Bakery

Lecithin, Which is a mixture of various phospholipids, is a natural emulsifer, combining many characteristics that improve baked goods. Lecithin has been used for years in baked goods. like bread to improve the extensibility and elasticity of doughs, which enhance their handling properties (18). Lecithin is also and antioxidant and enhances the stability of vitamins in bakery goods. It helps improve the volume, crumb structure, and tenderness of bread. It supports the effects of oter active baking ingredients, can partia lly compensate for fats and protein, and can improve shelf life and dispersibility in an aqueous system like doughs and batters. Lecithin has dough-strengthening properties, which benefit yeast-raised baked goods. It also helps to control batter viscosity for pancakes and other batter products, helping create a consistent, controlled flow. Some soy lecithin can improve the fermetation stability of yeast doughs and, through its interaction with the starches in the flour, retards aging and the drying-out of baked goods.

In cookie manufacturing, addition of lecithin hekps to obtain a smooth, easily formed dough. Cookies made with lecithin remain pleasantly crumbly so that it may even be possible to reduce the fat content. Also, lecithin retards the oxidation of fat so cookies stay fresh longer. in sweet, yeast-leavened baked goods, such as milk bread and puff pastry, lecithin ensures optimization of the gluten structure and a more homogenous distribution of other ingredients so that significantly improved results can be obtained. In flat wafers, twisted ice cream cones, and pressed cones for soft frozen custard, addition of lecithin contributes to the homogenous distribution of the hydrophilic and lipophilic dough componets, improves release from the irons, supports browning reaction, and makes for more stable wafers that are less likely to break. Lecithin helps form a fine film around the yeast particles in frozen pizza, thus protecting them from cold damage. The improved fermentation stability offered by lecithing give the food producer more leeway when baking the product.