Acids are the sour point—the added ingredient—that helps to balance a dish. If I don't discuss it, what kind of culinarian would I be? Mind you, sugar and spice do not make everything nice. With baking, adding our sour ingredient too early can leave us with a dire result. If we add it too late, the rawness of the ingredient can leave your baked goods tasting overwhelming. With culinary, acids tenderize the most rigid hard proteins and break them down. Join me as we explore acids and all they have to offer.
Chef, which ingredients are acids?
Honey, chocolate, cinnamon, coffee, apple cider vinegar, buttermilk, sour cream, yogurt, and lemon or lime juice are all acids. The acidic ingredient can be the zing in those chocolate cupcakes you love or those gooey cinnamon rolls we share with loved ones. Tip for cinnamon rolls, mix your cinnamon with the sugar before you add it to your sweet dough. Little goes a long way!
Chef, what happens when the acid tenderizes?
It's a level of balance where the natural acids fight each other, and all that remains is pure essence. For instance, take super dark chocolate, where the higher the percentage, the higher the intensity of the acid. Now, take a sip of French Roast or Turkish coffee. The acid from the coffee and the chocolate will fight one another. After the war, the natural essence will shine through with a clean finish. It's like the most incredible science experiment you experience in your mouth.
Chef, what do you mean when you add your acid too early? Or too late?
Well, remember, baking is all about chemistry. You must factor everything from the temperature in the room to the nth grams of extra flour to overdoing it with too much manpower. If you balance the acid with another ingredient—like baking soda—your cake will taste too acidic. Alternately, the acid can over-tenderize the mixture, where the structure of your batter or dough will collapse.
Baking takes lots of practice since chemistry leads the show. Whereas in culinary, chefs control the flavors, heat, and time. Patience and precision are your friends in the kitchen. If you are not too careful, the result will make you pay.
Chef's note:
Treat baking respectfully by leaving your ego at the door. Remember to be precise with measurements. It will show in the end if you assume and do not pay attention. Patience—my Achille's Heel—is a must, which I had to learn, and it wasn't easy. But you can accomplish it! Practice, practice, practice.