The Role of Ingredients in Biscuit, Cookie and Cracker Manufacturing - An Overview of Duncan Manleyl's Manual 1
Biscuit, Cookie, And Cracker Manufacturing, Manual 1: Ingredients By Duncan Manleyl
If you love biscuits, cookies, and crackers, you might be curious about how they are made. What are the ingredients that go into these delicious baked goods? How do they affect their quality and characteristics? How can you make your own biscuits, cookies, and crackers at home or in a commercial setting?
Biscuit, Cookie, And Cracker Manufacturing, Manual 1: Ingredients By Duncan Manleyl
In this article, we will review the book Biscuit, Cookie And Cracker Manufacturing Manual 1: Ingredients by Duncan Manleyl. This book is part of a series of manuals that cover various aspects of biscuit, cookie, and cracker manufacturing. It provides a comprehensive overview of the ingredients that are used in these products and how they influence their properties.
By reading this article, you will learn:
What are biscuits, cookies, and crackers?
Why are ingredients important for biscuit, cookie, and cracker manufacturing?
What are the main types of ingredients used in biscuit, cookie, and cracker manufacturing?
How to choose the right ingredients for biscuit, cookie, and cracker manufacturing?
Introduction
Biscuits, cookies, and crackers are popular snack foods that are consumed all over the world. They come in various shapes, sizes, flavors, and textures. But what exactly are they?
What are biscuits, cookies, and crackers?
Biscuits, cookies, and crackers are all types of baked products that are made from dough or batter. They differ in their composition, processing, and characteristics.
Biscuits are typically soft, fluffy, and leavened products that are made from flour, fat, sugar, and a raising agent. They can be sweet or savory, and can have various fillings or toppings. They are usually eaten for breakfast or as a dessert.
Cookies are typically crisp, flat, and sweet products that are made from flour, fat, sugar, and eggs. They can have various flavors, additives, or decorations. They are usually eaten as a snack or a treat.
Crackers are typically hard, dry, and savory products that are made from flour, fat, salt, and water. They can have various seasonings, shapes, or textures. They are usually eaten as a snack or with cheese or dips.
Why are ingredients important for biscuit, cookie, and cracker manufacturing?
The ingredients that are used in biscuit, cookie, and cracker manufacturing are very important for several reasons:
They determine the quality and characteristics of the final products, such as their appearance, taste, texture, nutrition, and shelf life.
They affect the processing and performance of the dough or batter, such as their mixing, forming, baking, and cooling.
They influence the cost and profitability of the production, such as their availability, price, storage, and waste.
Therefore, choosing the right ingredients for biscuit, cookie, and cracker manufacturing is essential for achieving the desired results and satisfying the consumers' expectations.
What are the main types of ingredients used in biscuit, cookie, and cracker manufacturing?
The main types of ingredients that are used in biscuit, cookie, and cracker manufacturing are:
Flour
Sugar
Fat
Other ingredients
These ingredients can be classified into two categories: major ingredients and minor ingredients. Major ingredients are those that make up the bulk of the dough or batter, such as flour, sugar, and fat. Minor ingredients are those that are added in small amounts to modify the properties or functionality of the dough or batter, such as salt, leavening agents, flavorings, colorings, emulsifiers, preservatives, etc.
In the following sections, we will discuss each of these main types of ingredients in more detail.
Flour
Flour is the most important ingredient in biscuit, cookie, and cracker manufacturing. It provides the structure and strength of the products, as well as their flavor and color. Flour is made from grinding cereal grains, such as wheat, rye, barley, oats, corn, rice, etc.
What is flour and how is it made?
Flour is a fine powder that is obtained from milling cereal grains. The milling process involves several steps:
Cleaning: The grains are cleaned to remove any foreign materials, such as dirt, stones, insects, etc.
Conditioning: The grains are moistened to soften their outer layers and facilitate their separation.
Breaking: The grains are cracked into smaller pieces by passing them through rollers with different gaps.
Purifying: The broken pieces are separated into different fractions by sieving them through screens with different sizes. The fractions include bran (the outer layer), germ (the embryo), endosperm (the starchy inner layer), and shorts (the fine particles).
Reducing: The endosperm fraction is further reduced into finer particles by passing them through more rollers with smaller gaps.
Sifting: The reduced particles are sifted again to separate them into different grades of flour according to their particle size and quality.
Bleaching: Some flours are bleached to improve their color and whiteness by treating them with chemicals or enzymes.
Enriching: Some flours are enriched to increase their nutritional value by adding vitamins and minerals.
What are the different types of flour and how do they affect the quality of biscuits, cookies, and crackers?
The different types of flour vary in their composition, quality, and functionality. Some of the factors that affect these characteristics are:
The type of grain: Different grains have different proportions of bran, germ, and endosperm, which affect their nutritional value, flavor, and color. For example, wheat flour has more protein and gluten than corn flour, which makes it more elastic and strong.
The extraction rate: This is the percentage of endosperm that is extracted from the grain during milling. The higher the extraction rate, the more bran and germ are removed, which affect the nutritional value, flavor, and color. For example, whole wheat flour has a lower extraction rate than white flour, which makes it more nutritious but darker and stronger.
