Baked Goods and Animal Fat – What Can Potentially Be in Non-Kosher Food

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This is why strict supervision is a must. Without checks and balances, anything goes.

 

Also see 28 Desserts that Rely on a Shocking Ingredient:

Bacon: Butterscotch Pie with Walnut-Bacon Toffee

Baked Goods and Animal Fat - What Can Potentially Be in Non-Kosher Food

 

This recipe started as an experiment in making bacon toffee, but by the time I was done I had this sweet and savory butterscotch pie. —Juliann Stoddart, Chicago, Illinois

 
 

What’s in our bread

FAT
Hard fats improve loaf volume, crumb softness and help it to last longer. Hydrogenated fats have commonly been used, though large bakers are phasing them out, possibly replacing them with fractionated fats. These don’t contain or produce transfats, which have been associated with heart disease.

From “The Fresh Loaf:” 

Pork fat finds its way into my yeast breads.

From “Open Textbook:”

Major Fats and Oils Used in Bakeries

Table 7 lists the composition of major fats and oils used in bakeries.

Table 7 Composition of Typical Fats[1] 
Fat typeSaturated (g/100 g)Monounsaturated (g/100 g)Polyunsaturated (g/100 g)Cholesterol (mg/100 g)Vitamin E (mg/100 g)
Lard40.843.89.6930.60
Duck fat33.249.312.91002.70
Butter54.019.82.62302.00
Coconut oil85.26.61.70.66
Palm kernel oil81.511.41.603.80
Palm oil45.341.68.3033.12
Cottonseed oil25.521.348.1042.77
Wheat germ oil18.815.960.70136.65
Soybean oil14.523.256.5016.29
Olive oil14.069.711.205.10
Corn oil12.724.757.8017.24
Sunflower oil11.920.263.0049.00
Safflower oil10.212.672.1040.68
Hemp oil101575012.34
Canola/Rapeseed oil5.364.324.8022.21

Lard

Lard is obtained from the fatty tissues of pigs, with a water content of 12% to 18%. Due to dietary concerns, lard has gradually lost much of its former popularity. It is still extensively used, however, for:

  • Yeast dough additions
  • Pie pastry
  • Pan greasing

Lard has a good plastic range, which enables it to be worked in a pie dough at fairly low temperatures (try the same thing with butter!). It has a fibrous texture and does not cream well. It is therefore not suitable for cake making. Some grades of lard also have a distinctive flavour, which is another reason it is unsuitable for cake making.

Video: 25: When to add fat to bread dough, and when not to! – Bake with Jack

 

Video: Clarifying Animal Fat For Cooking & Baking

Video: Why Does Cooking with Animal Fat Taste so Good?