The chemistry of cookies - Stephanie Warren

餅乾化學 - 史蒂芬妮·華倫 Stephanie Warren

譯者: Regina Chu 審譯者: 盧 曉天

In a time-lapse video, it looks like a monster coming alive.

在縮時影片裡

它看起來就像一隻怪物活了過來

For a moment, it sits there innocuously.

前一刻，它還無害地坐在那裡

Then, ripples move across its surface.

突然，波紋在其表面浮動

It bulges outwards, bursting with weird boils.

它向外凸出

爆出奇怪的沸騰

It triples in volume.

體積長大了三倍

Its color darkens ominously, and its surface hardens

它的顏色變成不祥的暗黑

而且它的表面變硬

into an alien topography of peaks and craters.

成為外星地形的山峰火口

Then, the kitchen timer dings.

然後，廚房的計時器響了

Your cookie is ready.

你的餅乾烤好了

What happened inside that oven?

在烤箱裡發生了什麼事？

Don't let the apron deceive you!

不要被圍裙給騙了！

Bakers are mad scientists.

糕點師傅是瘋狂科學家

When you slide the pan into the oven,

當你把烤盤放入烤箱

you're setting off a series of chemical reactions

你就掀起一連串的化學反應

that transform one substance, dough, into another, cookies.

把一種物質，即麵糰

轉變成另外一種，即餅乾

When the dough reaches 92 degrees Fahrenheit,

當麵糰溫度升到華氏 92 度 （33˚C)

the butter inside melts,

裡面的奶油開始融化

causing the dough to start spreading out.

使得麵糰開始向外攤開

Butter is an emulsion,

奶油是一種乳化劑

or mixture of two substances

也就是把兩種

that don't want to stay together,

不能互融的物質混在一起的東西

in this case, water and fat,

在這個例子裡，水和油脂

along with some dairy solids that help hold them together.

要靠一些固狀乳製品

幫助它們混合在一起

As the butter melts, its trapped water is released.

奶油融化時

其中的水分被釋放出來

And as the cookie gets hotter, the water expands into steam.

而隨著餅乾愈來愈熱

水分膨脹成為蒸氣

It pushes against the dough from the inside,

它在裡內推擠麵糰

trying to escape through the cookie walls

試著要從餅乾外層脫出

like Ridley Scott's chest-bursting alien.

就像雷利·史考特電影裡 從胸部爆衝出的異形

你的蛋極可能已成為

Your eggs may have been home to squirming salmonella bacteria.

蠕蠕作動的沙門氏桿菌的家

An estimated 142,000 Americans are infected this way each year.

估計約有十四萬二千美國人

每年都以這種方式感染

Though salmonella can live for weeks outside a living body

雖然沙門氏桿菌可以存活

在身體外數週

and even survive freezing,

且甚至能在凍結的環境下存活

136 degrees is too hot for them.

但華氏 136 度（57.7 ˚C ） 對它們就太熱了

When your dough reaches that temperature, they die off.

當你的麵糰升到那個溫度

他們就死光了

You'll live to test your fate with a bite of raw dough

你會活著以考驗你的命運

就是從下一批麵團

you sneak from your next batch.

偷吃一口

At 144 degrees, changes begin in the proteins,

在華氏 144 度 （62.2 ˚C）蛋白質開始變化

which come mostly from the eggs in your dough.

這些蛋白質大部分來自你麵糰裡的蛋

Eggs are composed of dozens of different kinds of proteins,

蛋是由數十種

不同的蛋白質組成

each sensitive to a different temperature.

每一種都對不同的溫度有反應

In an egg fresh from the hen,

在一個剛由母雞下出來的蛋裡

these proteins look like coiled up balls of string.

這些蛋白質看起來就像一團毛線球

When they're exposed to heat energy,

當他們暴露在熱能下

the protein strings unfold and get tangled up with their neighbors.

蛋白質鏈會打開

並與旁邊的鏈糾結在一起

This linked structure

這種鏈接結構使得

makes the runny egg nearly solid,

水狀蛋白幾乎凝固

giving substance to squishy dough.

