Ingredient Function

If you know your ingredients, how they work to either lend structure or tenderness, moisture or dry-ness to a recipe, you will rule the pastry world. Internalize ingredient function, marry that with a sound understanding of mixing methods, and your recipes will always turn out the way you want them to (in a perfect world, anyway).

The major pastry ingredients we'll look at are:

• Flour--The main focus is on wheat flour, and I'll be expanding that over the next few months.
  
  
• Eggs--packed with protein, fat and water, eggs are one of the most versatle ingredients in the pastry kitchen.
  
  
• Sugar --not only does sugar make things sweet, it aids in browning as well as in keeping baked goods moist.
  
  
• Salt --one of the most important--and underutilized--ingredients in the kitchen. Period.
  
  
• Leaveners--it's all about the rise: yeast, steam, baking powder and baking soda
  
  
• Fats--fat not only adds richness, but it keeps things moist, aids in browning and carries flavor. Don't hate fat; it's very useful stuff.
  
  
• Water (and water-based liquids)--sounds like a no-brainer, right? Water, milk, buttermilk, sour cream, juice, etc--we couldn't make a batter or a dough without some wet stuff.

It can get a little confusing, because some ingredients play on more than one team and can be used to achieve different ends. But hey, if it were easy, everyone would be doing it, and you wouldn't be able to make peoples' jaws drop with your Exhaustive Knowledge!