a quarter turn, do not turn the pastry over.

11. Standard and pre manufactured
components.
e.g. flour is a standard component of pastry
and pastry is a standard component of an
apple pie.
•Quicker
•Cheaper
•Simpler to buy in ready prepared
ingredients
•Match the 8 definitions to either advantages
or disadvantages and stick them down on
A4

12. A cake manufacturer wants develop a new range
of cake products which:
•Are attractive to school children
•Include fruit for fibre
•Are suitable for a packed lunch box
Working in small groups, each group using a
different method of cake making, design and make
a range of products which fits in with the
specification.
You will then individually pick a design and plan a
method for the design and make it next Thursday
10
th
Feb.