What is Sugar?Sugar is a sweet substance that is made up of a molecule known as sucrose. Sucrose, while found in all plants, but is available in very high quantities in sugar cane and sugar beets. Therefore, these are the plants where almost all of our sugar for baking is derived from. Sugar harvested from cane sugar is chemically identical to sugar harvested from sugar beets. The two are not easy to tell apart from each other and likely you have purchased both. Chances are if your package of sugar does not specify “cane sugar” on it, you have purchased beet sugar. Sugar’s Functions in BakingWhile we all know that sugar sweetens baked goods, it actually plays many different roles in baking regarding the structure, texture, and color of baked goods. Sugar Sweetens & FlavorsThe first and most obvious role of sugar in baking is that it adds sweetness and flavor. While granulated sugar is a fairly neutral sweetness, other varieties of sugar, such as brown sugar, add more depth of flavor in addition to the sweetness. Sugar Encourages BrowningBecause of the way sugar caramelizes when heated, sugar also promotes browning of baked goods. Baked goods with higher ratios of sugar will brown more quickly and readily than baked goods with little to no sugar present. In the above picture, I baked 4 batches of a simple shortbread cookie. Each has varying levels of sugar, starting with no sugar on the left to a high ratio of sugar on the right. You can see the significant difference in color as the sugar is increased. Sugar Holds onto MoistureSugar has hygroscopic properties, meaning that it grabs and holds onto moisture. Because sugar holds onto moisture, baked goods made with sugar do not stale as quickly as baked goods made without sugar. An example I like to think of to illustrate this point is to consider a crusty loaf of bread, such as a baguette. This style of bread is made without any sugar at all. Now consider a sweet yeast roll. If you left these two things out overnight, chances are the crusty loaf is going to be so hard that you might break a tooth if you tried to take a bite. And while the sweet yeast roll will likely have begun to stale as well, the amount of change will be significantly different. Sugar TenderizesDue to the previously mentioned hygroscopic nature of sugar, sugar also serves to help reduce gluten development and tenderize baked goods. Because sugar grabs and holds onto moisture it leaves less moisture readily available, delaying gluten development. Additionally, because sugar holds onto moisture, it keeps baked goods tender for a longer period of time. Sugar LeavensSugar serves to help leaven baked goods in a variety of ways. When sugar is creamed with butter it forces a web of air to get trapped between the two ingredients. This web of air lightens and helps to leaven baked goods. But sugar doesn’t just help leaven when it is creamed with butter. Sugar also leavens baked goods even when creaming is not part of the process. Because sugar holds onto water, it provides structure for gas expansion in the oven, promoting lift and rise in baked goods. When considering leavening, don’t just think of it as rising up, but also spreading when there is room to do so. The cookies pictured above are the perfect example. They were scooped with the exact same size of scoop and the cookie on the left that has no sugar at all completely held the shape that it started out in. While the cookie on the right spread out a great deal. There is not baking soda or baking powder present in these cookies, the sugar is doing all of the leavening. Sugar StabilizesWhen sugar is beaten into an egg white foam, like when making a meringue, it begins to dissolve and it takes up space between the air bubbles beating beaten into the egg whites. The sugar essentially serves as a cushion between the bubbles which stabilizes the egg foam. Sugar Decorates and GarnishesSugar can be used as a garnish in a variety of ways. Powdered sugar can be dusted over cakes, brownies, and tarts for a simple elegant topping. Cookies can be rolled in plain sugar or cinnamon sugar for a quick bit of texture. Coarse sugar can be sprinkled on pastries and muffins to add a pretty sparkling finish and some crunch. Additionally, sugar can be heated into a syrup or caramelized and used to make intricate sugar decorations. Types of Sugar in BakingGranulated Sugar
Note: If you don’t have brown sugar on hand, you can make homemade brown sugar by combining granulated sugar with molasses. Powdered Sugar (aka Confectioners Sugar, Icing Sugar, or 10x Sugar)
Because sugar does have so much effect on the structure and texture of a baked good, making substitutions with sugar should be done with caution. It is also important to note that each type of sugar has varying density levels so if you will be substituting one for another it is important to do so by weight instead of by volume. Consult this ingredient weight conversion chart when making these substitutions. Below is a list of fairly safe substitutions for sugars, however, always keep in mind that results will vary when making substitutions in baking.
HOMEWORK FOR THIS LESSONAs always, the homework is optional but is a good way to practice. Option #1: In order to truly see sugar’s role in baking, I’d love for you to try your hand at baking an angel food cake. The reason angel food cake is such an amazing example of sugar’s role in baking is that the cake does not contain any fat or chemical leavening. Therefore, the sugar is absolutely crucial for the tenderness and leavening of the cake. Option #2: Bake something, anything, that requires you to cream butter and sugar together. Be mindful to really cream long enough for the butter and sugar to become very fluffy. This can take up to 5 full minutes. The sugar is allowing the web of air to be trapped in the butter. |