GCSE Food Technology - Functions of Ingredients

Wheat flour is the most important ingredient in home baking. There are many different types of flour such as:

• Stone Ground
• Wholemeal
• Cookie flour

Flour as an ingredient has many different functions:

• Provides fibre (especially if wholemeal!)
• Makes mixtures rise(especially if self-raising!)
• Thickens sauces
• Forms the bulk of bread, cake and pastry mixtures
• Provides colour and texture to food (if wholemeal!)
• The gluten in the flour produces a stretchy dough
• Also provides carbohydrate, fibre, Vitamin B, calcium and iron (all important nutrients!)

Ever tasted a sugar-free biscuit? Not nice. Although sugars are used to make food products taste sweet, this is not the only function they have!

• Provides sweetness
• If brown sugar, it provides colour and texture
• Large amounts can prevent microorganism growth on foods
• Caramelises to produce a brown colour
• Retains moisture
• Helps to trap air in cake mixtures!
• Also provides carbohydrates!

You can use eggs for almost anything.. from egg Mcmuffins to meringue pies!

• Hold air when beaten
• Coagulate(sets) when heated
• Add colour to mixtures
• Helps to thicken sauces/custards etc.
• Glazes bread, scones and pastries
• Bind(sticks) ingredients together
• Provides protein, fat, iron and vitamins A, B and D

You may think that fats and oils aren't good for you, but they are an essential ingredient in most dishes!

• Provide flavour for the food
• Keeps the products moist
• Extends the shelf life of the product!
• Adds colour to the foods!
• Hold air when creamed with sugar
• Oil forms and emulsion with liquids (e.g mayonnaise)
• Provides energy and vitamins A and D!