給予溼軟的麵糰紮實感

Water boils away at 212 degrees,

水在 212 度 （100 ˚C）沸騰

so like mud baking in the sun,

所以就像泥團在太陽下烤乾

your cookie gets dried out and it stiffens.

你的餅乾變乾變硬

Cracks spread across its surface.

裂縫分佈在表面上

The steam that was bubbling inside evaporates,

在裡頭冒泡的水蒸氣蒸發了

leaving behind airy pockets that make the cookie light and flaky.

留下了空洞

這使得餅乾變得鬆脆

Helping this along is your leavening agent,

幫助這件事完成的是你的蓬鬆劑

sodium bicarbonate,

碳酸氫鈉

or baking soda.

或稱小蘇打粉

The sodium bicarbonate reacts with acids in the dough

碳酸氫鈉在麵糰裡

與酸起反應

to create carbon dioxide gas, which makes airy pockets in your cookie.

產生二氧化碳氣體

這在餅乾裡產生小孔洞

Now, it's nearly ready for a refreshing dunk

現在它幾乎已經準備好 可以爽快浸入

in a cool glass of milk.

冰涼的牛奶裡

One of science's tastiest reactions

在科學上最美味的反應

occurs at 310 degrees.

發生在 310 度 （154 ˚C）

This is the temperature for Maillard reactions.

這是梅納反應的溫度

Maillard reactions result

梅納反應發生於

when proteins and sugars break down and rearrange themselves,

蛋白質與糖分解

及重新排列時

forming ring-like structures,

形成環狀結構

which reflect light in a way

這種結構能在某種程度上反射光影

that gives foods like Thanksgiving turkey

賦予食物如感恩節火雞

and hamburgers

或漢堡

their distinctive, rich brown color.

他們獨特的深褐色

As this reaction occurs,

隨著這個反應發生

it produces a range of flavor and aroma compounds,

它產生一系列的風味及香味化合物

which also react with each other,

這些也同時彼此反應

forming even more complex tastes and smells.

形成更複雜的味道及香味

焦糖化則是最後

Caramelization is the last reaction

to take place inside your cookie.

發生在你的餅乾中的反應

Caramelization is what happens

焦糖化發生在

when sugar molecules break down under high heat,

糖分子在高熱下分解時

forming the sweet, nutty,

形成香甜具堅果風味

and slightly bitter flavor compounds that define, well, caramel.

還帶一點苦味的化合物

這也是，嗯，焦糖的定義

And, in fact, if your recipe calls for a 350 degree oven,

並且實際上，如果你的食譜 要設烤箱在 350 度 （177 ˚C）

it'll never happen,

焦糖化永遠不會發生

since caramelization starts at 356 degrees.

因為焦糖化於 356 度（180 ˚C）開始

If your ideal cookie is barely browned,

如果你理想中的餅乾是幾乎沒有褐變

like a Northeasterner on a beach vacation,

就像美國東北白佬 在海灘度假一樣曬不黑

you could have set your oven to 310 degrees.

你可以設定烤箱在 310 度（154 ˚C）

If you like your cookies to have a nice tan,

如果你要你的餅乾有個不錯的棕褐色

crank up the heat.

就把溫度調高點

Caramelization continues up to 390 degrees.

焦糖化持續發生直到 390 度（199 ˚C）

And here's another trick:

而這裡還有另一個小撇步

you don't need that kitchen timer;

你不需要那個廚用計時器

your nose is a sensitive scientific instrument.

你的鼻子就是最靈敏的科學儀器

When you smell the nutty, toasty aromas

當你聞到那種像堅果般有點焦焦的香味

of the Maillard reaction and caramelization,

從梅納反映及焦糖化而來

your cookies are ready.

你的餅乾就烤好了

Grab your glass of milk,

給自己拿杯牛奶

put your feet up,

翹起二郎腿

and reflect that science can be pretty sweet.

體現一下科學也可以非常甜蜜