SHORTENINGS, BUTTER, MARGARINE, OILS & LARD


We have said that one of the main function of fats in baking is to shorten gluten strands and tenderize the product. We can summarize the reason for using fats in baked items as follows:

  • to tenderize the product and soften the texture
  • to add moistness and richness
  • to increase keeping quality
  • to add flavor
  • to assist in leavening when used as creaming agents or when used to give flakiness to puff pastry, pie dough, and similar products.
SHORTENINGS


Any fat acts as a shortening in baking because it shortens gluten strands and tenderizes the product. However, we usually use the word shortening to mean any of a group solid fats usually white and tasteless, that are specially formulated for baking.

Because shortenings are used for many purposes, manufacturers have formulated different kinds of fat with different properties. Following are the three main types of shortening.

REGULAR SHORTENINGS

These shortenings have a tough, waxy texture, and small particles of the fat tend to hold their shape in a dough or batter. This type of shortening does not melt until a high temperature is reached. Regular shortenings has good creaming ability. This means that a large quantity of air can be mixed by the creaming method, such as certain cookies. Because of its texture, this type of shortening is used for flaky products such as pie crust and biscuits. It is also used in breads and many pastries. Unless another shortening is specified, regular shortening is generally used.

EMULSIFIED SHORTENINGS

These are soft shortening that spread easily throughout a batter and quickly coat the particles of sugar and flour. Because of their easy spreading, they give a smoother and finer texture to cakes and make them moister. Emulsified shortening is often used whenever the weight of sugar in a cake batter is greater than the weight of flour. Because of this shortening spreads so well, a simpler mixing method can be used. Such cakes are referred to as high-ratio cakes, so emulsified shortening is sometimes called high-ratio shortening. In addition, emulsified shortening is used in certain icings because it can hold more sugar and liquid without curdling.

PUFF PASTRY SHORTENINGS


Puff Pastry Shortenings are firm like regular shortening. They are especially formulated for puff pastry and other doughs that form layers, such as Danish Pastry.

BUTTER AND MARGARINE


Shortenings are manufactured to have certain textures and hardness. Butter, on the other hand, is a natural product that doesn't have these advantages. It is hard and brittle when cold and soft at room temperature, and it melts easily. Consequently, dough made with butter are hard to handle. Margarine is a liitle easier to handle, but it has many of the same disadvantages. 

On the other hand, butter and margarine have two major advantages.
  • Flavor, shortenings are intentionally flavorless, but butter has a highly desirable flavor.
  • Melting qualities, butter melts in the mouth Shortening do not. After eating pastries or icing made with shortening, one can be left with an unpleasant film of shortenings coating the mouth
For these reasons, many pastry and bakery chef feel the advantages of butter outweigh its disadvantages for some purposes.

OILS


Oils are liquid fats. They are not often used as shortening in baking because the spread through a batter or dough too thoroughlyand shorten too much. Their usefulness in the bakeshop is limited primarily to greasing pans and proofing bowls, to deep frying doughnuts, and to serving as a wash for some kinds of rolls. A few quick breads and cake use oil as a shortening.

LARD


Lard is the rendered fat of hogs. Because of its plastic quality, it was once highly valued for making flaky pie crusts. Since the development of modern shortenings, it is not often used in bakeshop.









Sources:
Professional Cooking 7th Edition (Wayne Gisslen)

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