The Roles of Egg in Breadmaking - Lesaffre Philippines (2024)

Eggs are one of those humble kitchen staples. But do you know they play a multifaceted and crucial role in breadmaking? Let’s discover the various ways eggs transform our dough.

  1. Adds flavour

    One of the primary roles of eggs is their ability to enrich the dough. The addition of eggs imparts richness and depth to the texture, creating a softer crumb and enhancing the overall flavor profile of the bread.

    In premium European breads such as Brioche, Panettone, and Pandoro, the eggs take center stage, making up to 40% of the total flour weight. This generous inclusion adds to the rich texture and distinct flavor profiles that characterize these popular bread varieties.

  2. Adds colour
    Beyond contributing to taste and texture, eggs play a pivotal role in enhancing the visual allure of bread. The golden hue they lend during baking elevates the aesthetic appeal of the final bakes, delighting both the palate and the eyes. Additionally, eggs facilitate the Maillard reaction, bringing a glossy, browned exterior, particularly evident in breads and pastries with an egg wash.
  3. A natural emulsifier
    Eggs function as natural emulsifiers, combining liquids and fats to achieve a smoother dough texture. Additionally, eggs also play a role in strengthening the gluten network to enable the bread to maintain a good shape and volume.
  4. Extends shelf-life
    Eggs contribute to prolonging the shelf life of bread by reducing water activity. They create an environment less conducive to the growth of bacteria, mold, and other microorganisms. This inhibition of microbial activity helps prevent the spoilage of bread, preserving its freshness for a longer duration. Additionally, lower water activity also helps reduce the likelihood of enzymes reactions that can lead to staleness, contributing to the overall stability and shelf life of the bread.

Versatility of egg forms

Eggs, whether fresh, frozen or dried, can be used in breadmaking. Dried egg powder is rehydrated and blended into the dough, providing convenience and a longer shelf life. Fresh eggs are directly cracked into the mixture, offering a natural source of moisture, richness, and leavening. Frozen eggs, when thawed, can be used similarly to fresh eggs, providing a convenient alternative with a longer storage life.

The functions of egg parts

The choice of using whole eggs, egg yolks, or egg whites in breadmaking depends on the desired characteristics of the final bread. The whole egg contributes to the richness and moisture content of the dough and enhances the overall flavor and texture of the bread. The yolks, being rich in fats, enhance emulsification and ensure a smoother texture. Whereas, the whites, when beaten, create stable foams, adding a light and airy quality to the bread.

In conclusion, eggs is more than a basic ingredient in breadmaking. From enriching the dough and adding color to acting as a natural emulsifier and extending shelf life, its contributions are both diverse and indispensable.

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The Roles of Egg in Breadmaking - Lesaffre Philippines (2024)

FAQs

The Roles of Egg in Breadmaking - Lesaffre Philippines? ›

Eggs function as natural emulsifiers, combining liquids and fats to achieve a smoother dough texture. Additionally, eggs also play a role in strengthening the gluten network to enable the bread to maintain a good shape and volume.

What is the function of egg in bread making? ›

Eggs help the dough rise and create a large crumb that's great for soaking up liquids, like a bowl of chocolat chaud (hot chocolate). The egg yolks give the bread a golden interior, and butter adds an extra boost of moisture. The result is a rich, buttery flavor, and deep golden-brown crust.

What are the two main functions of eggs as a baking ingredient? ›

What Eggs Do in Baking Recipes. Eggs play an important role in everything from cakes and cookies to meringues and pastry cream — they create structure and stability within a batter, they help thicken and emulsify sauces and custards, they add moisture to cakes and other baked goods, and can even act as glue or glaze.

What is the purpose of eggs in yeast and quick breads? ›

Eggs provide structure and help bind the ingredients together. Eggs also act as an emulsifier. By surrounding small particles of fat, the egg helps make the quick bread batter smoother, thus contributing to volume and texture.

