Doughnuts are unique among baked goods, as they are deposited into a fluid frying fat in order to “bake” the doughnut. The frying fat is not only the heat transfer medium, but also becomes a major part of the finished product as fat is absorbed during the frying process. On average, the total fat content of a finished cake doughnut is 20-25%, and most of that comes from fat that is absorbed during frying. This makes frying fat a major ingredient in the finished product, and one that contributes to tenderness, shelf life, flavor, color, and texture. Therefore, the quality of the finished product is dependent not only on the formulation and process, but it is also directly tied to the quality of the frying fat and the frying conditions. It is important to understand how our operating procedures impact the quality of our frying fat.
A fat is comprised of one molecule of glycerol combined with three molecules of fatty acids to form a triglyceride. Breakdown of the fat occurs primarily at the point where the fatty acid bonds to the glycerol backbone or at points of unsaturation in the fatty acid chain. There are four factors that will adversely affect fat quality and accelerate degradation:
- Heat
- Water
- Oxygen
- Foreign materials
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