Baking is an art form that requires precision and skill. One essential ingredient in baking is dairy, which helps create the light and fluffy texture of cakes, cookies, pastries, muffins, and bread. Dairy adds flavor to baked goods and helps doughs and batters rise better. From butter to cream cheese to sour cream—dairy products are the essential ingredient to have around for delicious desserts. Whether you own a bakery or bake from home, here are five reasons dairy is an essential ingredient in baking you need to have in your kitchen.
1. Dairy Enhances Flavor and Texture
Dairy products like milk, butter, and cream give baked goods a rich, creamy, irresistible taste. Dairy contains natural sugars that naturally enhance the sweetness and depth of desserts. And these dairy products contribute to creating a tender and moist crumb in your baked goods.
2. Dairy Reacts With Leavening Agents for a Beautiful Rise
Baking a fantastic cake doesn’t only rely on taste—it’s also about achieving the perfect rise. Dairy in baking is vital in leavening due to its acidic nature. When combined with baking soda, the acid in dairy reacts and creates a light and fluffy texture.
3. Dairy Acts as a Perfect Binder for Biscuits and Pie Crusts
If you’ve ever had a flaky pie crust or a crumbly biscuit, you know how crucial it is to have the right proportions of the ingredients. Dairy products like butter and buttermilk are a perfect binder for ingredients because of their perfect ratio of fat and moisture. With dairy, you can avoid creating flat cakes.
4. Dairy Elevates Simple Recipes to Gourmet Creations
Chocolate chip recipes could exist without dairy, but nothing tastes better than homemade chocolate cookies with dairy ingredients. Bring chocolate chip cookies or a plain sponge cake to new heights with the addition of a rich dairy element. Incorporating dairy in the form of cream, yogurt, or even mascarpone can provide your baked goods with a distinctive gourmet twist sure to wow your taste buds.
5. Dairy Is an Essential Ingredient for a Baker
For any true baker, dairy is an absolute must-have! It adds flavor to your recipes and works as a leavening agent to help baked goods rise. Dairy helps keep biscuits and pie crusts crumbly yet sturdy. In addition to that, it adds a touch of sophistication to simple recipes like chocolate chip cookies and cakes. Whether you’re a beginner just starting or an experienced baker looking for new flavors, dairy is an essential ingredient every bakery needs.
Dairy products are great to have in the fridge. These reasons hopefully inspire you to continue using dairy products in your recipes over any other ingredient you could use in your baked goods. So the next time you reach for your recipe book at the bakery or home, load up on butter, milk, sour cream, and other delicious dairy ingredients.
