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fats

when you hear the words baked goods, it is as if you get that annoying aversion to it and try to get it off your mind. baked goods equal fats, and fats mean those extra pounds on your waistline and thighs. addicting just like texting to some, having fondness for baked goodies just seem to put one in trouble, maybe not a day after you eat them, but believe me, when you breads and cookies, who does the counting? nobody. and so, one bite after another, time flies and you just wake up one day with a whopping flab on your tummy, courtesy of your favorite sweet rolls.

my weakness is pandesal. i remember when i was recuperating from a major surgery, i had to go home and sit by my mixer while instructing my helper to do all the mixing for me. i was craving for my homemade pandesal and the bought ones just won't do the job. when you start baking your own breads, your taste buds sor t of readjust and reject what it doesn't know. i just couldn't eat them anymore unless i slather it with some jelly or make a grilled cheese out of it. i tell my students this and i am pretty sure they experience the same thing. when you make your own bread, you can do whatever you want with the recipe and so my pandesal has extra milk, eggs and butter making it the best batch of pandesal ever. even my 8 year old nephew refuse to eat breads that we don't make. he will ask you firt if the bread you're offering him is "öur bread", and if by chance you answer no, he will not eat it.

somehow, you also get the benefit of omitting something that has no preservative at all. have younoticed how long your pan americano stays on your table? breads without preservatives, the most commonly used of course is Calcium propionate, should last only for four to five days. although there is no direct link between this anti-mold agent to any diseases, i avoid using it for home consumption. incidentally, last summer, i got a call from someone who asked me how he could possible extend the shelf life of his breads for 10 days or more. whoa!!! this question bothered me really, i almost told the guy, that if my bread doesn't sell for 5 days straight, i will close shop. but i understand him, being someone who supplies other stores with plain buns, he probably just wanted to widen his profit by avoiding any spoilage. i think what he needs is a better business plan than a wonder powder to create his perfect no spoil bread because i don't recommend it. breads beyond 10 days? never!!! is he trying to kill his customers?
nature provides us with natural extenders and softeners. ingredients that may cost us just a bit more but is worth using. i don't think he was interested at all when i told him that.

fats for one is an excellent softener and shelf life extender for all baked goods. breads made without fat can only be best eaten the day it is made, just like french bread. if your french bread remains without mold in 3 days, it is more likely to have a preservative, fat or other extenders. ixing the dough is also easier and faster when the dough has fat than one with no fat at all. if you bake ensaimadas, you do not need to use preservatives to make it last for 7-8 days. the high content of butter in the dough acts as the softener and extender, not to mention the extra eggs used in the dough as well. don't forget your science, eggyolks have lecithin, and lecithin is a form of fat also. if your ensaimada molds in 4 days, hmmm, retrace your steps and keep everything hygienic. maybe someone dipped his fingers in the bread bin causing contamination. i remember my friend who went to spain a few years back and she told me how unimpressed she was with the ensaimadas there. .... maybe they used lard instead of butter.. oh well, for thos who already bake, have fun.......

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