The protein content: This is the amount of protein in the flour, the protein content, the more gluten and strength the flour has. For example, bread flour has a higher protein content than cake flour, which makes it more suitable for yeast-leavened products. - The ash content: This is the amount of mineral matter in the flour, which affects its color and acidity. The higher the ash content, the darker and more acidic the flour is. For example, whole wheat flour has a higher ash content than white flour, which makes it more brown and sour. - The moisture content: This is the amount of water in the flour, which affects its shelf life and stability. The higher the moisture content, the more prone the flour is to spoilage and rancidity. For example, fresh flour has a higher moisture content than stored flour, which makes it more perishable but more active. - The particle size: This is the fineness or coarseness of the flour, which affects its texture and absorption. The finer the particle size, the smoother and more absorbent the flour is. For example, pastry flour has a finer particle size than all-purpose flour, which makes it more delicate and tender.
The different types of flour have different effects on the quality of biscuits, cookies, and crackers. Some of the effects are:
The appearance: The type of flour affects the color, shape, size, and surface of the products. For example, whole wheat flour gives a darker and rougher appearance than white flour.
The taste: The type of flour affects the flavor, sweetness, and aroma of the products. For example, rye flour gives a more distinctive and sour taste than wheat flour.
The texture: The type of flour affects the crispiness, chewiness, softness, and crumbliness of the products. For example, cake flour gives a more tender and fine texture than bread flour.
The nutrition: The type of flour affects the nutritional value, such as the calories, carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber of the products. For example, oat flour gives a more nutritious and high-fiber product than rice flour.
How to choose the right flour for biscuit, cookie, and cracker manufacturing?
Choosing the right flour for biscuit, cookie, and cracker manufacturing depends on several factors, such as:
The type of product: Different products have different requirements for their quality and characteristics. For example, biscuits need a soft and fluffy texture, cookies need a crisp and flat texture, and crackers need a hard and dry texture.
The type of process: Different processes have different demands for their performance and efficiency. For example, mixing needs a consistent and stable dough or batter, forming needs a pliable and workable dough or batter, baking needs a good oven spring and browning, and cooling needs a good moisture loss and crispness.
The type of consumer: Different consumers have different preferences and expectations for their satisfaction and enjoyment. For example, some consumers prefer a natural and wholesome product, some prefer a rich and indulgent product, and some prefer a light and healthy product.
Therefore, choosing the right flour for biscuit, cookie, and cracker manufacturing requires a careful balance between these factors. Some general guidelines are:
For biscuits: Use a low-protein, low-ash, low-moisture, and fine-particle size flour, such as pastry or cake flour. This will give a soft, fluffy, and tender texture with good volume and color.
For cookies: Use a medium-protein, medium-ash, medium-moisture, and medium-particle size flour, such as all-purpose or cookie flour. This will give a crisp, flat, and chewy texture with good spread and flavor.
For crackers: Use a high-protein, high-ash, low-moisture, and coarse-particle size flour, such as bread or cracker flour. This will give a hard, dry, and crunchy texture with good strength and shelf life.
Sugar
Sugar is another important ingredient in biscuit, cookie, and cracker manufacturing. It provides sweetness and flavor to the products, as well as their color and texture. Sugar is made from extracting and refining sucrose from plants, such as sugarcane or sugar beet.
What is sugar and how is it made?
Sugar is a crystalline substance that is composed of sucrose, a disaccharide of glucose and fructose. The sugar-making process involves several steps:
Extraction: The sugarcane or sugar beet is crushed and pressed to extract the juice, which contains sucrose and other impurities.
Clarification: The juice is heated and treated with lime and carbon dioxide to remove the impurities and form a clear liquid.
Evaporation: The clear liquid is boiled and concentrated to form a thick syrup.
Crystallization: The syrup is cooled and seeded with sugar crystals to form a mass of crystals and molasses.
Centrifugation: The mass of crystals and molasses is spun in a centrifuge to separate them.
Drying: The crystals are dried and cooled to form raw sugar.
Refining: The raw sugar is further purified and bleached to form white sugar.
What are the different types of sugar and how do they affect the taste, texture, and color of biscuits, cookies, and crackers?
The different types of sugar vary in their purity, size, shape, and color. Some of the factors that affect these characteristics are:
The source: Different plants have different amounts of sucrose and other sugars in their juice, which affect their sweetness and flavor. For example, sugarcane has more sucrose than sugar beet, which makes it sweeter and more refined.
The extraction method: Different methods have different degrees of efficiency and quality in extracting the sucrose from the juice, which affect their purity and yield. For example, pressing has a lower efficiency and quality than diffusion, which makes it less pure and more wasteful.
The refining process: Different processes have different levels of purification and bleaching in removing the impurities and color from the raw sugar, which affect their whiteness and brightness. For example, carbonatation has a higher level of purification and bleaching than phosphatation, which makes it whiter and brighter.
The crystallization process: Different processes have different conditions of cooling and seeding in forming the sugar crystals from the syrup, which affect their size and shape. For example, slow cooling and large seeding produce larger and more regular crystals than fast cooling and small seeding, which produce smaller and more irregular crystals.
