Chocolate for Baking
Chocolate is not only incredibly versatile, but it seems to be the recession-proof luxury for consumers around the world.
Chocolate is certainly everyone’s favourite treat, in any of its incredibly versatile forms. From chocolate slabs and intricate, delicate chocolate delicacies to cake icings and baking ingredients – and even unusual pairings with spices and ret hot chillies – there is virtually no limit to the many uses of chocolate.
The chocolate and cocoa industry has also not escaped the ravages of the recent global economic turmoil, but it seems that the popularity of chocolate has not been affected in any way.
In the baking and confectionary industry, chocolate is an indispensable ingredient. In baking, it is used as a functional ingredient, as well as a topping and filling for cakes, doughnuts croissants and much more.
As a functional ingredient in baking, chocolate adds colour and flavour. Depending on the results required, as well as the ingredient composition, different kinds of cocoa are used. For example, in cakes that require a sweet and mild chocolate flavour, natural cocoa, that is light in colour and flavour, is used.
For a more intense flavour, darker, alkalised cocoas are used. Brownies and Devil’s food cakes require a light, medium or red alkalised cocoa, while doughnuts are perfectly suited to dark brown cocoa. The darkest, almost-black, cocoa is used for sandwich-type cookies. The consistency of the colour of the cocoa is important in the food industry where colour plays a crucial role in quality perception.
In addition to the colour and flavour, cocoa powder also contributes to the bulk, structure, richness and mouth feel of baked goods. The fat content of cocoas for baked goods ranges from 10% to 12%.
Of course, chocolate can also be included in baked goods, such as chocolate chips in choc chip cookies.
However, as a functional ingredient, cocoa also poses some challenges to bakers, including the trans-fat issue, and its effect on the baking process itself. For example, adding cocoa to the recipe requires changes to the formulation – such as adding more liquid to compensate for the water absorption of the cocoa and compensating for the alkalisation process.
In terms of the trans-fat issue, confectionery coating for baked goods are often made with partially hydrogenated oil to allow a wide range of melting and handling characteristics.
Chocolate must be one of the most versatile toppings and fillings imaginable. It can be used to ice cakes, dip cookies, top doughnuts, drizzle croissants, or fill anything from cakes to biscuits. There are chocolate sprinkles and shavings, chocolate icing and glace and a range of innovative chocolate toppings to create magnificent baked goods.
In confectionery, chocolate has always reigned supreme. Its most popular form is the small balls of chocolates which hide an incredible array of delightful surprises, from fudge and mint crème to liqueurs and nuts. And chocolate confectionery is truly fit for all seasons – from Easter to Christmas, with Valentine’s and Mother’s Day in between creating endless options for confectioners to create occasion-specific treats with chocolate.
The confectionery industry is also a rich ground for innovation – and sometime bizarre combinations.
Chocolate consumers are becoming more adventurous, enjoying darker, more unusual flavour combinations with higher cocoa percentages. Chocolate infused with spices like pepper, chilli and fennel have already moved towards the mainstream.
These days, high-quality products are available from all the equatorial regions that produce superior varieties of cocoa. Chocolate creations are now available in so many different flavour profiles that only wine can compare to the vast range of tastes on offer. But the taste of the chocolate doesn’t depend only on the bean that is used.
Nearly all the processing steps, from the harvest right through to the packaged chocolate bar, influence the taste of the end product.
Fortunately for bakers who need to keep up with the price increases and consumer demands, there are a number of suppliers who ensure using chocolate in baked goods is both easy and cost effective. Namely Famasons, South Bakels, Relianz Foods, Nestlé Professional and Barry Callebaut to name but a few.
FAMASONS
FAMASONS is a proudly South African business, established in 2003 by a family team of passionate, food industry professionals who are obsessive about pursuing the quest for Ingredients of absolute quality and perfection.
We offer you professional Ingredient Solutions, ideally suited for use in all the food manufacturing industries.
