kitchen project (pancake)

8/2/2019 Kitchen Project (Pancake)

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KITCHEN CHEMISTRY PROJECT 201

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INTRODUCTION

Baking is not usually thought of as a

chemical industry, but it relies on theinteractions of the various chemicals in flour

and the other substances used and thus is

chemically based. In this kitchen project, we

used to made a perfect pancake by

manipulated the amount of baking powder.

Besides, we also wanted to analyze the effect

of baking powder in the taste and texture of

the pancake.

Baking powder is a dry chemicalleavening agent used to increase the volume

and lighten the texture of baked goods such

as muffins, cakes, scones and American-

styles biscuits. There are two types of baking

powder:

a) Double-Acting Baking Powder

b) Single-Acting Baking Powder

In this project, we used the Single-ActingBaking Powder. The acid in a baking powder

can be either fast-acting or slow-acting. A

fast-acting acid reacts in a wet mixture with

baking soda at room temperature, and a slow-

acting acid will not react until heated in an

oven. Baking powders that contain both fast

and slow-acting acids are double-acting;

those that contain only one acid are single-

acting.

Generally, one teaspoon (5ml) of

baking powder is used to rise a mixture of

one cup (200 250 ml) of flour, one cup of

liquid and one egg. However, if the mixture

is acidic, baking powders additional acids

will remain unconsumed in the chemical

reaction and often lend and unpleasant

chemical taste to food.

METHODOLOGY

Firstly, all the ingredients needed divided

into two parts in a different dry bowls

labelled Bowl A and Bowl B. Bowl A

contained 1 cups of flour, 2 tablespoon of

baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon

sugar meanwhile for Bowl B contains 1

cups of milk, 1 egg (lightly beaten) and 2

tablespoon margarine.

Secondly, ingredients in Bowl A and

Bowl B were mixed well. Mixture in Bowl A

was poured in the Bowl B.

Then, the mixtures was stirred

continously by using a whisk until the batter

became light.

As the batter was ready, put cup of

the batter into the dry non-stick frying pan.

When the mixture become bubbled, turn the

pancake to the other side. After cooked, it is

ready to be served.


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Lastly, all the steps above is repeated

by using 1 tablespoon and tablespoon of

baking powder.

RESULTS

By using 2 tablespoon of baking powder, the

texture of the pancake is very fluffy and it is

not tasty. It gave bitter tasted to the pancake.

For 1 tablespoon of baking powder, it give afluffy texture pancake and it tastes very nice

and it is found to be the perfect amount of

baking powder to be used.

However, for tablespoon, the condition of

the pancake is not fluffy and it just taste nice.

From above observation, the amount of

baking powder will give different texture and

taste to the pancake. Thus, it showed that

amount of baking powder will effect thechemical and physical process of pancake.

DISCUSSION

Every ingredients that have been used in this

kitchen chemistry project give chemicals

result to the end of the process of making

pancake. Flour, that used in this process

provides the most of the bulk of the baked

item. It composed largely from starch andprotein. When placed in an oven, it puffs up

to many times it original volume and sets

with a light, airy texture. This characteristics

enables gluten to provide the structure in

baked goods. Margarine, fat which gives a

softer texture and helps prevent the carbon

dioxide bubbles from escaping from the

mixture too soon. Besides, fat can weakens or

shortens a dough by weakening its gluten

network, resulting in the baked product beingsofter, breaking easily and having a more

tender mouth-feel. Fat can trapped air during

beating, mixing, producing a batter that

consists of masses of tiny air bubbles trapped

within droplets of fat. This is very important

as air bubbles can expand during baking

forming a light, Sugar, act as sweetener but

it also involved in several other processes.

Sugar undergoes a series of complex

browning reactions above 160 degree, and

the products of these form the brown crust of

baking powder. This reaction is known as

Maillard Reactions, and is essentially amino

acids- catalyzed caramelisation reactions in

which a sugar aldehyde or ketone is

converted to an unsaturated aldehyde or


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ketone. As for egg, beaten egg white like fat

helps to retain gas bubbles, while egg alone

acts as a binder. Meanwhile the salt adds

flavour and strengthens soft fat and sugarmixtures.

Baking powder is essentially a

mixture of NaHCO3 and a weak solid acid or

acid salt. When the mixture dissolves in

water and the temperature is raised and CO2

is released according to the equation:

Baking powder consist of baking soda and

cream of tartar. Tartaric acid is more

effiecient (because only half the weight of

tartaric acid is required to neutralise a given

amount of baking soda compared with cream

of tartar), but it cannot be used alone since it

reacts very quickly. This means that a lot of

gas is formed initially, but because it does not

continue to be formed the gas does not hold

the pancake long enough for it to have the

bubbles baked into it and so the pancake

collapsed. When baking powder is used

rather than baking soda alone, the by

products are less alkaline than sodium

carbonate and thus they have undesirable

effect on the taste of pancake. The type of

acid used in the baking powder affects the

rate of carbon dioxide production, which inturn affects the pancake. So, a fast rate of

carbon dioxide production is required for

pancake so that the batter is aerated quickly

and will float in the hot oil frying pan to

ensure a crisp product. In this process, the

rate of carbon dioxide produced and the

continuity of carbon dioxide production are

both important. If too much carbon dioxide is

produced initially and the reaction ceases,

removal the pancake from the frying pan willcause the pancake to drop.

CONCLUSION

The best method to made a pancake is by

using 1 tablespoon of baking powder as it

will give a fluffy texture and very nice taste

of pancake. However, the other ingredients

amount used are constant which is mean they

are a control variable in this KitchenChemistry Project.

REFERENCES

J. H. Czernohorsky (Linwood high school)

and R. Hooker (T. J Edmonds Ltd.). The

Chemistry of Baking.

Humphrey-Taylor, Virginia; New Zealand

Institute for Crop and Food Research Resour

ce sheets.

Campbell, Annette and Humphrey-Taylor,

Virginia: The Science behind Breadmaking.

Retrieved from

http://www.crop.cri.nz/food/foodinfo/millbak

e/science.htm

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kitchen project (pancake)

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