[Sca-cooks] Art and Science of Baking

[Patricia Collum]

To put art and science into perspective: For years I was the chemical
technician in a electroplating facility, practicing what is referred to as
*cookbook chemistry*. Everything you refer to about baking pertains to that
not-so-hard science.

Cecily
----- Original Message -----
From: "Gorgeous Muiredach" <muiredach at bmee.net>
To: <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>
Sent: Wednesday, September 18, 2002 4:00 PM
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Art and Science of Baking


> At 06:45 PM 9/18/2002, you wrote:
> > > Ok, I know that the medical profession has a different definition of
> > > science, but baking _bread_ is something you can't do by just
following a
> > > recipe exactly... which is what most people think of when they hear
> > > 'science'.
> >
> >You have a point. I suppose we should distinguish between the art of the
> >boulanger (the bread-maker) and the science of the patissier (the
> >confectioner or pastry-maker). English doesn't separate them as clearly.
>
> But then...
>
> Ok, so yeah, one needs to be somewhat more precise in baking and pastry
> than cooking.  But from there to call it a science...  I dunno.
>
> Just how precise is it to make bread?  Do you measure how much flour you
> use before kneeding your bread?  No?  hmm, precision.
>
> And how exact is your oven's temperature?  How much water do you put in
> your sugar before caramelizing it?
>
> Just a few examples to show that while it is somewhat more precise, it is
> not by far such an exact science.
>
> Besides, not to renew a debate of long, to me it has more to do with
> craft.  Artisans, that must know their craft well enough to improvise
> *around* the science, for example, how about your flour that has different
> texture and reaction due to the high level of humidity in the air?
>
> An artist has room for error.  And artisan doesn't.  A scientist can
always
> repeat results by following the "recipe".  An artisan not necessarily,
> because of variables.
>
> Just my 2 cents.
>
>
> Gorgeous Muiredach the Odd