Our products allow Industry Connoisseurs such as:
Bakers – Confectioners – Pastry Chefs – Chocolatiers – Food Manufacturers, to captivate their customers, by exceeding quality benchmarks in a competitive industry.
Chocolate products available from Famasons –
• Caramel chips
• Dark chocolate block
• Dark Chocolate slabs
• Dark chocolate discs
• Dark Chocolate Chips
• Dark Chocolate compound buttons
• Dark chocolate 52% & 70% couverture buttons
• Dark no-added sugar 54% couverture buttons
• Milk Chocolate slabs
• Milk chocolate discs
• Milk Chocolate Chips
• Milk Chocolate compound buttons
• Milk chocolate 40% couverture buttons
• White Chocolate slabs
• White chocolate discs
• White Chocolate Chips
• White Chocolate compound buttons
• White chocolate 33% couverture buttons
• Yoghurt Slabs
• Dark Cocoa Powder
• Medium brown cocoa powder
• Light brown cocoa powder
SOUTH BAKELS
Bakels has been manufacturing, distributing and technically supporting high quality baking ingredients to the global bakery market since 1904 and in South Africa since 1948.
Bakels supports chocolatiers, bakers and large-scale chocolate manufacturers with the tools required to produce outstanding chocolate products and delights which continue to captivate consumers across the world.
We manufacture and distribute a wide range of Compound and Real Chocolate, some of which are tailor made for in-store bakeries as well as home bakers while others are specifically developed for the Craft and Foodservice sectors.
Our Chockex and Orley Compound Chocolate brands are effective alternatives to real chocolate and are suitable for all applications where you want a taste, look and mouthfeel like real chocolate.
The advantage of Compound Chocolate is that it does not contain cocoa butter, which makes it easy to use as it does not require any tempering.
Our Compound Chocolate range consists of several different colours and tasty flavours with the optimal consistency and viscosity.
In addition to dipping and coating, they are also suitable for decorating and moulding. Our range gives a delightful shine with a hard snap, just the way you want it. With quality-assured production in our factory, we assure you that this product will take your bakery and confectionery creations to the next level.
Production takes place from start to finish in our specially equipped factories. This enables us to have full control and focus, from the carefully selected raw materials to the final quality control giving you, our customer a product that you can rely on with confidence.
Our Chockex and Orley range are also an excellent choice for industrial production. The products versatility and stability will simplify and increase the cost-efficiency of your production.
Each batch undergoes several stringent quality tests. Amongst other things, viscosity, taste and colour. This provides you with a product that has a silky mouthfeel, rich taste and an easy-to-handle texture.
Our Compound Chocolate range is delivered in an easy-to-handle format, for easier application, handling and storage and is available in the following variations:
• Choc Blocks (Milk, Dark & White)
• Chockex Chips (Dark, Milk & White)
• Chockex Nibs (Dark)
• Orley Chips (Milk, White & Caramel)
• Orley Discs (Milk, Dark, White & Yoghurt)
• Orley Chunks (Milk)
• Orley Choco Coating Slabs (Milk, Dark, White, Caramel & Yoghurt)
• Orley No Added Sucrose Stix (Milk & White)
Real chocolate is defined by the presence of cocoa butter as its primary fat component. It’s a complex product derived from the cacao bean, undergoing several stages of processing to develop its rich flavour and characteristic texture.
Our Real Chocolate Range melts easily, creating a smooth, luxurious mouthfeel and has a glossy sheen when properly tempered.
Our Real and Pure Chocolate range is available in the following formats:
• Orley Pure Milk Mini Chocolate Chips
• Orley Real Chocolate Discs (Milk & Dark)
• Orley Pure Chocolate Chunks (Milk, Dark & White)
• Orley Real Chocolate No Added Sucrose Stix (Milk & White)
See more information on our available range on our website: www.sbakels.co.za
You can also find the following interesting article on our website: sbakels.co.za/insights/real-chocolate-vs-compound-coating-choosing-the-right-product-for-your-needs/
