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Food investigation tasks and commentaries

Four examples of students' work to help you understand

how different marks are achieved and how to interpret the
marking criteria.

Version 1.0 May 2017

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Food investigation task
Example folder 1
GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition

Investigate the ingredients used for

bread making

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 GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition – Investigation task – Example folder 1

Chosen task: Investigate the ingredients used for bread making

Task analysis
To be able to answer the food investigation task I will carry out background research into the
ingredients used to make bread, particularly the types of flour that can be used. I will make use of
prior learning related to bread making, particularly the functions of ingredients. There are many
different types of bread available around the world including ciabatta, focaccia, soda bread,
chapattis, and naan bread. These breads all include different ingredients. When I have completed
the research I will carry out practical investigations based on the working and chemical properties
of ingredients for bread making.
Prior Learning: Working properties/Function of ingredients in bread.
Strong plain flour This has high gluten content. Gluten forms the structure of the bread.
Yeast Produces carbon dioxide gas known as fermentation.
Salt Stengthen gluten and adds flavour
Liquid Binds dry ingredients together, works with gluten to stretch the dough.
Liquid (water/milk) should be lukewarm to help the yeast to ferment.
Sugar This speeds up fermentation.

Research:
Flour is used in the making of bread, the protein in the flour, is called gluten. The gluten is used
because of its ability to stretch, be elastic, when kneaded; producing the structure of the bread.
Gluten also has the ability to hold pockets of gas produced by the yeast. Gluten aids in setting the
framework of the bread by coagulating when heated and therefore produces the structure. The
gluten is developed and strengthened through the kneading process
during bread making.
Wheat flour contains two proteins – glutenin and gliadin – which
connect with each other and water to form gluten. Stirring and
kneading increases gluten formation. The gluten catches the carbon
dioxide produced by the yeast and stretches, resulting in millions of
tiny bubbles.
https://pieinthewoods.wordpress.com/2012/11/28/pie-crust/

Different types of flours can be used when

making of bread, these flours include; plain
flour, strong plain flour, wholemeal flour and
granary flour. Each of these flours has a
different gluten content which causes both
physical and chemical changes to the bread.
The table which I sourced from a website shows the % of protein in flour. Plain flour has some
gluten content. Strong plain flour has the highest gluten content, which provides elasticity to the
bread dough producing the unique strong stretch when kneading.

Plain flour and strong plain flour has a 70% extraction rate, meaning it contains 70% of the original
grain; the bran and germ have both been removed from the grain.
Wholemeal flour contains gluten but has a high fibre content. Both wholemeal and granary flour
has bran included in the flour, and grain like texture because of the 100% extraction rate. This
extraction rate means that nothing has been removed from the wheat grain.

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 GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition – Investigation task – Example folder 1

Bran: The hard brown protective skin of the grain. It surrounds the germ and the
endosperm and protects the grain from environmental factors, such as weather,
insects, mould and bacteria. The bran includes dietary fibre which is required for the
body and B vitamins
Endosperm: The centre of the grain. The endosperm is equal to 83% of the whole
grain and contains the greatest share of the grains protein.
Germ: The embryo of the grain. It holds most of the fat and vitamin E of the whole
grain. It is usually separated because the fat limits the keeping quality of the flour.

Hypothesis:
My hypothesis which I am going to examine and test is that the most successful flour for bread
making is strong plain flour because it has a higher gluten content.

Investigation:
To test my hypothesis I am going to complete three investigations which all focus on a different
component of bread making:
• Investigation 1: Experiment with making bread rolls with different types of flour; Wholemeal,
Plain, Strong plain and Granary to examine the texture.
• Investigation 2: Gluten balls experiment. Make four dough mixtures with different flours and
remove the starch from the dough.

Investigation 1: Testing different flours for bread making

Different bread rolls were made, using the same process and techniques, with four different types
of flour; plain flour, strong plain flour, granary flour and wholemeal flour. These different types of
flour provide different textures, flavours, aromas, appearances and nutritional compositions.

Sample XYX: Wholemeal flour, salt, sugar, warm water, yeast

Sample ZYX: Strong plain flour, salt, sugar, warm water, yeast
Sample ZYY: Plain flour, salt, sugar, warm water, yeast
Sample ZZX: Granary flour, salt, sugar, warm water, yeast

Photographs provide a visual representation of the bread making process.

Testing panels were used when scoring the different samples. These scores were produced by 4
different tasters who provide a score of up to 5 for each sensory characteristic; the taste, texture,
aroma and appearance.

Sample Appearance Total Texture Total Taste Total Aroma Total Final
Total

XYX 3 3 3 4 13 3 3 3 3 12 3 2 3 3 11 3 3 2 2 10 46
ZYX 4 4 5 4 17 4 5 4 5 18 4 4 4 4 16 4 5 4 4 17 68

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 GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition – Investigation task – Example folder 1

ZYY 4 3 5 5 17 4 4 3 3 14 4 4 4 3 15 4 3 3 4 14 60
ZZX 3 3 4 3 13 4 4 3 3 14 3 4 3 3 13 4 2 3 3 12 52

The most successful sample was ZYX, the strong plain flour, which scored 68/80. The tasters
found the texture was the best characteristic scoring 18/20 because of its aerated framework. The
appearance and aroma both scored 17/20 showing that they were both successful aspects of the
samples. Sample ZYY, the plain flour, scored 60/80 by the testing panel. The testing panel found
that the appearance was good scoring 17/20. The texture scored 14/20 because the dough was
tight. Sample ZZX received a score of 52/80. It received a score of 14/20 for its crisp and aerated
texture. The least successful sample was XYX which received a score of 46/80. This sample was
not popular with the testing panel because it was dry and dense.

