Problems and Solutions
There are often problems to which bakers large and small and their suppliers need an answer.
Each month we will feature a frequently found problem and its solution. In most cases we shall give a scientific and practical explanation of the problem.
Further examples can be found in the book ‘Baking Problems Solved’ - ISBN 1 85573 564 4 Publisher: Woodhead Publishing Ltd.
Archived Solutions:
- Wrinkled or collapsed fruit buns
- Large indentation at base of loaf
- Fruit cake dry eating and crumbly after a few days storage
- Soggy pastry with apple pies
- Collapse of doughnuts and excess of fat absorption
If you require a copy of any of our archived solutions, please contact us at info@baketran.com
Sticky icing on éclairs
Description:
| A particular problem with chocolate éclairs is that during storage the icing can begin to look ‘wet’ and became sticky. In some cases the icing sticks to the packaging if the éclair rolls to one side and may even flow off the shell. The éclair shells do not always soften except for the area in direct contact with the base of the pack. |  |
Explanation:
The moisture contents and the water activities of the three components which make up a chocolate éclair are quite different and moisture migration is inevitable. The greater the differences in water activity, the higher the driving force will be for moisture migration. The main source of moisture is the cream filling with a moisture migration route being from the cream to the éclair shell and then to the chocolate icing. The icing is high in sugar, some of which remains in the crystalline form, and so the material tends to be hygroscopic. At the interface of the chocolate icing and shell small water droplets form before being absorbed into body of the icing. These small water droplets act like a lubricant and allow the chocolate icing to detach from the shell and flow under the influence of gravity. Any movements to which the finished products are subjected will disturb their position and some may tumble to one side.
A further source of moisture contributing to stickiness is the atmosphere in the box in which the éclairs are held. In this case some of the moisture may have come from the cream and diffused through the porous casing into the atmosphere and this contributes to surface stickiness. Moisture migration will occur even at refrigerated temperatures when the lower vapour pressure of the atmosphere results in condensation of water from the pack atmosphere.
Solution:
The problem can be reduced by adjusting the individual water activities of more than one component to limit the drive for moisture migration. Barrier technology might be used but the rough and porous nature of the shell would make this difficult to implement in an effective way. Even if a barrier is applied, moisture can still evaporate from the cream, pass through the sides of the porous shell into the pack to raise the relative humidity of the pack atmosphere and provide sufficient moisture vapour for absorption by the chocolate icing.
Additional information:
Want to know more about moisture migration? Consider our training course 'The role of water in baking'
If you have a problem that has puzzled you for a long time, then please email us details with a photograph to info@baketran.com
