Richard Galloway: There was an extensive test of baking fats done on laminated doughs by Stratas Foods on behalf of the United Soybean Board. The test compared puff pastries made with high oleic soybean shortening, conventional soybean shortening, palm shortening and butter.

A summary video of the puff pastry functionality testing results may be viewed here.

LP: How does high oleic soybean shortening meet the baking industry’s need for a functional, sustainable ingredient for puff pastries?

RG: Using high oleic soybean oil as the liquid fraction for interesterified shortenings creates a fatty acid profile very similar to former partially hydrogenated shortenings.¹ Consequently, these shortenings are virtual drop-ins for previous highly functional PHO shortenings.² Soy-based baker’s shortening outperformed palm, and even the original partially hydrogenated shortenings in puff pastry applications in terms of finished bake height and structure, as well as desired honeycomb texture, which adds to overall likeability.³ Soy-based solutions also performed on par with butter, which is considered the “gold standard” for puff pastry.⁴

The ideal puff pastry will show even layer separation and puff height, and maintain height after baking. The palm-based baker’s margarine produced pastries with the least amount of height, resulting in pockets rather than layers in finished rolled and baked dough.⁵ While butter-based pastries showcased the greatest height, the layers toppled over after baking.⁶ Puff pastries made with high oleic soybean baker’s margarine produced the ideal height and even honeycomb layers.⁷ Not to mention, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cites that oils high in oleic acid, such as high oleic soybean oil, may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. A win-win for functionality and health benefits.⁸ The full health claim reads: “Supportive but not conclusive scientific evidence suggests that daily consumption of about 1½ tablespoons (20 grams) of oils containing high levels of oleic acid, may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. To achieve this possible benefit, oleic acid-containing oils should replace fats and oils higher in saturated fat and not increase the total number of calories you eat in a day.”

These domestic products, grown by U.S. farmers, provide a highly sustainable and very manageable supply chain.⁹ The soybeans from which the oil is derived are produced using sustainable farming methods.¹⁰

LP: How does soy-based baker’s margarine meet this need?

RG: Soy-based baker’s margarines contain no tropical oils and have the functionality benefits of a soybean shortening.¹¹ They are domestic soybean-based shortenings that offer a creamier, more consistent texture and a wider temperature.¹² In my experience, bakers have raved about them as being smooth as silk and consistent from cube to cube. These are especially excellent in sweet goods, Danishes and pie doughs.

References:

1. Functionality tests conducted in 2016 by QUALISOY in collaboration with Stratas Foods LLC [attached]
2. Functionality tests conducted in 2016 by QUALISOY in collaboration with Stratas Foods LLC [attached]
3. Puff Pastry functionality tests conducted in 2018 by QUALISOY in collaboration with Stratas Foods LLC [attached]
4. Puff Pastry functionality tests conducted in 2018 by QUALISOY in collaboration with Stratas Foods LLC [attached]
5. Puff Pastry functionality tests conducted in 2018 by QUALISOY in collaboration with Stratas Foods LLC [attached]
6. Puff Pastry functionality tests conducted in 2018 by QUALISOY in collaboration with Stratas Foods LLC [attached]
7. Puff Pastry functionality tests conducted in 2018 by QUALISOY in collaboration with Stratas Foods LLC [attached]
8. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. “Soybean Oil and Reduced Risk of Coronary Heart Disease.” https://www.fda.gov/media/106649/download. July 31, 2017.
9. United Soybean Board. http://unitedsoybean.org/media-center/issue-briefs/sustainability/
10. United Soybean Board. http://unitedsoybean.org/media-center/issue-briefs/sustainability/
11. Puff Pastry functionality tests conducted in 2018 by QUALISOY in collaboration with Stratas Foods LLC [attached]
12. Puff Pastry functionality tests conducted in 2018 by QUALISOY in collaboration with Stratas Foods LLC [attached]