About the Exercises and Experiments

The exercises and experiments in this book are designed to reinforce material from the text in a way that shows rather than tells. Some of the exercises are exclusively paper exercises, with a few involving math. Many more involve the sensory evaluation of ingredients. There are several reasons for including these sensory exercises in the text. First is the narrow objective of learning to identify characterizing traits of ingredients, to better understand the effects that they will have on finished products. Second is the even narrower but very practical objective of learning to identify ingredients that may be unlabeled or accidentally mislabeled. Third is the broad objective of increasing awareness of all the tastes, textures, and sights in the bakeshop, no matter how small or mundane. There is much to be learned in a bakeshop, even when the same items are prepped and baked day after day. The first step to learning is learning to be aware.