The Science of Cookies (2024)

FAQs

What is the science behind cookie baking? ›

As the butter melts, the cookie's structure loosens, so that the water in the dough is able to combine with the baking soda, dissolving it. The baking soda then reacts to the acidic components present in brown sugar, creating gases that cause the cookie to rise.

Cookies as a Model for Fusion

Fusion occurs when heat is added to atoms, giving them enough energy to collide and stick together. In this case, the microwave will add the energy to heat the “atoms” (cookies).

Chemistry, as you mix different edible chemicals to create dough or batter, with tiny air bubbles trapped inside. Biology, as the culture of yeast provides carbon dioxide to make your bread rise. And physics, as those trapped gases expand and give the rise to the bakes.

While baking, the heat allows for the sucrose (sugar) to break down into glucose and fructose. This causes a polymer chain which allows for the cookie to have a light brown, shiny crust. When the sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) absorbs heat, a chemical reaction occurs – 2NaHCO₃ –> Na₂CO₃ + H₂O + CO₂.

Physics tells us that heat causes the cookies to expand. This is because gasses within the cookies such as carbon dioxide increase as temperature increases. Then, the structural elements like egg and flour proteins form the shape of the cookies.

The fascinating world of yeast and gluten

In bread making, the yeast organisms expel carbon dioxide and alcohol as they feed off of sugars. As the carbon dioxide is formed, the bubbles are trapped by gluten in the wheat flour; this is why the dough volume increases or 'rises'.

Thomson's model of an atom describes that the electrons are like the chocolate chip cookies which are spread in a sphere of positive charge, which is similar to the rest of the part of the cookie.

Physical properties of cookies. The physical properties (weight loss, diameter, thickness, spread ratio, and crumb hardness) of cookies are tabulated in Table 3 .

A Bakery Science major also involves study of the business side of baking. You'll study government regulations for food products and production. You'll learn about management and other business concepts. You'll look at economic trends and changes that may affect your career.

When you bake a cake, the ingredients go through a chemical change. A chemical change occurs when the molecules that compose two or more substances are rearranged to form a new substance!

What binds cookies together? ›

Flour is a stabilizer and thickener and controls how much the cookie rises. It holds the cookie together, providing it with its structure. If you use too little flour your cookie won't keep its shape but if you use too much you'll end up with a thick tasteless cookie.

Heat breaks the sucrose into the simple sugars glucose and fructose, giving each cookie a shiny, light brown crust. When you take the cookies out of the oven, the hot water gases in the cookie contract. The chemical changes that occurred during baking help the cookie keep its shape.

Cornstarch helps product soft and thick cookies. Using more brown sugar than white sugar results in a moister, softer cookie. An extra egg yolk increases chewiness. Rolling the cookie dough balls to be tall and lumpy instead of wide and smooth gives the cookies a bakery-style textured thickness.

As the intense oven heat penetrates the dough the gases inside the dough expand, rapidly increasing the size of the dough. This is called “ovenspring” and is caused by a series of reactions: Gas + heat = increased volume or increased pressure.

When the baking temperature reaches 300 degrees Fahrenheit, the sugar mixed into the batter reacts with the amino acids from the eggs, butter, and gluten. Both the proteins and the sugars break apart and recombine, forming new molecules that give the cake it's toasty aroma and rich golden brown color.

Baking powder is a two-in-one chemical leavening that combines a powdered alkali (sodium bicarbonate) with a powdered acid (originally, tartaric acid). When moistened in a dough or batter, a chemical reaction takes place that produces carbon dioxide gas, inflating cookies, cakes, and pancakes.