What is the role of eggs in the biscuit making process? ›

Eggs are natural binders, helping hold all other baking ingredients together and increasing the viscosity of batters and doughs. Egg white has the capability to gel and is frequently used as a binding agent in many different prepared foods.

What happens if you don't put an egg in bread? ›

Bread with no egg looked as normal as any other white loaf. It had puffed up evenly and had a nice crust colour and a soft texture. The interior was soft but quite tight. This could be made lighter by skipping the pre-shaping or folding steps making the dough looser.

What is it called when the egg is in the bread? ›

Whether you're calling it egg in a hole, egg with a hat, or gashouse egg, a fried egg in toast is having a moment. Regardless of its name, the dish (and cooking process) is the same: A slice of bread toasts in a buttered skillet, minus its center, which has been cut out with a glass or a ring cutter.

What to use instead of eggs in baking? ›

See the list of 11 egg substitutes below to find the right one for the recipe you're whipping up.
  1. MASHED BANANA. ...
  2. APPLESAUCE. ...
  3. SILKEN TOFU. ...
  4. GROUND FLAXSEED OR CHIA SEEDS & WATER. ...
  5. YOGURT. ...
  6. BUTTERMILK. ...
  7. SWEETENED CONDENSED MILK. ...
  8. ARROWROOT POWDER OR CORNSTARCH.

How does an extra egg affect baking? ›

If there isn't enough egg, your batter or dough may not be able to hold its structure or could end up overly dry or dense. On the other hand, if there is too much egg, your baked goods could lose their shape due to excess liquid, or have a rubbery (or even overly cakey) texture depending on the recipe.

Are eggs necessary for baking? ›

By removing this structure-building ingredient, you make the cake less structurally sound, so it becomes less fluffy and more likely to fall apart. Additionally, eggs also add to the cake's flavor profile, so cakes without eggs may taste too sugary.

What makes bread rise higher? ›

The gluten in the dough traps the carbon dioxide gas, preventing it from escaping. The only place for it to go is up, and so the bread rises. Carbon dioxide actually also helps gluten develop in bread. Unless you're gluten-intolerant, gluten is a great thing, folks.

What causes poor quality quick bread? ›

Too much leavening, Not enough liquid. Too Not enough water, sugar or shortening. much baking powder. improper mixing time.

Can I use eggs instead of yeast? ›

Whipped Eggs. If your kitchen is missing baking soda, lemon juice, and baking powder, you have one final option for substituting yeast before calling it quits and running out to the store. Try whipping eggs to add in and give your baked goods like pancakes, cupcakes, muffins, and batter breads the rise they need.

What is the role of eggs in bread making? ›

Eggs function as natural emulsifiers, combining liquids and fats to achieve a smoother dough texture. Additionally, eggs also play a role in strengthening the gluten network to enable the bread to maintain a good shape and volume.

What is the purpose of egg in baking? ›

What do eggs do in baking? When added to a recipe, eggs take on a few roles. They may be used to add structure, flavor, texture or act as a leavening agent. Interestingly, depending on whether the recipe calls for whole eggs, egg whites and egg yolks also affect what an egg does during baking.

What is the function of eggs in flour? ›

Customer appeal: Eggs enhance the appearance of products through their colour and flavour, and they improve texture and grain. Structure: Eggs bind with other ingredients, primarily flour, creating the supporting structure for other ingredients.

Can I add an egg after kneading? ›

The eggs can be beaten or not prior to addition. If you try to add extra wet ingredients later in the process the dough becomes slimy and very difficult to work with for a while.

What is the purpose of the egg in breading? ›

Using an egg wash when breading meat serves a couple of purposes. It acts as an adhesive, helping the breading stick to the meat better during cooking. Additionally, it helps create a golden brown, crispy crust when cooked, adding texture and flavor to the dish.

What is the purpose of egg wash on bread? ›

Egg wash is beaten egg used to glaze or seal baked goods or to adhere breading to foods like cutlets. Whole egg is beaten alone or with another liquid like water, milk or cream. The wash is brushed over the surface of goods like breads, pastries and pies to give them a shiny browned appearance after baking.

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