To conclude strong plain flour has an open structure because the gluten
has stretched. Wholemeal flour did rise and had a good structure but to
make it more open some strong plain flour needs to be added. Plain flour
has little gluten which made a heavy texture. Granary flour had a heavy
structure.

Investigation 2: Testing the amount of gluten in bread dough.

Four different types of bread rolls were made and the starch was extracted from the samples. This
occurred by washing the bread doughs and squeezing the starch and water from the wet dough.
This leaves the gluten which was then heated to coagulate the gluten.

Sample XYX was made from wholemeal flour. This sample produced little gluten it was difficult to
remove the starch from the dough. The sample had a light brown colour caused by the natural
colour of the bran on the grain.
Sample ZYX was made from granary flour. Similar to wholemeal flour it contains all of the
components of the grain, including the germ and the bran. The gluten from the flour was washed
away with the unwanted starch. This prevented from any results from being collected.
Sample ZYY was made from strong plain flour and included the most gluten. When the gluten was
heated it showed the strong open structure. The high gluten content allows this sample to be highly
suitable for bread making.
Sample ZZX was made from plain flour. This sample included less gluten and an open structure
was not created.
The sample which is most suitable for the bread making process is sample
ZYY (strong plain flour) because of the high gluten content which provides the
elastic property. With more time I could have weighed the dough before and
after testing to have a more accurate result.

Investigation 3: Testing the fermentation of yeast

I decided to carry out a further investigation on the conditions yeast needs to ferment successfully.

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 GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition – Investigation task – Example folder 1

I have tested the gluten content in bread I now wanted to find the best conditions for yeast to
release carbon dioxide.
Different samples of yeast were kept in different conditions and the amount of carbon dioxide
produced was measured using balloons. The carbon dioxide is produced by the yeast being
activated by warmth, food and time. The balloons were compared to see the amount of carbon
dioxide was produced.

Sample 1, the yellow balloon, produced the most carbon dioxide. This is
because it was kept in the perfect conditions for yeast growth. The yeast in
this test tube had access to food the sugar, warmth, the warm water and
being left at room temperature, and time. All of these conditions allowed the
yeast to produce as much carbon dioxide.
Sample 2, the red balloon, produced no carbon dioxide. The sample had time
and warmth however it had no sugar which meant that the yeast had no
access to food. This meant that the yeast would not activate and therefore no
carbon dioxide was produced.
Sample 3, the blue balloon, produced no carbon dioxide. This sample had
access to all of the necessary requirements such as food, time and warmth. However, the yeast
was in direct contact to the salt. This meant that yeast was killed before it was activated and
fermented. This prevented carbon dioxide from being produced.
Sample 4, the green balloon, had access to food and time however it was kept in refrigerated
conditions, 0°C to below 5°C. When the yeast was kept in this refrigerated condition some carbon
dioxide was produced but very slowly.
To conclude, the sample which produced the most carbon dioxide and is therefore most
appropriate for bread making is sample 1, with the yellow balloon. This is because carbon dioxide
is needed to aerate the dough.

Analysis and evaluation:

The most appropriate flour to use for bread making is the strong plain flour, as concluded by
investigation 1 and 2. Investigation 1 found that the strong plain flour provided the best sensory
characteristics when compared to the other flours; granary, wholemeal and plain flour.
Furthermore, investigation 1 found that strong plain flour was the most popular flour with the testing
panel. Investigation 2 found that the strong plain flour was the most suitable for bread making
because it includes the highest gluten content of all the flours tested. The gluten is needed in the
making process of bread because it provides the elasticity and stretch of the dough when it is
kneaded. The gluten also sets the framework and structure of the bread when heated because it
coagulates. The practical investigation supports the research I found out.
Investigation 3 found that yeast needs all conditions to be correct to allow carbon dioxide to be
produced. Carbon dioxide is key in bread making because it allows the bread to produce a rise
which aids the texture. Furthermore, investigation 3 showed that ingredients, especially salt, which
should not be in contact with the yeast, should be kept separate because of the risk to kill the
yeast.
It is evident that my hypothesis was correct. The investigations all show that the most successful
flour for bread making is strong plain flour. This is because it was the most popular with the testing
panel and it includes the most gluten. I have proved my hypotheses: when making bread it is
essential that a flour is used that includes a high gluten content this allows the correct texture to be
achieved. It is evident that the type of flour used in the bread making process has an effect on the
final product. White flours are arguably better for the structure and texture of the bread whereas
the wholemeal flours, such as granary flour and wholemeal flour, provide a better nutritional
composition.