The different types of sugar have different effects on the taste, texture, and color of biscuits, cookies, and crackers. Some of the effects are:
The taste: The type of sugar affects the sweetness, flavor, and aroma of the products. For example, brown sugar gives a more caramelized and complex taste than white sugar.
and thin texture than powdered sugar.
The color: The type of sugar affects the browning, caramelization, and color of the products. For example, liquid sugar gives a more brown and caramelized color than solid sugar.
How to choose the right sugar for biscuit, cookie, and cracker manufacturing?
Choosing the right sugar for biscuit, cookie, and cracker manufacturing depends on several factors, such as:
The type of product: Different products have different requirements for their taste, texture, and color. For example, biscuits need a mild and balanced sweetness, cookies need a rich and varied sweetness, and crackers need a low and subtle sweetness.
The type of process: Different processes have different demands for their performance and efficiency. For example, mixing needs a smooth and homogeneous dough or batter, forming needs a stable and consistent dough or batter, baking needs a good browning and caramelization, and cooling needs a good crystallization and crispness.
The type of consumer: Different consumers have different preferences and expectations for their satisfaction and enjoyment. For example, some consumers prefer a natural and organic product, some prefer a refined and artificial product, and some prefer a low-calorie and sugar-free product.
Therefore, choosing the right sugar for biscuit, cookie, and cracker manufacturing requires a careful balance between these factors. Some general guidelines are:
For biscuits: Use a medium-purity, medium-size, medium-shape, and medium-color sugar, such as caster or superfine sugar. This will give a mild and balanced sweetness with good volume and color.
For cookies: Use a low-purity, varied-size, varied-shape, and varied-color sugar, such as brown or demerara sugar. This will give a rich and varied sweetness with good spread and flavor.
For crackers: Use a high-purity, small-size, regular-shape, and light-color sugar, such as granulated or powdered sugar. This will give a low and subtle sweetness with good strength and shelf life.
Fat
Fat is another important ingredient in biscuit, cookie, and cracker manufacturing. It provides flavor and richness to the products, as well as their texture and shelf life. Fat is made from extracting and processing oils or fats from plants or animals.
What is fat and how is it made?
Fat is a solid or liquid substance that is composed of triglycerides, which are molecules of glycerol and fatty acids. The fat-making process involves several steps:
Extraction: The oilseeds or animal tissues are crushed and pressed to extract the oil or fat, which contains triglycerides and other impurities.
Refining: The oil or fat is heated and treated with chemicals or enzymes to remove the impurities and improve its quality.
Bleaching: The oil or fat is filtered through bleaching agents to remove its color and odor.
Deodorizing: The oil or fat is steamed under vacuum to remove its volatile compounds and improve its flavor.
Hydrogenating: The oil or fat is reacted with hydrogen gas to increase its saturation and solidity.
Interesterifying: The oil or fat is rearranged to modify its melting point and consistency.
Fractionating: The oil or fat is separated into different fractions according to their melting point and composition.
and how do they affect the flavor, texture, and shelf life of biscuits, cookies, and crackers?
The different types of fat vary in their origin, composition, and functionality. Some of the factors that affect these characteristics are:
The source: Different sources have different proportions of saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fatty acids in their triglycerides, which affect their healthiness and flavor. For example, animal fats have more saturated fatty acids than plant oils, which makes them more solid and more stable.
The processing: Different processes have different degrees of modification and alteration in their triglycerides, which affect their quality and performance. For example, hydrogenated fats have more trans fatty acids than natural fats, which makes them more harmful and more plastic.
The melting point: This is the temperature at which the fat changes from solid to liquid, which affects its consistency and functionality. The higher the melting point, the harder and more brittle the fat is. For example, palm oil has a higher melting point than sunflower oil, which makes it more suitable for high-temperature baking.
The different types of fat have different effects on the flavor, texture, and shelf life of biscuits, cookies, and crackers. Some of the effects are:
The flavor: The type of fat affects the richness, aroma, and taste of the products. For example, butter gives a more creamy and buttery flavor than margarine.
The texture: The type of fat affects the softness, flakiness, shortness, and tenderness of the products. For example, shortening gives a more soft and flaky texture than oil.
The shelf life: The type of fat affects the stability, rancidity, and oxidation of the products. For example, coconut oil gives a more stable and longer shelf life than soybean oil.
How to choose the right fat for biscuit, cookie, and cracker manufacturing?
Choosing the right fat for biscuit, cookie, and cracker manufacturing depends on several factors, such as:
The type of product: Different products have different requirements for their flavor, texture, and shelf life. For example, biscuits need a high-melting point and plastic fat, cookies need a low-melting point and liquid fat, and crackers need a medium-melting point and semi-solid fat.
The type of process: Different processes have different demands for their performance and efficiency. For example, mixing needs a smooth and homogeneous dough or batter, forming needs a pliable and workable dough or batter, baking needs a good heat transfer and expansion, and cooling needs a good crystallization and firmness.
The type of consumer: Different consumers have different preferences and expectations for their satisfaction and enjoyment. For example, some consume
