For my project, I wanted to create something that not everyone has had before which is, peach cobbler. Peach cobbler is a delicious southern treat that I learned how to make from my grandmother when I was around 13 years old. So to figure out the chemistry of one of my favorite dessert should be fun. The simplicity of peach Cobbler really is just peaches and crust. It's nothing else really to it.
The Science Of Peach Cobbler
Before you can even start with the filling of peach cobbler you have to start with the base which is the dough that goes on the bottom and top. The dough is created through a mixture of flour and water. Flour is made up of a combination of proteins, so when mixed with water it creates a gluten. Gluten helps food maintain their shape, acting as a glue that holds foods together. Just like eggs, gluten hardens when heat is placed. So if there isn’t enough heat being placed the dough will remain raw but if it’s too much it will be hard as a rock.
This is what happens to glutenin when combined with water
Experiment and Results
The independent variable in my experiment was the temperature in the cobbler would cooking. Everything else from the ingredients to the amount and even cooking dish was kept the same.
The Science Of Peach Cobbler
Before you can even start with the filling of peach cobbler you have to start with the base which is the dough that goes on the bottom and top. The dough is created through a mixture of flour and water. Flour is made up of a combination of proteins, so when mixed with water it creates a gluten. Gluten helps food maintain their shape, acting as a glue that holds foods together. Just like eggs, gluten hardens when heat is placed. So if there isn’t enough heat being placed the dough will remain raw but if it’s too much it will be hard as a rock.
Experiment and Results
The independent variable in my experiment was the temperature in the cobbler would cooking. Everything else from the ingredients to the amount and even cooking dish was kept the same.
Recipe and Instructions
1. Add the sliced peaches, sugar and salt to a saucepan and stir to combine
2. Cook on medium heat for just a few minutes, until the sugar is dissolved and helped to bring out some of the juices from the peaches
3. Remove from heat and set aside
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
5. Slice butter into pieces and add to a 9x13 inch baking dish
6. Place the pan into the oven while it preheats, to allow the butter to melt. Once melted, remove the pan from the oven
7. In a large bowl mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir in milk or water just until everything is combined. Pour the mixture into the pan, over the melted butter and smooth it into an even layer
8. Spoon the peaches and juice over the batter
9. Sprinkle cinnamon generously over the top. Bake for 40 minutes at 350 degrees F. Serve warm, with a scoop of ice cream, if desired.
Trail One- 350 Degrees
The crust was golden and flaky. I noticed that the bottom cooked faster than the top. It was really good.
Trail Two- 300 Degrees
The top was very undercooked after being in the oven for over 30 minutes. The bottom of the pan had a lot of liquid still running out by the time I took it out of the oven. Nasty and purely raw.
Trail Three- 400 Degrees
The crust was browning after only being in the oven for 20 minutes. Bubbling on the sides of the pan. Peaches were mushy and very unappealing. The crust was extremely burnt after the 40 minutes was up.
To summarize my overall results, the two main differences that I saw while baking was the color and taste. The temperature played a big part in the overall outcome since the temperatures were different each trail, each trail had a different result. For the first trial, the gluten had time to raise and cook at a temperature that would allow it to cook throughout the cobbler completely. While the second trial causes the gluten to still remain raw seeing that it wasn’t enough heat from the oven for it to cook. The third trail gives the gluten too much heat causing it to become overly hard and burnt.
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