Unlocking the Potential of Herbs in Professional Baking
Infuse it, flavour it, garnish it or decorate it- herbs can be a great addition to any bakery's repertoire, if they are used appropriately and in moderation. Herbs have long been used in the professional bakery industry to add unique flavours, aromas & visual appeal while also providing health benefits and aesthetic value to baked goods.
Whether it's a classic combination like rosemary & bread, or a more adventurous pairing like lavender & cupcakes- herbs can be used in a variety of forms in baking, including fresh, dried, and powdered. They can be incorporated into doughs, batters, frostings & fillings, or used as a topping or garnish.
1. Mint: A refreshing herb that can be used in cakes, cookies, creams, frostings, chocolates, sorbets & ice cream. Its cooling and slightly sweet flavour is perfect for desserts. Peppermint & spearmint are the most common varieties used in confectionery. It pairs well with chocolate and fruits like berries and citrus.
2. Parsley: A fresh, slightly pleasant flavour and is often used in savoury baked goods like bread, crackers, and biscuits. It can also be used in sweet baked goods like shortbread/scones or as a flavouring parsley oil. Dried parsley can also be added to the doughs, breadcrumbs or used to season savoury pastries.
3. Basil: A herb with sweet, slightly peppery flavour and can be used in sweet baked goods like cakes, cupcakes, and ice cream, as well as in savoury baked goods like focaccia bread or pizza. It pairs well with fruits like strawberries, peaches, and raspberries.
4. Lavender: A fragrant herb that is often used in desserts like cookies, cakes, and ice cream. Its floral & slightly sweet flavour adds a unique touch & royal purple colour to baked goods. It pairs well with citrus flavours and adds a unique aroma to baked goods.
5. Cilantro: A popular herb that can be used in baking to add a fresh, citrusy flavour to dishes. Dried coriander can also be added to the doughs, breadcrumbs or used to season savoury pastries. It surprisingly pairs well with chocolate and can be used to add a unique flavour to savoury pastries, breads, crackers & biscuits.
6. Thyme: A herb that is often used in savoury dishes like bread, pizza & focaccia but it can also be used in sweet baked goods like shortbread cookies. Its earthy and slightly minty flavour is a great addition to buttery baked goods.
7. Sage: It has a slightly bitter, earthy flavour and is often used in savoury baked goods like bread, biscuits & toppings. It can also be used in sweet baked goods like shortbread and scones.
8. Rosemary: A fragrant woody, aromatic herb that goes well with savoury dishes, but it can also be used in sweet baked goods like bread and biscuits. Its fragrant and slightly piney flavour pairs well with honey and citrus flavours. It can also add a unique flavour to baked goods, especially bread, quiches & tarts. Simply chop up some fresh rosemary leaves and mix them into your bread or pastry dough before baking. You can also add dried rosemary to scones or biscuits for a savoury twist.
9. Oregano: A flavourful herb that works well in savoury baked goods like pizza crust and focaccia. It can be chopped finely and mixed into the dough or used as a topping with salt and olive oil.
A major thing to keep in mind for the bakery uses of herbs in the professional bakery industry is to use herbs that complement the flavor profile of the baked goods being produced. This involves careful consideration of the flavour and aroma of the herbs, as well as their intensity, as they can easily overpower the other ingredients in the recipe.
It's also important to ensure that the herbs being used are fresh and of high quality. Dried herbs may be suitable for certain recipes, but fresh herbs often provide a more vibrant flavour and aroma. Lastly, it's important to carefully measure the herbs and incorporate them into the recipe in a consistent manner to ensure that the final product has a balanced flavour profile. This can involve experimenting with different amounts of herbs and different methods of incorporation, such as adding them to the dough, sprinkling them on top, or infusing them into a glaze or filling.
