8 Commercial Baking Ingredients You Won’t Find in Your Home Pantry

There’s a certain magic to baking that has captivated humans since the discovery of this method of preparing food. It’s incredible how mixing ingredients as simple as flour, water, and salt and then applying heat is all you need to make bread – and this has helped sustain generations of people for centuries.

Today, there is no limit to the kinds of creations you can make by baking. From the simplest brownie to the more sophisticated croissant, there’s something that every bread, pastry, and dessert lover can whip up even in their kitchen.

Of course, not all baking is the same. There is a world of difference between being a home baker who throws together a batch of cookies to satisfy a weekend craving and a business owner who runs a chain of commercial bakeries supplying bread and pastries to restaurants and stores all over the country.

Ask any established bakery ingredients supplier – they’ll tell you that aside from the size of baking equipment and workspace, the baking ingredients these two individuals require will also be very different.

Peeking Into the Bigger Pantry

A home baker’s pantry would contain small quantities of ingredients like flour, sugar, chocolate chips, nuts, milk, and eggs – and most likely, they chose these because they suit the baker’s personal taste preferences.

A commercial bakery, on the other hand, would contain a whole different library of ingredients necessary for enhancing flavours, maintaining freshness, replacing other ingredients for allergies and dietary considerations, and other purposes to ensure the consistent quality of baked goods that are meant to be sold.

Curious about these “magic” ingredients? Here’s a brief look at eight commercial baking ingredients you may not have heard of before.

1. Acacia Gum

Acacia gum, also known as gum arabic, is a naturally derived food-grade gum. About 90% of acacia gum is harvested from acacia Senegal trees. It is grown without pesticides, contains no calories, and acts like a stabiliser in baking. It also possesses high-gloss properties and emulsifying characteristics that enable it to stabilise a food system.

This ingredient is a must in baking gluten-free bread because it helps improve the texture and softness. Acacia gum also extends baked products’ shelf life by 50%.

2. Bamboo Fibre

As the name suggests, bamboo fibre is a fine white powder derived from bamboo plants. It is an indigestible polysaccharide (an insoluble fibre) with multiple purposes in baking:

• Adds to a baked good’s nutritional value (dietary fibre)
• Used as a bulking, anti-caking and thickening agent
• Increases capacity for water absorption

Bamboo fibre is a common ingredient in gluten-free baking as it improves the textural properties of dough. It also helps make icings and frostings smoother and creamier.

3. Chelating Agents

Chelating agents are also known as chelants, sequestrants, or metal scavengers. These are a kind of food additive that prevents oxidation and prolongs the shelf life of baked goods.

These agents are said to sequester metals, which means they prevent metals such as iron, copper, zinc and calcium from taking part in the deterioration of colours and flavours in food systems. As a result, chelating agents help preserve the sensory and functional properties of food products.

Polyphosphates, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, and organic acids like tartaric or citric acids are examples of chelating agents.

4. Compressed Yeast

Saccharomyces cerevisiae, also called fresh yeast or compressed yeast, is a type of fresh cream yeast that has been drained of most of the water it contains and then compressed into small blocks. This is the most common form of yeast used by commercial bakers.

In ancient times, yeast from the genus Saccharomyces was derived from producing fermented drinks such as beer. The commercially manufactured baker’s yeast today dates from the late 1800s. The baker’s yeast industry was founded by Fleischmann in the United States.

Compressed yeast is one of the essential ingredients in bread making because it converts fermentable carbohydrates into CO2 gas and ethanol, which provide the leavening effect needed for light loaves of bread.

5. Diastatic Malt

Diastatic malt comes from sprouted barley that possesses diastase enzymes. It is used as a sweetener and flavour component for baked goods and commonly comes in flour, syrup and extract forms.

Diastatic malt corrects enzyme activity and helps to adjust fermentation time in baked goods. It has been used since prehistoric times for brewing beverages and baking bread.

Aside from adding sweetness to bread, diastatic malts also impart a characteristic brownish colour, enrich bread with vitamins and essential amino acids, and trap free water to extend shelf life.

6. Egg Replacement

Egg replacement ingredients, as the name suggests, are used in baked goods in place of actual eggs while possessing the same properties and performance.

There are several reasons why eggs are being eliminated from some bakery and food products:

• Health concerns (avian illness outbreaks and cholesterol content)
• Economics (fluctuations in egg supplies and egg prices)
• Shelf-life (eggs have a limited shelf life which could lead to handling issues)
• Allergy concerns (eggs are a common allergen)
• A nutritional alternative option for vegetarian, vegan and other diets with restrictions

There are three categories of egg replacements: proteins (soy, whey, pea, chickpea), polysaccharides or gums (guar or xanthan), and emulsifiers (sucrose esters or lecithin).

Egg replacement ingredients must possess important functionalities such as emulsification, foaming, coagulation, stabilisation, colouring and moistening.

7. Icing Stabilisers

Icing stabilisers are food additives used in icings, frostings, buttercreams and glazes to prevent sticking or setting and to provide foam, stability and elasticity.

Usually, icing stabilisers are derived from gums, sorbates, hydrocolloids, polyglycerols esters fatty acids and other emulsifiers.

When used, icing stabilisers improve the quality and appearance of baked goods – preventing sugar crystallisation, keeping icing dry, and enabling the appropriate suspension of solid fruit pieces (if used). The stabilisers also help the baked goods withstand storage and packaging conditions.

8. Release Agents

Release agents are ingredients that make it easier to remove food products from moulds or packaging. Common release agents are oils and fats (butter), waxes, silicones, emulsifiers, starches and flours, or a combination of these.

Thanks to release agents, baked goods like cakes and bread can easily remove from baking pans, trays, tins or conveyor belts, and this helps prevent damage to the products.

Baking Solutions for Better Products

These commercial baking ingredients (and more) help meet the needs of bakery manufacturers when it comes to making top-quality bread, pastries and desserts for commercial and retail distribution. While home bakers head to grocery and candy stores to get suppliers for their homemade goodies, bakery business owners source their essentials from trusted bakery and food flavoursuppliers.