Baking and Cooking with Sugar

Beyond providing sweetness and body to recipes, sugar has several other functionalities in baking goods. Learn more about the function of sugar in baking through a variety of applications.

  • In baking, sugar is used in crystalized and liquid forms. Crystalized sugar is available in a wide range of particle sizes. These sizes range from granulated powdered, baker’s special or superfine, extra fine, and sanding sugars. The particle size to use will depend on the baking application.

     
  • Ever heard the sound of bread crackling? Sugar is a part of creating that sound in bread as it acts as a tenderizer during mixing. It absorbs water and slows the development of gluten strands, giving bread a tender crumb texture and good volume.

     
  • Cookies and cakes are always a delicious treat for any occasion. Both of course involve using sugar and the creaming method which aids in creating the volume and texture desired.

     
  • Eggs have many functions in baked goods. Eggs provide structure, leavening, tenderizing, color, and flavor. The coagulation of egg protein aids in building the structure of cakes, cookies, muffins, and quick breads.

     
  • In its most basic form, candies are made of two ingredients: sugar and water. Different candies are produced by manipulating the proportion of the ingredients in the formula, and the crystallization of sugar during the process. The concentration of sugar in cooked syrup is key to create different types of candy. The more water a syrup has, the softer the candy produced will be.

     
  • Fruits contain essential vitamins, minerals, fiber and sugar. Aside from sugar giving fruits its flavor, it also contributes to the firmness, color, and mouthfeel.

     
  • In frozen desserts, sugar functions to balance flavors and mouth-feel. Since low temperatures tend to numb the taste buds, sugar acts to enhance flavors, thereby eliminating the need for additional flavor ingredients.