Introduction

Three distinct steps or stages occur in baking once ingredients are weighed. First ingredients are mixed into batters or doughs. Next the batter or dough is baked, and finally it is cooled. Many chemical and physical changes occur in products as they pass through each of these three stages. A pastry chef or baker who understands these changes is better able to control them. For example, a pastry chef who understands how mixing, baking, and cooling affect flakiness, tenderness, amount of browning, and crumb structure will be able to control those characteristics in baked goods.