Whether used as a simple syrup to coat upscale cakes or as a key ingredient to mask the bitterness of whole grains, honey's usage in the baking industry spans many functionalities and applications.
The National Honey Board has conducted extensive research on formulating bagels with honey. Sensory studies have determined that bagels are softer and easier to bite when they contain 6% honey (on a flour basis).
As whole grain popularity continues to soar, so does the use of honey to provide these products with a natural sweetness to mask any undesirable flavors derived from whole grains. In addition to using honey in these formulas, bakers also commonly include "honey" in the product name (honey whole grain, honey wheat) to connote an exceptional flavor profile.
Honey also is used in bread products to extend shelf life and improve taste, texture and color.
Check out these exceptional bread formulas made with honey:
Honey can be used as the sole sweetener in many cookie/cracker formulations. In soft style cookies, honey can be used at 8% to 15% of the formula weight. In crisp cookies, honey is typically used at 3% to 5% of the formulation. Honey's usage level may be limited as a glaze in cookies and crackers due to its moisture content and hygroscopic nature. A usage level of 10% to 20% honey in glazes is typical. For most cookie/cracker applications, use mild and light-colored honeys because they do not mask the flavor of spices, fruits and nuts.
Check out this exceptional cookie formula made with honey:
National Honey Board research has discovered that using honey in dry bread mix results in increased shelf life, moisture retention and a reduction in crumbliness. By using a ribbon blender, researchers were able to develop a successful bread mix with 13.5% liquid honey.
Bread mixes using liquid honey contained improved color and moisture retention and added a noticeable sweetness to the final product. When compared to dry sweeteners, which are often used in dry mixes, liquid honey performed better and produced a more favorable shelf life than the control.
From tortillas to focaccia, ethnic flatbreads can be found everywhere from supermarkets to restaurants. They are the perfect complement to any bakery's product portfolio.
The National Honey Board developed 30 formulas for 10 ethnic products using liquid honey, dry honey or controls with no honey added. Preliminary testing determined optimal levels of both liquid and dry honey and final flatbread formulations.
Percentages of honey incorporated in formulas ranged from 9.2% to 28.6% for liquid honey and from 9.0% to 19.5% for dry honey. Objective and sensory tests were conducted to determine product acceptability of samples on four replications. Each bread was subjected to a series of objective tests (standing height, color analysis, pH, Moister content and texture). Sensory assessments were conducted by consumer panelists who evaluated each bread for appearance, overall flavor, sweetness and overall eating quality using a seven-point hedonic scale (1 = Like Extremely; 7 = Dislike Extremely). The panel members then ranked the three treatments of each bread, control, liquid honey and dry honey from liked best (1) to liked least (3).
Instrumental values and sensory characteristics were evaluated based on ethnic flatbread formulations and type, and amount of honey added. Addition of honey did not consistently affect product quality based on instrumental assessments. However, sensory quality attributes were influenced by honey addition when evaluated by consumer panelists. Based on 120 observations on each type of bread, when consumers were asked to rank the three random samples for preference (control, liquid honey added or dry honey added) the breads containing liquid honey were liked better than the control sample.
Check out our exceptional ethnic bread formula made with honey:
Honey is used as the primary sweetener in many sweet and Danish doughs. Sweet buns are easily prepared using honey at 2% to 5% of the formula weight. Honey also is a preferred addition to glazes to impart a desired shine to finished products. It is best to apply a honey glaze (the glaze should be 110°F) onto freshly baked products immediately after they are removed from the over.
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