Baking & Snack - March 2006 - 92

March 2006

Cheesy Expectations
BY DONNA BERRY
heese - it's a flavor Americans
cannot live without. And its inclusion in baked foods is becoming increasingly popular as well as more
varied thanks to technologies that foster
improved quality of cheese ingredients.
Researchers have learned to manipulate

ing material for process cheese.
Natural cheese results from the coagulation of casein, the primary protein in milk. Casein is coagulated by
acid, which is either produced through
the addition of select microorganisms
and/or coagulating enzymes or added
directly (for example, food-grade
acidulants). The end result is
curds and whey.
The basic principles of natural
cheesemaking are the same for
the more than 200 varieties of
natural cheese produced in the
United States. These essentially
involve producing the aforementioned curds and whey, separating the curds and draining off the whey
and other residual constituents, followed
by pressing the curd. Depending on the
cheese variety, there may be additional
steps such as brining, salting, smoking or aging. Cheese is aged for flavor

When it says
cheese, it better
deliver cheese flavor
and appearance.
cheese performance (melt, browning,
etc.) and flavor intensity and have thus
expanded the types of baked applications where cheese can be included.
According to the Wisconsin Milk
Marketing Board, about 162 million lb
of cheese went into baked foods in 2004,
and the trend shows no sign of abating.
After all, cheese is the ideal ingredient
to add value to baked foods. It is primarily used for its organoleptic properties because it provides a high level of
palatability, flavor and satiety. However, cheese also contributes functionally
and nutritionally. For example, cottage
cheese adds moisture and texture to
bakery products. It also acts as a flavor
carrier, helps release other flavors and
adds a creamy, dairy note. Nutritionally, all cheeses are sources of calcium
and high-quality protein.
To understand how scientists are able
to manipulate the various properties of
cheese ingredients, it is important to have
a basic understanding of cheesemaking.

development by the live and active microorganisms added to the curd prior to
pressing. These bacteria, mold and yeast
ripen the cheese over time, changing the
flavor and texture as it ages.
As this suggests, cheesemaking is a
learned art. It involves a very complex
and precise manipulation of the casein
molecules and the microorganisms in
order for a cheese to have the desired
functional properties and properly developed flavor profiles. And even with
a controlled cheesemaking process, it
is possible to produce an unacceptable
product because, as mentioned, natural
cheese is a living system. The microorganisms and enzymes will grow until
the time they are deactivated, which, for
example, can happen when heated while
cheese is baked in dough. Thus, when formulating with natural cheese, it is important to understand how the cheese will
perform in a finished product based on

CHEESEMAKING PRINCIPLES
For starters, there are two primary categories of cheese - natural and process
- with natural cheese being the start-

ᮣ Cheese adds moisture, texture,
calcium and high-quality protein to
bakery products.
Danisco

March 2006 / BAKING & SNACK / 95

Baking & Snack - March 2006

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