WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW BEFORE BUYING LECITHIN FOR BAKING
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW BEFORE BUYING LECITHIN FOR BAKING
With the world becoming more aware of the benefits of healthy living, clean label products have garnered a lot of popularity. That means that food product manufacturers are now looking for emulsifiers acquired from organic resources, for example,?lecithin.
WHY LECITHIN IS THE MAGIC INGREDIENT FOR BAKERIES?
Despite lecithin gaining popularity recently as an emulsifying agent in?clean-label?processed food, it is not new in the industry. It has, in fact, long been an alternative to a rising agent or yeast, as it is more commonly known, for bakeries that produce large amounts of leavened products. It acts as a stabilising agent in the mixture and keeps it from separating.?
But that’s not all. Its emulsifying properties also make lecithin a great natural preservative that extends the shelf-life of packaged baked goods. Lecithin is specifically a mainstay ingredient in recipes that use eggs for binding other ingredients together. Since it can be used as an alternative to eggs for most baking recipes, it is also easier on the pocket.
WHAT TYPE OF LECITHIN IS BEST SUITED FOR COMMERCIAL BAKING?
If you are in the baking business, however, you already know what lecithin does. What you might not know, or maybe be confused about, is which type of lecithin is best suited for baking?
Well, the answer to this can vary depending on the specificity of the use case, or in this case, the item being baked. Lecithin can be acquired in various forms like powdered, granulated or liquid. Let’s look at each of these forms:
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Powder Lecithin
Powder lecithin is colourless and odourless. It is acquired by extracting all of the oil from its base. Powdered lecithin is the easiest to use.
Granulated Lecithin
Granulated lecithin is somewhat hard to use as it needs to be dissolved to yield the desired results. This makes it a baker’s least preferred lecithin form to use.
Liquid Lecithin
Liquid lecithin resembles motor oil in colour and viscosity. But it is much more sticky and messy to use.
For bakers that condition their dough with lecithin or use it as a preservative, powdered form is preferred. It is used in very small quantities for both these purposes. Nonetheless, when you use it for eggless baking, its liquid form is more fancied.