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 GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition – Investigation task – Example folder 1

Bibliography

Rickus et al (2016) (2016) AQA GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition, Hodder
Tull, A ; Littlewood G (2016) AQA GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition, Illuminate
https://pieinthewoods.wordpress.com/2012/11/28/pie-crust/

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 Food investigation task
Commentary for example folder 1
GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition
See section 4.3.4 of the specification for guidance on marking the tasks

Investigate the ingredients used for bread making

Marking criteria Strengths Development Marks
Research  Clear understanding of the task requirements.  Justification related to why these investigations 5
(6 marks)  Good use of prior learning related to bread making as a have been planned would add to this section. This
starting point of the research. could be produced in a table.
 Several sources used as part of the background
research. Information edited well with good use of key
subject terminology. The secondary sources have been
referenced.
 The research is relevant and has been used to formulate
the hypothesis. A clear hypothesis has been established.
 Two investigations have been planned initially related to
flour and gluten – this links to the research and
hypothesis.
Investigating  Investigations 1 and 2 show very good knowledge and  Little mention of the controls applied to the 11
(15 marks) understanding of how ingredients work and why. Linked investigation.
closely to the hypothesis.  Photographic evidence is clear but annotation
 Good range of testing examples carried out and results related to the function and chemical properties
recorded and interpreted accurately. Very good use of would have improved the content.
photographic evidence to record the investigations.  Photographic evidence should be authenticated
with the student’s name or number.

Page 8
 Practical investigations are recorded well with very good
use of sensory tables and photographic evidence.  Investigation 3 does not relate specifically to the

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 GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition – Investigation commentary – Example folder 1

 Investigations are clear and practical results well hypothesis.

recorded.  For a wider range of investigations, the following
are examples: kneading times of bread dough with
flours/comparison of equipment/amount of water to
make the perfect bread dough/stretching tests of
raw dough etc.
Analysis and  Accurate and very good analysis of the results with clear  There are many strengths to the analysis and 7
evaluation justification related back to the research findings. evaluation, but little reflection of how the results will
(9 marks)  Good use of specialist terminology throughout the report. be applied when preparing and cooking food – this
 The hypothesis proven by the investigation work. prevents further marks from been awarded.
 Report is communicated in a structured and coherent
manner.
 Excellent understanding of the working properties of
ingredients.
Total The project was complete within 10 hours and is within the 1500-2000 word count. 23

Page 9
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Food investigation task
Example folder 2
GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition

Investigate the ingredients used to

thicken sauces and/or soups

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 GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition – Investigation task – Example folder 2

Task: Investigate the ingredients used to thicken sauces and

or soups.
Section A: Analysis of task: Key areas for research.

Different types
What is starch why and how does it vegetables use to
thicken soup. make soups.

Commercial
How does thickeners,
processing, effect modified starch
the consistency of
soups
Key Ingredients and
methods used to thicken
Types of starch, soups
from vegetables,
wheat, cornflour

Sensory
characteristics of
different soups

Process of gelatinisation and What happens to ingredients when

testing viscosity. the soup is frozen

Section A: Research into different ingredients used to thicken soups:

Main factors to consider are:

The consistency and mouth feel of the soup is a main factor, using starch from cereal based
products e.g corn flour and plain flour can create a thick and gluey consistency. The use of root
vegetables which contain starch in the tubers can leave the soup grainy and pulses e.g lentils and
beans are also a recommended way of thickening soup. Starch is a type of carbohydrate, and is
used to thicken products, the process is gelatinisation.

The stages of thickening with starch

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 GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition – Investigation task – Example folder 2

1. When a liquid and starch are heated together to

60 degrees the liquid enters the starch granules.

2. The starch granules swell.

3. At 80 degrees they burst. The starch thickens

forming a gel. Process known as gelatinisation.

4. At 100 degrees gelatinisation is complete.

5. On cooling the gel sets and the sauce

becomes thicker

The following factors can affect the way gelatinisation works in soups, the amount of liquid used,
the type of starch, the temperature at which the soup is heated too, if the soup contains a high
amount of acid as in tomato soup and the amount of stirring done during the making this is very
important if cereal starch is used as it can form lumps if not stirred continuously.

The table below demonstrates the advantages and disadvantages of using some of these different
ingredients to thicken soups

Type of starch advantages disadvantages

Corn flour A very good thickener gives Needs to be mixed to a paste with
different consistencies. cold water or will go lumpy, if it is
boiled

Plain flour If it used a roux it can form a It needs to cook for a long time or it
smooth soup will taste of uncooked flour

Starch vegetables These are a natural way to Can make the soup grainy and stringy
thicken, using potato, yams, if vegetables are not cooked properly
sweet potato, etcLeft over
mashed potato makes a good
thickener for soup. The soup
should have a more glossy
appearance

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 GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition – Investigation task – Example folder 2

Rice/pasta/oats These can produce a lot of body If too much is used it can be very
to the soup, it can be very filling. gloopy or sticky, it is not a good idea
to puree these ingredients

Cream Gives a very creamy texture and Needs to be done very carefully as it
good flavour can curdle or separate if heated too
much

Pulses Lentils and beans are good ways They can make a very thick texture
to thicken soup and add extra and can be grainy they usually need to
nutrients be blended

Blending A good and quick way to thicken Need to be careful that all the lumps
soups it gives a even and smooth are gone
finish, a hand blender is best.

Modified starch A very quick way to thicken stops Not often available at home
the soup from splitting good for
freezing

Linking research and investigation planning:

The research has shown me that several different starch ingredients can be used to thicken soups
The starch in the different carbohydrate products can give different end results. I will plan three
investigations which will test the sensory characteristics and thickness/viscosity of the soup.

