Fat | Baking Ingredients | BAKERpedia (2024)

FAQs

What are the ingredients of fat? ›

Fats and oils are organic compounds that, like carbohydrates, are composed of the elements carbon (C), hydrogen (H), and oxygen (O), arranged to form molecules.

There are 3 main types of solid fats used in baking: butter, vegetable shortening, and lard. Coconut oil is also a solid fat that is gaining popularity in baking.

In nutrition, biology, and chemistry, fat usually means any ester of fatty acids, or a mixture of such compounds, most commonly those that occur in living beings or in food. Idealized representation of a molecule of a typical triglyceride, the main type of fat.

The molecules of fat surround the flour particles and exclude water. This prevents the development of gluten in the dough. The fat is said to shorten the dough. Any increase in water in the mixture will tend to encourage development of gluten, which will make biscuits hard and pastry heavy.

Sources of dietary fat

fatty cuts of meat. full-fat milk, cheese, butter, cream. most commercially baked products (such as biscuits and pastries)

Choose foods with “good” unsaturated fats, limit foods high in saturated fat, and avoid “bad” trans fat. “Good” unsaturated fats — Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats — lower disease risk. Foods high in good fats include vegetable oils (such as olive, canola, sunflower, soy, and corn), nuts, seeds, and fish.

The recipes are low in natural sugars and made from wholesome ingredients that make you feel great inside out. My favourite fats for baking and raw desserts are extra virgin olive oil, grass fed butter or ghee, macadamia nut oil, cold-pressed coconut oil and avocado oil.

Butter is the favoured fat to use in cakes and bakes and we use unsalted butter for all of our cakes in the bakeries. It is made from churned cream, a process that separates the butterfat from the buttermilk. It is typically made from cow's milk and is yellow in colour.

Two types of fats — saturated fat and trans fat — have been identified as potentially harmful to your health. Most of the foods that contain these types of fats are solid at room temperature, such as: butter.

Saturated fat tends to raise levels of cholesterol in the blood. Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) is called "bad" cholesterol. High-density lipoprotein (HDL) is called "good" cholesterol. Saturated fats raise the levels of both.

What are other names for fat in an ingredient list? ›

Common names for fat added to foods are butter, coconut cream, cream, hydrogenated vegetable fat, lard, margarine, oil, trans fats, triglycerides and vegetable oil. Read the labels on the food in your pantry before you head out to the supermarket.

Fat is added for flavor and controls how chewy or crunchy the cookie is. More fat = a chewier cookie, less fat = a crunchier cookie. Your options for fat are butter, margarine, shortening, or oil. Since shortening melts at a higher temperature, it is the best choice if you want to keep spreading to a minimum.

In baked goods, fat also contributes to the tenderness of a product as it prevents flour from absorbing water. Muffins or biscuits with reduced fat are often tougher because the gluten is more developed. One method to counteract the toughness is increased sugar. Fat can also work as a leavening agent.

Fats provide essential fatty acids necessary for health and allow us to absorb the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K. This article examines the 4 major types of fat: saturated, trans fats, unsaturated, and monounsaturated. When we refer to "total fat," we mean the sum of all 4 of these.

Body fat is primarily known for storing and releasing energy and providing insulation. However, scientists now recognize that it's also an active organ in your endocrine system. Adipose tissue contains nerve cells and blood vessels and communicates through hormone signals with other organs throughout your body.

A fat molecule consists of two kinds of parts: a glycerol backbone and three fatty acid tails. Glycerol is a small organic molecule with three hydroxyl (OH) groups, while a fatty acid consists of a long hydrocarbon chain attached to a carboxyl group.