B

Batters

Understanding the function

maintaining crispiness. Restaurants
For years batters have been applied to and fast food chains make use of
special batters to both improve the
food to improve taste, texture and properties of food and to make use
of modern technology such as
appearance. Commercial applications warming drawers and microwaves
whilst still maintaining product
have elevated the humble batter to a quality.

high tech additive utilising a range of Types of batters

There are three basic types of batter:
modern ingredients and technology. adhesion, tempura and glaze batters.
Adhesion batters form a binding
medium between the food product
and the crumble layer. The binding
of the batter onto the product is very
important, as is the binding between
the batter and the crumbs. Either
simple or complex batters are used
depending on the product to be
coated and the type of crumble. The
thickness of the batter is also impor-
tant. The amount of dry ingredient
and the viscosity of the adhesive
batter largely defines the depth of
the layer. So-called milk or wash-
batters are diluted adhesion batters.
Tempura batters are more viscous
than adhesive batters and form the
outer layer of the end product with-
out the use of crumbs. After the
application of the tempura, the
product must be fried to set the bat-
ter. For this reason tempura batters
are mostly used for pre-cooked
products. It can be difficult to make
batters stick to products with a
Consumers can choose smooth surface. These are often pre-
hanges in eating patterns and a wide variety of cooked and frozen treated with a dusting of flour to

C
from a wide variety of
battered and crumbed the demand for convenience batter products are available such as create a rougher surface which is
chicken products which have led to the creation of croquettes, chicken nuggets, fish more conducive to binding. Fully
have been created in special batters, and over the years sticks and schnitzels as well as bat- cooked cereals are ideal for this pur-
response to demands for the coating or battering of food has tered vegetables and cheese prod- pose as they absorb far more fluid
convenience and novelty developed into a high-value and ucts. The main reasons for battering than native flours.
complex technology. In supermarkets are variations in flavour and Glaze batters are invisible, thin,

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Batters

of batters Advantages of special flour types

■ Improved rheology stability of the batter mix because the wheat
proteins are uniformly dispersed.
■ Significantly improved adhesion as the proteins are better dispersed
and therefore more effective in binding to both hydrophobic and
hydrophilic particles on the product surface.
shiny, post-preparation batters which product. The wheat flour proteins ■ Improved moisture uptake because the multi layer system sur-
are applied to the surface of deep and starch and the added film-form- rounding the wheat starch molecules is disrupted and the starch
frozen products such as precooked ing products play an important role. granules are damaged or cracked.
potatoes and fries to protect the In tempura batters the fluidity of the ■ Increased cold viscosity because the amylase can escape more eas-
crispiness. To guarantee optimal batter plays in important role in ily from the starch granules.
■ Uniform layer thickness through improved rheological properties.
working, the battered product should determining a uniform layer thick-
■ Improved enzymatic and microbiological stability.
not be thawed before preparation. ness.
For an effective coating it is impor-
Batter properties tant that the batter ‘dries’ as quickly
Batters must fulfil a large number of as possible during preparation. The responsible for the break down of
criteria. It is essential that they bind setting rate is the measuring stick the wheat germ and starch.
well to the product, and it must be for determining whether a product Depending on the amount of protein
possible to control the thickness of quickly sets and then dries. Setting and the type of treatment, wheat
the final batter layer. The amount of is followed by the application of flour also influences the colour of
batter clinging to the product after starch to prevent moistures loss the final batter layer. Fully cooked
application is called pick-up. from the product and minimise the cereals are also used in adhesion
The adhesion demands vary per uptake of oil. The browning rate is batters. Other types of flour are
product. An optimal stickability on important because some products often used in complex tempura bat-
the surface area, which is almost must be cooked for longer than oth- ters. Rice flour for example achieves
always uneven by nature, is very ers, depending on the thickness, greater crispiness because the starch
important to prevent the rupturing weight, and type. particles are smaller. Corn flour
or ‘blowing off’ of the coating. imparts a specific colour and
Adhesion depends on the amount Functionality of ingredients improves crispiness. Special waxy
and ratios of fat, protein and water Flour corn flour and a high amylase corn
on the surface of the product. A bat- Flour is the main ingredient of most flour have an advantageous effect on
ter must bind to both the hydropho- adhesion and tempura batters (Table the stiffness and film-forming prop-
bic and hydrophilic parts of the 1). Wheat flour achieves, in compar- erties of the batter.
product surface. The amount of pro- ison with starch, a superior batter Starch
tein contained in the wheat flour adhesion on the product and con- The use of native starch improves
plays an important role, but even tributes to a more cohesive structure the cohesion of the stiffened starch
more important is the degree to in the final batter layer. Often flour in the final batter layer. Modified
which the protein is available to types are used which have under-
bind on the product surface. This is gone a specific treatment to make TABLE 1 - GENERAL COMPOSITION OF BATTERS
closely related to how the protein is them more suitable for use in batter Ingredients Simple Complex Simple Complex
adhesion adhesion tempura tempura
distributed and to what degree it is and improve functionality. The
Wheat flour 50-90 80 45-65
dissolved or dispersed. improved functionality achieved by Cooked flour 100 0-10 0-10
In addition to the primary binding heat treatment and other methods Corn flour, Rice flour 10-50
properties the underlying cohesion ensures that the viscosity of the bat- Starch 5-30 20 5-30
of the batter is important to main- ter is high. This has a positive effect Oil 0-5
Sugar, Maltodextrines 0-3 0-3
tain quality. There is a close rela- on pick up and cohesion. Heat treat-
Salt, herbs 0-5 0-5
tionship between batter viscosity ment of the flour has a positive Baking powder 0-3
and thickness of the batter layer effect on the rheology and microbio- Hydrocolloid 0-0.8
The fluidity of the batter mix deter- logical stability of the batter as it Whey powder 0-3 0-3
mines whether the batter spreads dramatically lowers the enzyme Total 100 100 100 100
Water 300-1000 200-1000 100-200 100-200
uniformly (smoothly) over the activity (amylase), which is

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B
Batters

enables water to evaporate away afterwards would not stick, increas-

The functions of batter from the product during deep frying ing the risk that the batter layer
■ Improved and varied colour, taste and
without ‘blowing off’ the batter. would not stick.
aroma
■ Improved crispiness
Sugars, maltodextrine and protein Hydrocolloids
■ Improved shelf life Sugars and proteins are added to Hydrocolloids are often used in
■ Reduced moisture loss improve colour. Often the level of complex tempura batters. The most
■ Reduced uptake of moisture during protein in the wheat flour is suffi- commonly used are xanthaangom
warm storage cient for it to work together with the and guargom to improve viscosity
starch present to achieve the correct and film-forming. In transparent bat-
colour via the Maillaird reaction. ters, such as those applied to French
starches are often used to correct Herbs, spices and salt fries, hydroxy propyl methyl cellu-
viscosity, improve adhesion and These are added to improve flavour. lose is used.
achieve a more open structure. Salt also lowers the freezing point of Oil
Modified starches slow the setting deep frozen products. This is espe- Oil is used in products intended for
rate, which can be a disadvantage. cially important in the application microwave use. It ensures that the
Baking powders of adhesion batters on deep frozen product remains crispier because it
Baking powders achieve an open products. If the batter layer were to reduce the absorption of moisture
structure in the batter layer. This freeze immediately, crumbles added from the air. PPM

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