Hypothesis
Starch vegetables thicken soups and produce the best sensory characteristics (taste,
texture and appearance)

Section B: Planned investigations

To test my hypothesis, I am going to do the following two investigations; each one will test a
different way of thickening the soup. I will conduct a fair test and have a control.
1: test how different ingredients thicken tomato soup: control (no thickener) corn flour, plain flour,
oats, lentils and cream: (control = tomatoes, onion, celery, stock)
2: test how different starchy vegetables thicken vegetable soups: control (base soup ingredients)
yam/sweet potato/potato/celeriac/butternut squash. (control = onion, carrot, celery leek and stock.)

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 GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition – Investigation task – Example folder 2

These pictures show the range of starches which I could use for my investigations. I
have decided not to use them all. In particular the modified starch and beans. I could
use these if I was to extend the investigation further.

Investigation 1

A control batch of tomato soup was made and blended using a hand blender, it was then thickened
using the following ingredients:

Control Blended hand blender Total result:

Sample 1 Cornflour and blended 50
Sample 2 Plain flour and blended 29
Sample 3 Oats and blended 8
Sample 4 Lentils and blended 42
Sample 5 Double cream and blended 46

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 GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition – Investigation task – Example folder 2

to test the sensory characteristics of the different thickening ingredients a group of testers were
asked to rate the samples for taste, texture, and appearance.

sample taste texture appearance

Control 2 1 3 2 1 3 2 1 2 3 1 2 1 2 1
Sample 1 4 3 3 4 3 4 5 2 4 3 4 3 2 3 3
Sample 2 1 2 1 1 2 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3
Sample 3 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 0
Sample 4 3 4 3 3 2 2 3 3 3 2 3 2 3 3 3
Sample 5 4 3 3 3 2 3 3 4 3 4 3 3 2 3 3

The scores from the 5 tasters were added up and sample 2 the soup thickened with corn flour was
the most popular scoring 50/75, the reasons for this were that the cornflour made a very smooth
and shiny soup which was very tasty and tomatoey.

coarse 9 2 4 9 6 1
shiny 3 9 5 7 4 5
gluey 3 3 5 6 5 2
tomatoey 7 7 6 5 7 6
smooth 2 8 5 3 5 6
thick 5 6 6 7 5 5
rough 5 3 6 6 3 2
dull 5 3 8 7 4 2

Series 1 control
texture of soups Series 2 cornflour
coarse Series 3 plain flour
10
Series 4 oats
dull 8 shiny Series 5 lentils
Series1 6 Series 6 cream
Series2 4
2
Series3
rough 0 gluey
Series4
Series5
Series6
thick tomatoey

smooth

The textures of the soups were very interesting and once again the cornflour thickened soup was
preferable to the tasters, as the appearance was shiny, texture smooth, flavour very good, it
reminded them of ‘tinned soup’

Conclusion:
As a result of this investigation cornflour appears to be the most popular starch to thicken the
tomato soup. Although cream was very popular some felt it was too rich. Cornflour has tiny starch

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 GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition – Investigation task – Example folder 2

particles and therefore make the soup shiny and more appealing. It is also easy to create the best
thickness by choosing the right amount of starch to blend with water, the viscosity chart shows this.

Investigation 2 test how different starchy vegetables thicken vegetable soups: control (base soup
ingredients) yam/sweet potato/potato/celeriac/butternut squash.

This investigation looked at different types of root and tuber vegetables to thicken the soup. In my
research it showed that these were to best. I am hoping to show this in my investigation.

Control Blended
Sample 1 Yam /sweet potato
Sample2 Potato
Sample3 Celeriac
Sample4 Butternut squash

the tasting panel judged the vegetables soups using the following sensory descriptors:

Sensory control Yam/sweet Potato Celeriac Butternut

descriptors potato Sample 2 Sample 3 squash
Sample 1 Sample 4
Thick 4 8 6 8 7
Smooth 3 4 4 6 8
Grainy 4 5 3 8 4
Shiny 3 2 4 4 9
Creamy 4 3 3 2 9
Taste 3 4 6 2 9

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 GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition – Investigation task – Example folder 2

vegeatble soups thickeners.

Thick
10
8
6
Taste Smooth
control 4
Yam/sweet potato 2
potato 0
celeriac
Butternut squash
Creamy Grainy

Shiny

Section C: Analysis and evaluation

The results of this investigation were much closer as the testers really liked the flavour of all the
soups except the celeriac which they though was a strange taste. The butternut squash has a very
rich colour and lovely creamy taste, this was the favourite. The colours of the soups were also very
different and this was very interesting. It would be good in another investigation to combine some
vegetables especially potato and butternut squash as this would probably give a very good soup.
Some were very thick and this was interesting as I used the same amount 100g of each different
vegetable.

Analysis and Evaluation:

The results of the two investigations show that using butternut squash or a combination of starch
vegetables is the best way to thicken soups. Although I didn’t thicken the tomato soup with the
starch vegetables I think the result would be the same. The starch in the cornflour gave a good
result but it did not produce a good flavour and I think this is why the starch vegetables are better
and prove the hypothesis. Also the vegetables are more natural he testers were very clear.

