Chemistry in Baking

Emily & Katie

What is Baking?

• A recipe can be compared to a chemical equation

• The process of baking is using heat to create a chemical change

• Ingredients are reactants, what you bake is the product

• Flour- provides bulk, gluten (creates elasticity, which helps rise when heated), holds ingredients together while rising

• Fat (shortening)- better texture for bread, keeps the CO

2 from escaping too quickly

• Eggs- Holds together ingredients, also holds CO

2 in like the fat

Ingredients

Yeast

• Yeast is a plant that feeds off of starch (sugar) when heated and made moist, releasing bubbles of CO2 which allow whatever you are baking to rise

• C6H12O2  2C2H5OH + 2CO2

Baking Soda vs. Baking Powder

• Baking soda has no acid in the reactants, to the reaction produces a strong base which needs to be neutralized

• 2NaHCO3 Na2CO3 + CO2 + H2O• Baking Powder has an acid added initially,

therefore it produces sodium, water and carbon dioxide as products and there is no base to neutralize

• NaHCO3 + H+ Na+ + H2O + CO2

Eating

• The digestive system uses acids and churning methods to break the chemical bonds created through mixing the batter and baking.

Reactions

• Baking Soda & Vinegar– NaHCO

3(aq) + CH

3COOH

(aq)----> CO

2 (g)

+

H2O

(l) + CH

3COONa

(aq)

Chemical/Physical Changes

• Rising

• Bubbles

• Solid → Liquid

• Colour Change

• Liquid → Solid

Sources• http://nzic.org.nz/ChemProcesses/food/6D.pdf

• http://www.simplechemconcepts.com/chemisty-phenomenon-baking-cake/

• http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_chemistry_involved_in_cake_baking

• http://www.education.com/activity/article/Bake_Cake_fifth/

• http://www.schoolforchampions.com/chemistry/baking.htm

• http://www.culinate.com/articles/features/baking_chemistry

• http://chemistry.about.com/cs/foodchemistry/f/blbaking.htm