When we make Chinese pastry or pastry, we often use various methods to make the dough or batter fluffy and full of small bubbles. The food made in this way will have a soft or crispy taste. When we made fried dough sticks a few days ago, we mentioned a little bit. Today we will use a detailed space to introduce it thoroughly.
To achieve this effect, fermentation methods or leavening agents are usually used. Speaking of this, it is inseparable from the three common additives, yeast powder, baking soda and baking powder.
Let's talk about the fermentation method first. Yeast is usually used, which is a kind of microorganism. After they are added to the dough, they will consume the sugar of the dough to reproduce quickly. In this process, carbon dioxide and other gases are generated, so the dough will rise. During the fermentation of the dough, due to the action of the amylase in the flour, the starch will be broken down to release the sugar and other flavors in it. Common yeasts include instant dry yeast and active dry yeast, which can be bought in supermarkets or online.
Active dry yeast generally needs to be activated by hydration first, and then added to the flour. Instant dry yeast can be added directly to flour, it will last longer, but it will take longer to activate. The two kinds of yeast powder can be used instead of each other, and the ratio is about 3 grams of instant dry yeast is about 4-5 grams of active dry yeast. In general, the higher the temperature, the better the activity of yeast. It should be noted that most yeasts lose their activity at temperatures above 40 degrees, and they will be scalded directly when they exceed 60 degrees. Therefore, we must pay attention to the temperature of the water we use to melt the yeast. After the yeast is split, it needs to be stored in the refrigerator and sealed.
Baking soda and baking powder are both chemical leavening agents, and both are white powders. The main form of baking soda is sodium bicarbonate. After being heated, it will produce carbon dioxide and some edible alkali. These carbon dioxide will fill the food with gas and play a fluffy effect. Edible alkali can be clearly tasted by people who are sensitive to taste in food. In order to remove the alkaline odor, some acidic substances are used to neutralize it.
Baking powder is a combination of soda powder and acidic substances. The baking powders on the market are all aluminum-free and safe to eat. The baking powder we use is usually a double-effect baking powder, which means there will be two bubbles, the first time after contact with liquid, and the second time after heating.
If you don’t have baking powder at home, adding some acidic substances with baking soda can also play the same role. For example, a little lemon juice and a few drops of vinegar are also fine. Baking soda and baking powder are commonly used in western desserts, such as some cakes and biscuits. In Chinese noodles, for example, fried dough sticks can also be used.
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