Bibliography:

 Tull & Littlewood: AQA GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition: Illuminate: 2016
 Rickus, Saunder, Mackey:AQA GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition: Hodder: 2016
 British Nutrition Foundation: Home: https://www.nutrition.org.uk/
Mayhew: The Soup Bible: Barnes & Noble 1999
How To Thicken Soups: Tips And Techniques - Allrecipes Dishdish.allrecipes.com/thickening-
soups/

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 Food investigation task
Commentary for example folder 2
GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition
See section 4.3.4 of the specification for guidance on marking the tasks

Investigate the ingredients used to thicken sauces and/or soups

Marking criteria Strengths Development Marks
Research  Clear analysis of the investigation, which considers how  No specific link to prior knowledge identified. 4
(6 marks) ingredients work and why.  More scientific explanation of gelatinisation could
 Areas of research are considered to inform the process be included.
which are concisely presented.  Explanations linking research to planned
 Each piece of research is briefly analysed and linked to investigations could be more detailed.
the planned investigations, some consideration of the  The research could be analysed in greater detail.
working characteristics of the gelatinisation process  The sources of information should be recorded.
considered.
 Two investigations planned, hypothesis is focused and
linked to research.
Investigating  Investigations are well considered and show good  Some reference to the working characteristics of 7
(15 marks) knowledge and understanding of how the ingredients the ingredients, a deeper understanding and
work and why. consideration could have improved marks.
 Testing has been undertaken to inform the results.  Investigation 3 is not undertaken.
 Recording of the investigations is clear and illustrates a  A wider range of investigations could have been
good variety of methods. undertaken including the use of equipment, eg
 Controls considered. blending, further investigation into the thickening of
 Photographic evidence clear and relevant. soups using pulses, rice, pasta, looking specifically
at potatoes and using them in different ways to

Page 18
 The student has worked independently and planned their
own investigation. Good knowledge of ingredients in the thicken the soup, eg grated, mashed, dried, etc.

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 GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition – Investigation commentary – Example folder 2

investigation lessons but not always recorded in depth.

Analysis and  Each section is analysed against the sensory descriptors  Little consideration re how to use the information 4
evaluation and simple viscosity testing. further in relation to cooking and preparation of
(9 marks)  Interpretation is relevant and linked back to the research, foods.
eg size of cornflour grain in gelatinisation using  Simple analysis not developed in depth.
cornflour.
 The hypothesis is proven and justified by the
investigation work.
 A well-structured report, it is clear and some technical
language used appropriately.
Total The project was complete within 10 hours and is within the 1500-2000 word count (1577). 15

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Food investigation task
Example folder 3
GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition

Investigate the best type of flour for

making bread

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 GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition – Investigation task – Example folder 3

To investigate the best type of flour for making bread.

Section A: Task analysis:

I am going to investigate bread and some of the ingredients used to make it. Bread is an
important food and is eaten by people all around the world eg nan in India, baguette in
France, soda bread in Ireland and pitta bread in Greece. Bread is known as a staple food.

Research:

Bread is an important food as it contains lots of carbohydrate, which is needed for energy.
It also has vitamin B, some protein and calcium. To make the bread healthier, wholemeal
flour can be used. This contains the outer coating of the wheat grain which is a good
source of fibre, needed to keep your digestive system working.

Bread is made from flour, yeast, salt, fat and water. The type of flour used is important.
Strong plain flour (also known as bread flour) is needed as this has a lot of gluten in it. This
is needed to make the dough stay risen. Gluten is a protein in the flour and when it is
mixed with water it gives a stretchy texture to the dough. The yeast gives off carbon
dioxide which is held in the dough mixture. This gives the bread a light texture.

When cooked at a high texture, the gluten sets and forms the shape of the bread.

Some people cannot eat food containing glutten. This means they cannot eat what flour.
They have to use gluten free flour eg rice flour or coconutt flour, in their baked products.

Flour is made by milling wheat grains. Different types of flour can be made by siving and
taking away some parts of the wheat grain. For example, wholemeal flour has all of the
grain with nothing taken out. White flour only uses about 70% of the wheat grain – it does
not contain the outer coating of the wheat grain, which is the part that contains the fibre.

Flour is used in a range of products eg cakes, biscuits, sauces.

Hypothesis:

The hypothesis I am going to test in my investigations is that strong plain flour is the best
flour to make bread.

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 GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition – Investigation task – Example folder 3

Section B: Investigations:

I am going to do 2 experiments. In the first one I am going to make bread rolls using
different types of flour. In the second one I am going to make glutten balls to see which
type flour has the most gluten.

Experiment 1:

Testing different flours to make bread rolls.

I made bread rolls using strong plain, self raising, wholemeal self- raising and gluten free
flour. The bread rolls give different textures and flavours to the bread.

Sample: Strong plain flour, salt, dried yeast, warm water

Sample: Self raising flour, salt, dried yeast, warm water

Sample: Wholemeal self - raising flour, dried yeast, warm water

Sample: Gluten free flour, dried yeast, warm water.

I used tasting panels to test the bread rolls to see which they liked the most. I asked them
to give a score out of 10 for apperance, texture and flavour.

