Fats and Oils in Bakery Products

Abstract

Fats and oils have been important bakery ingredients for centuries. Indeed, “shortening” is a baker's term; fat in a bakery item “shortens” (tenderizes) the texture of the finished product. In bakery foods, shortenings impart tenderness, give a moister mouthfeel, contribute structure, lubricate, incorporate air, and transfer heat. Properties of a fat or oil that determine its ability to carry out these functions are: The ratio of solid to liquid phase. The plasticity of a solid shortening. The oxidative stability of the fat or oil. Oil (or the oil fraction of a plastic shortening) in a baked food gives a tender bite, moist mouthfeel, and lubricity (the product clears more readily from the surfaces in the mouth). The solid portion of a shortening contributes to the structure of the dough and the final product, and entraps air bubbles during mixing.

Evaluation of Textural and Sensory Properties on Typical Spanish Small Cakes Designed Using Alternative Flours

“…In the baking industry, lipids provide characteristics such as tenderness, moistness, mouth feel, lubricity, flavor, structure, and shelf life (Baldwin et al, 1971;Ghotra et al, 2002;Rogers, 2004;Stauffer, 1998;Wainwright, 1999). The lipids promote the air incorporation during mixing to give a softer structure and avoid a dry mouth feel.…”

Fat replacement in soft dough biscuits: Its implications on dough rheology and biscuit quality

“…Mechanical properties of biscuits are largely dependent on the fat component of the formulation (Baltsavias, Jurgens, & van Vilet, 1999). Fat interacts with other ingredients to develop and mould texture, mouthfeel and overall sensation of lubricity of the product (Giese, 1996;Stauffer, 1998). Fat also influences the rheological properties of cookie dough (Jissy & Leelavathi, 2007).…”

Characteristics of reduced-fat muffins and cookies with native and modified rice starches

“…A similar effect with compact crumb matrix was observed with the increased resistant starch (RS) addition to muffin formulations as shortening replacer (Lin et al, 1994). In baked foods, shortenings play a crucial role by imparting moister mouthfeel, contribute structure, lubricate, incorporate air, and transfer heat (Stauffer, 2005).…”