The Role Of Sugar In Baking

The role of sugar in baking is far more complex than just to add sweetness.

One thing I get asked over and over again is, can we reduce the sugar in a recipe?

Whilst we all know the obvious function of sugar in baking is to provide sweetness, it actually serves many other important functions as well.

WHAT IS SUGAR?

Sugar is a sweet substance that is made up of a molecule known as sucrose. Sucrose, whilst found in all plants, is available in very high quantities in cane sugar. Therefore, this is where almost all of our sugar for baking is derived from.

Yes, there are plenty of other sugars out there that can be used in baking other than cane sugar, but for the purpose of this blog I am going to focus on the number one sugar used in baking.  

CANE SUGAR IN ITS MANY FORMS

White table sugar – White crystalised sugar made from sugar cane. It undergoes additional refining to remove molasses which is why it is white in colour and relatively neutral in taste.

Caster sugar - Also known as super fine sugar. A finer grade of white sugar. This is the main sugar used in baking. Due to its smaller particles, it is more readily dissolved when incorporated into bakes.

Icing sugar – Also known as confectioners’ sugar. Used to make icings, sweetening fillings and sprinkling over the top of desserts. It comes in ‘pure’, which has no additives to keep it from forming lumps. It is also available as ‘icing sugar mixture’ which has been blended with a small amount of cornflour to prevent it from becoming lumpy.

Brown sugar – Brown sugars are made by coating white sugar crystals in a molasses like syrup. The darker the sugar, the more molasses it contains, and the stronger the caramelised flavour will be. Brown sugar retains more moisture than white sugar because the syrup attracts moisture.

Muscovado sugar - Whereas brown sugar has a molasses syrup added to the sugar particles, muscovado sugar is made from evaporated sugar cane juice and is not refined. It is naturally processed and free from any harmful chemicals that are often used to make other types of sugar. It is also nutritionally rich as it retains all the natural minerals and vitamins found in the sugar cane juice.

Raw sugar – Also known as turbinado sugar, is light brown in colour and comes in crystalized form. While table sugar is white, raw sugar is light brown because it is less refined and, as a result, contains more of the natural molasses present in sugar cane.

Demerara sugar - A type of sugar resulting from a process of partially refining cane sugar while retaining more of the molasses for flavour, compared to raw sugar.

SUGAR’S FUNCTIONS IN BAKING

Sugar plays many roles in baking, and whilst we would all like to reduce the sugar in a recipe from time to time, it could lead to an inferior bake. Apart from adding sweetness, sugar also provides structure, texture, and colour to baked goods.

SUGAR SWEETENS & FLAVOURS

The first and most obvious role of sugar in baking is that it adds sweetness and flavour.

Whilst granulated sugar is a fairly simple tasting sweetness, other varieties of sugar, such as brown sugar or demerara sugar, add more depth of flavour in addition to the sweetness.

SUGAR HELPS WITH BROWNING

Because of the way sugar caramelises when heated, it also promotes browning. Bakes with higher ratios of sugar will brown more quickly and easily than bakes with a little or no sugar present.

SUGAR HOLDS ONTO MOISTURE & TENDERISES

Sugar has hygroscopic properties, which means that it attracts and holds onto moisture. Because of this, bakes that include sugar don't tend to go dry and stale as quickly as bakes made without sugar.

Because sugar holds onto moisture, the liquid isn’t as easily absorbed by the flour. This delays gluten development which in turn, results in a tender bake.

SUGAR HELPS BAKES TO RISE

When sugar is creamed with butter it creates pockets of air that get trapped between the two ingredients. This air lightens and helps baked goods to rise.

But even if creaming butter and sugar is not part of the process, sugar can still provide structure because of its ability to hold onto water. As a bake heats up in the oven it creates steam, and as a result it, produces lift. 

SUGAR STABILIZES 

When sugar is beaten into egg whites, for example, when making a meringue, the sugar begins to dissolve and starts to take up space between the air bubbles being beaten into the egg whites. It’s what helps the meringue to become thick and glossy. The sugar also helps to encourage more proteins gather on the surface of the air bubbles, which then makes the meringue even more stable.

SO, CAN YOU REDUCE THE SUGAR IN A RECIPE?

When a recipe is developed, all of the factors above are taken into consideration. So, if you choose to reduce the sugar in a recipe you may not end up with the desired result.

So, in answer to the question as to whether you can or can't reduce the sugar in a recipe, I will almost always reply with “I don’t recommend you do” if you want it to turn out how the author of the recipe intended.

However, if you really must, you should be able to get away with reducing the sugar by 10 - 15% without seeing too much of a drastic change in texture and taste of a recipe. Any more than that, and I'm afraid you're on your own.

As always, it comes down to experimenting. If you choose to reduce the sugar in a recipe, and you're happy with the result...that's all that matters! 😉

As always, if you have any questions at all just let me know.

Happy Baking!

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