Here are the results:

Appearance Texture Flavour

Strong plain 8+9+8+7+8 = 40 8+9+9+8+9 = 43 9+9+8+9+9 = 44
flour
Self raising 8+7+8+7+8 = 38 7+7+6+7+7 = 34 7+7+6+8+7 = 35
flour
Wholemeal self 8+7+8+6+7 = 36 7+6+6+5+6 = 36 7+7+8+7+8 =37
-raising
Gluten free self 5+6+6+7+6 = 35 7+7+6+7+6 = 33 7+7+8+7+7 = 29
raising

First – strong plain flour with a total of 127/150

Second – wholemeal self-raising flour with a total of 109/150
Third – self raising with a total of 107/150
Fourth - gluten free with a total of 97/150

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 GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition – Investigation task – Example folder 3

Conclusion:

The bread made with strong plain flour was the most popular. This is because this flour
contains the most gluten. It gives the bread a good even structure and a good texture.

The wholemeal self raising flour had a different taste to the others and was a much darker
colour. The texture was much heavier than the bread made with the strong plain flour.

The bread made with self raising flour had not risen very much. It did rise when the bread
was proving, but sank when it was in the oven.

The gluten free flour gave a reasonable result, but the dough was difficult to work with.

Experiment 2:Testing the amount of gluten in different flours

I used 150g of each type of flour – strong plain, wholemeal self raising, , self raising and
gluten free – and mixed this with water to make a paste.

I held the dough under the water and washed the starch from the dough mixture. I then put
the mixture that was left (which looked like chewing gum) on a baking tray. I then baked
the mixtures until the dough ball went golden brown.

The results:

Sample ZYY – strong plain. This gave a good result. There was a lot of gluten in the flour
and when this mixture was baked it had an open texture. This dough had a clear structure.

Sample XYX – wholemeal SR. This mixture had some gluten and made a small ball. The
mixture that was left was not as light as the strong plain flour.

Sample YYX – Self raising. This mixture contained very little gluten and the mixture was
heavy compared to the strong plain flour.

Sample YYX – gluten free SR. This mixture did not contain any gluten and so it did not
make a ball. All of the starch was washed out of this mixture

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 GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition – Investigation task – Example folder 3

Section C: Analysis and evaluation:

From the experiments I have done, I have found out that strong plain flour is the best flour
to use when making bread.

When I made bread rolls, the strong plain flour gave the best results. When my tasting
panel tasted it, they thought this gave the best result for appearance, texture and flavour.

The experiment I did with the gluten balls showed that strong plain flour contained the
most gluten out of all the flours I tested and showed it had a light structure.

Gluten (a protein in wheat flour) is made when water is mixed with the flour to make a
dough. The gluten makes the dough elastic and means it can stretch. When making the
bread, the dough is neaded. This is important as it develops the gluten in the flour and this
helps to make the dough stay risen.

When the bread is cooked, the gluten sets and the bread dough stays risen which gives
the bread a light texture.

The wholemeal self-rising flour contains some gluten. The bread made with this flour did
rise but not as much as the strong plain flour. The gluten ball experiment did show that this
flour contained a small amount of gluten. This flour could be used for making cakes,
scones and biscuits rather than bread.

Self raising flour contains a very small amount of gluten. The bread rolls made with this
flour did not rise as much as the ones with the strong plain flour. They did rise when the
bread was proving but then went flatter when they were baked as the gluten had over
stretched and this made the gluten weaker which affected the end result. This flour could
be used to make cakes and scones rather than bread.

The gluten free flour did not give very good results for either the bread rolls or the gluten
ball experiment. The bread rolls did rise a little bit, but not as much as the ones made with
the other flours. There was no gluten left when the starch had been removed from the
flour.

The experiments I have done prove my hypothesis that strong plain flour is the best to
make bread. This gives the best result. The results showed that white flour gave a lighter
texture than the wholemeal flour, but from my research I have found that wholemeal flour
is healthier as it is higher in fibre. Gluten free flour was more difficult to work with when
making the bread and did not give the best result, but some people need to use this flour if
they have coeliac disease.

Bibliography:

AQA GCSE Food and Nutrition by Anita Tull and Garry Littlewood.
CGP GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition For AQA Revision Guide.

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 Food investigation task
Commentary for example folder 3
GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition
See section 4.3.4 of the specification for guidance on marking the tasks

Investigate the best type of flour for making bread

Marking criteria Strengths Development Marks
Research  Some understanding of the task requirements.  Limited explanation of the working characteristics 2
(6 marks)  Some use of prior learning related to bread making as a and chemical and functional properties of the
starting point of the research. bread.
 Limited number of sources used as part of the  Justification related to why these investigations
background research. have been planned would add to this section.
 Research is relevant used to formulate a simple
hypothesis.
 Two investigations have been planned initially related to
flour and gluten – this links to the research and
hypothesis.
Investigating  Two investigations completed.  Little mention of the controls applied to the 6
(15 marks)  Both experiments are relevant to bread making and the investigation.
hypothesis.  Photographic evidence is clear but annotation
 A range of testing examples has been carried out and relation to the function and chemical properties
recorded in a simple but concise format. would have added to the content.
 Good use of photographic evidence to record the  Two investigations completed. For a wider range of
investigations – although some confusion with the labels investigations, the following are examples:
of investigation 1. kneading times of bread dough with
flours/comparison of equipment/amount of water to

Page 25
 Investigations are clear and the practical results are
recorded in a simple but understandable format. make the perfect bread etc.