SwissBake® range of professional mixes include some unique herb-based products like lavender berry cake/cookie mixes, pestini & pomodori spice blends, savoury cheese waffle mix, pizza sugo powder, spicy plum cake mix and holiday cookie mix to name a few that can add some character to your bakery menu. For more information on our baking solutions, visit the products section of our website click here
Whether it's a classic combination like rosemary & bread, or a more adventurous pairing like lavender & cupcakes- herbs can be used in a variety of forms in baking, including fresh, dried, and powdered. They can be incorporated into doughs, batters, frostings & fillings, or used as a topping or garnish.
1. Mint: A refreshing herb that can be used in cakes, cookies, creams, frostings, chocolates, sorbets & ice cream. Its cooling and slightly sweet flavour is perfect for desserts. Peppermint & spearmint are the most common varieties used in confectionery. It pairs well with chocolate and fruits like berries and citrus.
2. Parsley: A fresh, slightly pleasant flavour and is often used in savoury baked goods like bread, crackers, and biscuits. It can also be used in sweet baked goods like shortbread/scones or as a flavouring parsley oil. Dried parsley can also be added to the doughs, breadcrumbs or used to season savoury pastries.
3. Basil: A herb with sweet, slightly peppery flavour and can be used in sweet baked goods like cakes, cupcakes, and ice cream, as well as in savoury baked goods like focaccia bread or pizza. It pairs well with fruits like strawberries, peaches, and raspberries.
4. Lavender: A fragrant herb that is often used in desserts like cookies, cakes, and ice cream. Its floral & slightly sweet flavour adds a unique touch & royal purple colour to baked goods. It pairs well with citrus flavours and adds a unique aroma to baked goods.
5. Cilantro: A popular herb that can be used in baking to add a fresh, citrusy flavour to dishes. Dried coriander can also be added to the doughs, breadcrumbs or used to season savoury pastries. It surprisingly pairs well with chocolate and can be used to add a unique flavour to savoury pastries, breads, crackers & biscuits.
6. Thyme: A herb that is often used in savoury dishes like bread, pizza & focaccia but it can also be used in sweet baked goods like shortbread cookies. Its earthy and slightly minty flavour is a great addition to buttery baked goods.
7. Sage: It has a slightly bitter, earthy flavour and is often used in savoury baked goods like bread, biscuits & toppings. It can also be used in sweet baked goods like shortbread and scones.
8. Rosemary: A fragrant woody, aromatic herb that goes well with savoury dishes, but it can also be used in sweet baked goods like bread and biscuits. Its fragrant and slightly piney flavour pairs well with honey and citrus flavours. It can also add a unique flavour to baked goods, especially bread, quiches & tarts. Simply chop up some fresh rosemary leaves and mix them into your bread or pastry dough before baking. You can also add dried rosemary to scones or biscuits for a savoury twist.
9. Oregano: A flavourful herb that works well in savoury baked goods like pizza crust and focaccia. It can be chopped finely and mixed into the dough or used as a topping with salt and olive oil.
A major thing to keep in mind for the bakery uses of herbs in the professional bakery industry is to use herbs that complement the flavor profile of the baked goods being produced. This involves careful consideration of the flavour and aroma of the herbs, as well as their intensity, as they can easily overpower the other ingredients in the recipe.
It's also important to ensure that the herbs being used are fresh and of high quality. Dried herbs may be suitable for certain recipes, but fresh herbs often provide a more vibrant flavour and aroma. Lastly, it's important to carefully measure the herbs and incorporate them into the recipe in a consistent manner to ensure that the final product has a balanced flavour profile. This can involve experimenting with different amounts of herbs and different methods of incorporation, such as adding them to the dough, sprinkling them on top, or infusing them into a glaze or filling.
SwissBake® range of professional mixes include some unique herb-based products like lavender berry cake/cookie mixes, pestini & pomodori spice blends, savoury cheese waffle mix, pizza sugo powder, spicy plum cake mix and holiday cookie mix to name a few that can add some character to your bakery menu. For more information on our baking solutions, visit the products section of our website click here
