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Madison Garcia

Mrs. Stevens

Life Science

31 January 2018

Does Food Dye Affect Baking Temperature?

Did you know that there are many different types of food dye? In fact, there are 6

different kinds. The average temperature for baking cookies is 350 degrees C for 8-12

minutes. This experiment involves baking cookies with food dye, and baking cookies

without food dye. I hypothesized that, ​If I bake cookies with and without food coloring,

then the cookies without food coloring will take shorter time to bake.

How Is Food Dye Made?

Food Dye is mostly made out of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and chemicals. Dye is

made with the help of white light, in which the chemicals absorb it ​(Rohrig). However, red

dye​ is made of cochineal bugs. How it’s made is they grind the bugs into a powder

substance, and the powder turns red, then they mix it with water, turning it into red dye

(Herreia). ​Dyes come in forms like powders, liquids, pastes, and gels. With all the

chemicals in food coloring, it can cause allergic reactions or health issues ​(Tsakos).

What Are the Differences Between Types of Food Dye? And When Are They Used?

The different types of dye are liquid, liquid gel, gel, gel paste, powder, and natural

dye. Liquid dye can affect baking times and the ratio of the ingredients. It is used for

coloring frosting and dough. Liquid gel dye is a thick liquid, and can be harder for the

dough to soak in, and leaves a swirl-looking effect in the dough. Gel dye is used in cakes or
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cookies that require a lot of dye like red velvet. Gel paste dye is a very concentrated liquid

dye, very thick, and used in anything with needing a lot of coloring. Gel paste lasts

practically forever, and is very difficult to add the right amount, usually, people add too

much. Powder dye is used for a little bit of color in dough. However, it's difficult to mix

into the batter. Natural food coloring comes from natural resources and plants. It's much

more healthier than fake dyes, but it won’t easily make a bright color. It's normally used in

allergy-free breads, cakes, cookies, etc ​(Jessie).

How Do Ovens Work?

There are two types of ovens, electric fan ovens and gas ovens. Electric fan ovens

bake faster than regular electric ovens and the fan controls the heat, which is in turn

controlled by a thermostat. Gas ovens are activated by natural gases, and cools down

quicker. However, electric fan ovens are easier to clean than gas ovens. Although, gas

ovens are cheaper than electric ovens. Gas ovens don’t come with fans, so the heat might

spread unevenly. ​(Smith)

What Temperature Is Recommended for Baking Cookies? Why?

The recommended temperature for baking cookies is 350 degrees F, or 175 degrees

C for 8-12 minutes. However, the temperature of the ingredients matter as well. You should

have the ingredients at room temperature ​(Staff). ​350 degrees probably came from an old

recipe that had a “moderate oven”, an oven that didn't have numbers telling you what

temperature it was at. Sometimes people bake their cookies at 375 degrees F to speed up

the baking time a little or for crispier cookies ​(Lawandi). ​ Chewier cookies take less time in

the oven, crispier cookies take more time ​(Staff).

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How Do You Measure the Temperature of Cookies While Baking?

How to measure the temperature of cookies while baking is to use an oven

thermometer so that you can see the real temperature of the inside of the oven. Normally,

ovens tend to be wrong, and the thermometer is more accurate ​(Staff). ​Thermometers do all

the work, so you no longer have to guess the real temperature if you have an oven

thermometer ​(Bilow).​We have very little power over our ovens. Some people say when the

oven is at 350 degrees, it was more like 380 degrees. Ovens normally say ​around ​what the

temperature is really like ​(Palmer).

Why Is Baking Considered a Chemical Reaction?

There are two types of chemical reactions, exothermic and endothermic.

Exothermic reactions gives off heat, and endothermic reactions absorb, or take in heat.

Cookies absorb the heat, an endothermic reaction, making them rise (Education). While the

substances are reacting, gases form, but you can't see it. However, you can smell it

(VanCleave).​ This is why you can smell cookies baking from the second floor of your

house, because heat rises. Chemical reactions happen when one or more substances are

combined into one ​(VanCleave).

I hypothesized that, ​If I bake cookies with and without food coloring, then the

cookies without food coloring will take shorter time to bake. ​As a result, the consistency of

the cookies with food coloring were a little different than the cookies without food

coloring. The cookies with the food coloring were a little softer and easier to break than the

regular sugar cookies. The temperature of the cookies stayed the same. The temperature

ranged from 95 degrees to 101 degrees. When I did my experiment, it turns out that I was
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wrong, and the cookies with the food coloring took less time than the regular sugar cookies.
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Works Cited

Allrecipes.” Allrecipes Dish, 31 Mar. 2017, ​www.dish.allrecipes.com/perfect-cookies/​.

Bilow, Rochelle. “11 Things You Need to Do to Make Your Baked Goods Better.” Bon

Appetit, Bon AppÉTit, 21 Oct. 2014,

www.bonappetit.com/test-kitchen/cooking-tips/article/make-baked-good-better​.

education.com. “Chemistry of Baking - Is Baking a Cake a Chemical Change? |

Activity.”Chemistry of Baking - Is Baking a Cake a Chemical Change? | Activity |

Education.com, Education.com, 26 Mar. 2014,

www.education.com/activity/article/Bake_Cake_fifth/​.

Herreria, Carla. “You Know What Red Food Dye Is Made Of, Right?” The Huffington

Post, TheHuffingtonPost.com, 12 July 2017,

www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/red-food-dye-cochineal-bugs_us_56fafd25e4b083f5c605f3

dd​.

Jessie Oleson Moore on October 2, 2013 Favorited . “Types of Food Coloring: A Look at

Liquids, Gels & More.” The Craftsy Blog, CRAFTSY & SYMPOZ INC., 29 Sept.

2015, ​www.craftsy.com/blog/2013/10/types-of-food-coloring/​.

Lawandi, Janice. “What's So Special About 350ºF?” Kitchn, Apartment Therapy, LLC., 17

Apr. 2015, ​www.thekitchn.com/whats-so-special-about-350-f-food-science-217960​.

Palmer, Brian. “A Brief History of Oven Temperature—and Why It’s Not as Exact as You

Think.” Slate Magazine, 7 Aug. 2012,

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www.slate.com/articles/life/food/2012/08/bake_at_350_degrees_oven_temperature

_is_uncontrollable_and_we_should_stop_trying_to_micromanage_it_.html​.

Rohrig, Brian. “The Chemistry of Food Colorings.” American Chemical Society, American

Chemical Society, 2017,

www.acs.org/content/acs/en/education/resources/highschool/chemmatters/past-issues/2015

-2016/october-2015/food-colorings.html​.

Smith, Jenny. “How Do Ovens Work? | Kitchen Appliances.” Service Force, 25 June 2014,

www.serviceforce.co.uk/blog/kitchen-appliances/kitchen-appliances-ovens-work/​.

Staff, Allrecipes. “How to Bake Perfect Cookies From Scratch - Allrecipes.” Allrecipes

Dish, 31 Mar. 2017, ​www.dish.allrecipes.com/perfect-cookies/​.

Strand, Jessica. Kids in the Holiday Kitchen. Chronicle Books, 2008.

tsakos, Lisa. “What Is Food Coloring?” Natural and Organic Products, GMO Free Foods,

Living Healthy Lifestyle Tips, Agility Inc. , 2017,

naturallysavvy.com/eat/what-is-food-coloring.

VanCleave, Janice. “Chemical Reactions:Cake Baking.” VanCleave's Science Fun, Janice

Van Cleave, 30 Aug. 2011,

www.scienceprojectideasforkids.com/2010/chemical-reactionscake-baking/.