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 GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition – Investigation commentary – Example folder 3

Analysis and  Accurate but simple analysis of the results with some  Simple analysis and evaluation but limited 5
evaluation justification related back to the research findings. The reflection of how the results will be applied when
(9 marks) review of findings allows the project to be marked at the preparing and cooking food – this prevents further
bottom of the second band. marks from been awarded.
 Limited use of specialist terminology throughout the  More explanation related to the working properties
report. and scientific understanding of ingredients.
 The hypothesis has been proven by the investigation
work.
 The report is communicated in a simple but coherent
manner.
 Limited understanding of the working properties of
ingredients demonstrated throughout.
Total The project was complete within 10 hours and is just under the 1500-2000 word count (1402). Some spelling and 13
grammatical errors throughout the project.

Page 26
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Food investigation task
Example folder 4
GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition

Investigate the use of raising agents in

baked products

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 GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition – Investigation task – Example folder 4

Section A: Research.

Raising agents are used in many different baked products such as scones, cakes, and pastries.
For this investigation I will focus on the chemical and mechanical raising agents used in cake
making. To plan the investigation I need to carry out some background research on the working
characteristics, functional and chemical properties of raising agents used in baked products. I
would also examine the use of a gluten free flour/raising agent in the cake making process.

What are raising agents?

Raising agents are used to make mixtures rise. Raising agents work by introducing gas into a
mixture. When a mixture is heated, which contains a raising agent, the gas expands and makes
the mixture rise. Some gas escapes and some is trapped in the mixture as it cools and sets. Many
baked items depend on raising agents for their soft and open texture.
The gas bubbles in raising agents are air, carbon dioxide and steam.

 Air: a mixture of gases and trapped in a mixture as it is creamed, rubbed in, beaten, whisked or
rolled and folded. Air can also be added when flour is sieved.
 Carbon dioxide, is given off by yeast in bread making, bicarbonate of soda which is added to
cakes and baking powder. Baking powder is added to self-raising flour,
 Steam, which is water in a gaseous state.

Mechanical raising agents

The physical actions of creaming, kneading, sieving, and whisking will incorporate tiny air bubbles
which expand when heat is added. The addition of flour gives structure for the air bubbles to work.
This structure is fixed in the oven by heat.

Sieving Sieving flour traps air between the flour particles

Creaming Fat and sugar traps air bubbles. The fat becomes pale in colour and the
mixture creamy. When heated, the mixture sets and stops the bubbles
escaping.
Whisking Eggs or egg whites when whisked will trap a large volume of air creating a
foam. The mixture must be cooke to set and stabilise the foam. The foam
is formed due to unravelling and stretching of the protein.
Rubbing in Rubbing the fat into the flour incorporates some air.
Folding and Layers of air are trapped between the layers of pastry. During baking, the
lamination air expands between the layers and lifts the pastry.

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 GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition – Investigation task – Example folder 4

Chemical raising agents:

Baking powder is made from the alkali, bicarbonate of soda and the acid,
cream of tartar. As liquid is added to the baking powder, carbon dioxide gas
bubbles are given off which push up the cake.

Sodium bicarbonate is a raising agent used in soda bread and gingerbread. It

is an alkali. When sodium bicarbonate comes in contact with an acid and liquid
is added, carbon dioxide is produced. If too much is used a ‘soapy’ aftertaste
remains. Sodium bicarbonate is much stronger than baking powder.
https://get-baking.com/raising_agents.html

Cream of tartar is an acid and it is mixed with bicarbonate of soda to provide the acid ingredient
for baking powder.

Science of chemical raising agents:

When carbon dioxide is released by either bicarbonate of soda and/or baking powder, it first
dissolves in the liquid. When this becomes saturated, the carbon dioxide produced turns into the
air bubbles which expand. Towards the end of baking the bubbles set.

 If bicarbonate of soda is used on its own in a cake, they would rise well, but the taste of the
washing soda that is produced in the reaction would be very unpleasant. This is the reaction:

Bicarbonate of soda + heat washing soda + carbon dioxide gas + water

Alkali + heat Alkali (soapy taste)

 To prevent this, the bicarbonate of soda is mixed with an acid called ‘cream of tartar’ to make
baking powder.

Bicarbonate + cream + heat sodium potassium + carbon + water

of soda of tartar tartrate dioxide
gas

Alkali + Acid + heat Neutral (no taste)

Tull (2016), Food Preparation and Nutrition, Illuminate

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 GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition – Investigation task – Example folder 4

Analysis/Planning the investigation

I will test that baking powder is the best raising agent to use is cakes resulting in the best texture
and taste. I will investigate the most suitable flour/combination of raising agents. I will investigate
which making method is best comparing creaming: traditional and all-in-one by hand with whisking
with a mixer.

Hypothesis:
To achieve the best results when cake making:
i. self-raising flour should be used as this has the correct ratio of raising agent
ii. the traditional creaming method provides the best results.
iii. gluten free flour with a raising agent does not provide the correct structure for cakes.

Section B: Investigation:
To test my hypothesis, I am going to complete the following:
 Investigation 1: Investigate different flours / raising agent combinations.
 Investigation 2: Observe the production of carbon dioxide gas from chemical raising agents.
 Investigation 3: To compare different cake methods and find out which method produces the
perfect cake.
 Investigation 4: To test how to make perfect cakes using self-raising gluten free flour

Controls for all investigations

 Digital scales used for accurate weighing measuring.
 Cakes mixed for the equal times, unless otherwise stated
 Cakes cooked at 180°C for 20 minutes, the same shelf and
oven.

35g of mixture placed in each paper case.

