Achieving results and remedying situations GapFill

Sometimes in cooking, things go wrong. We might not get the results we expected, and this can happen for a variety of reasons, such as temperature, cooking time, moisture levels, adding ingredients too soon or too late and underworking or overworking ingredients. 

In bread making, a common problem is the bread not rising well. This may be because the  starchyeastwheatgluten has been killed, either due to salt being added directly on top of it or because the water added was too hot. It might also be because the yeast was out of date (fresh yeast has a much shorter shelf-life than dried or instant yeast) or because the dough was left to prove for too long and the  oxygennitrogencarbon dioxidehydrogen bubbles have popped. Dead yeast and not enough moisture will make bread dense, while not kneading dough for long enough will cause an uneven texture and the development of large holes in the baked bread.

A lot can go wrong with baking. If the oven temperature is too low, cakes will become  burntcrunchydensedoughy. If the temperature is too high, or the cake is too close to the heat source, the top may  caramelisesinkcrackburn due to the cake rising too fast before being fully cooked. Too much moisture, flour, sugar and raising agents can all negatively affect the outcome. Reading recipes carefully is a crucial skill.

When making pastry,  warmthmoisturehigh heattemperature is the most important element, as the fat needs to melt at just the right time to create a perfect flaky pastry. If your hands are too warm while handling it, or it is not chilled properly, the fat will melt too quickly and no air will be trapped in the pastry, so it won't become tender and flaky. Cooking times are also important for pastry.  OvercookedOver-handledUndercookedWet pastry will be pale and soft and taste of flour, and overcooked pastry will be tough and is likely to burn. 

When making sauces, the most problems arise when making a roux. Due to the characteristics of starch, it is easy for things to go wrong with temperature, moisture levels and cooking times. A roux that is not cooked for long enough will taste  flourybutterystarchyburnt due to uncooked starch in the flour. Adding liquid too quickly, too slowly or not whisking enough will result in a  coagulatedtoughdextrinizedlumpy sauce. 

Emulsions can also cause problems. When making mayonnaise, if the oil is added too quickly the mayonnaise will not  aeratecoagulatethickenblend as the oil has not been dispersed properly. Oil and vinegar mixtures, such as salad dressings, will  emulsifyrepelblendseparate if left alone, and will need to be recombined before using - or an emulsifier, such as mustard or mayonnaise, can be added to prevent this.