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 GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition – Investigation task – Example folder 4

Investigation 1: Testing different flours and raising agents for making small cakes.
Five samples of cakes each with a different variable. All included: 50g caster sugar, 50g soft
spread, 1 egg

Setting up the investigation

Sample Ingredients
YYX 50g Self-raising flour,

ZYX 50g Plain flour

XYX 50g Gluten free flour,

XZZ 50g Plain flour,

½ tsp baking powder

ZYY 50g Plain flour,

½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

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 GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition – Investigation task – Example folder 4

Results
Sample Appearance Total Texture Total Taste Total Final
Total
YYX 5 4 5 4 18 5 5 4 4 18 4 5 4 5 18 54
ZYZ 2 2 3 2 9 2 2 3 2 9 4 3 4 3 14 32
XYX 4 4 3 3 14 3 2 3 3 11 3 3 4 3 13 38
XZZ 4 4 3 4 15 4 5 5 5 19 4 3 3 4 14 48
ZYY 2 2 3 3 10 2 3 2 3 10 1 0 1 1 3 23

The sample with the highest score for all sensory characteristics was
YYX the self-raising flour. There was an aerated structure and a dome
shape . The texture was very good scoring 18/20. The sample XZZ
was a close second. This included baking powder and provided a very
good texture. The appearance only scored 15/20 as the surface
cracked. This could indicate that too much baking powder was added
resulting in uneven surface.

The plain flour cake only scored 32/60. The texture was dense and the cake did not rise due to the
lack of raising agent. The gluten free flour worked quite well but did lack aeration and the texture
was not quite right this could be investigated further. Sample ZYY has an unpleasant taste scoring
only 3/20. It tasted soapy this backs up my research. The colour was also poor with a yellow tone.
To conclude self-raising flour had an open structure because the baking powder released carbon
dioxide and allowed the cake to rise. There was the correct ratio of raising agent to flour.

Investigation 2: Observing the production of carbon dioxide gas from chemical raising
agents.

The test tubes contained a

raising agent and 20ml of
warm water. The aim of the
investigation was to find out
which raising agent released
the most carbon dioxide.
YYX: Baking powder (alkali
and acid)
ZYX: Bicarbonate of soda
(alkali)
XYX: Cream of tartar (acid)

Results. YYZ (baking powder) released carbon dioxide and the balloon inflated. ZYX there was
some reaction when the water was added but this happened over a very short period and there
was only slight inflation. XYX no reaction.

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 GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition – Investigation task – Example folder 4

Conclusion
When hot moisture is added to bicarbonate of soda, carbon dioxide gas is released. This results in
small fizzy bubbles. They don’t last very long, so this method is not that useful in cooking unless
you can use the bubbles immediately. When hot water is added to the baking powder a chemical
reaction is achieved, producing carbon dioxide gas. When making a cake, the CO2 released from
the baking powder is trapped in tiny air pockets in the cake batter. When heat is applied, the
carbon dioxide gas expands and makes the mix rise. To conclude, if you need a chemical raising
agent you can use either baking powder or bicarbonate of soda with cream of tartar (acid and
alkali)

Investigation 3: To compare different cake methods and find out which method produces
the perfect cake.

Four samples were made

each with different variables
as seen in the table. The
cakes included:
50g Self raising flour,
50g Caster sugar,
50g Soft spread,
1 Egg

YYX XYX XZZ ZYY

Traditional creaming All in one method All in one method All in one method
method (Hand) (Hand) (Whisk 30 seconds) (Whisk 60 seconds)

Results
Sample Appearance Total Texture Total Taste Total Final
Total
YYX 5 5 4 5 19 5 5 4 5 19 5 5 4 4 18 56
XYX 5 5 5 5 20 5 4 5 5 19 4 4 5 5 18 57
XZZ 4 4 5 5 18 4 4 4 4 16 5 5 4 4 18 52
ZYY 3 3 2 2 10 3 4 4 3 14 4 4 4 4 16 20
I predicted that whisking the mixture would provide the best results as more air would be
incorporated. The results show the top scoring cakes YYX (56) and XYX (57). The panel
considered that the creaming and all in one methods provided cakes with a more even texture.
When using the electric whisk, the cakes mixture was paler . ZYY which was whisked for longer
has a very uneven rise scoring only 10 for appearance. ZYY was probably over whisked. The
texture was heavy. Both YYX and XYE had a perfect dome shape with an
aerated structure. To conclude there is no advantage by creaming fat and
sugar and then gradually adding the eggs and flour.
The all in one method has very good results and was
quicker.

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 GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition – Investigation task – Example folder 4

Investigation 4: Testing whether the addition of xanthan gum improves the texture of cakes.

All the cakes included: 50g Self Raising Gluten Free Flour, 50g caster sugar, 50g soft spread, 1
egg plus different proportions of xanthan gum.

ZYY ZYX YYX XYX

2g xanthan gum 4g xanthan gum 6g xanthan gum Control – no xanthan gum

Results

The addition of xanthan gum in low proportions resulted in a better

Sample Texture Total
texture. It’s a useful ingredient for baking with gluten-free mixes as it
YYX 5 5 4 5 19 improves the texture and shelf life of your baked products. It works like
gluten by binding ingredients during the baking process to give a
XYX 4 5 4 5 18
conventional texture. When added to gluten-free flour mixes, it
XZZ 4 4 4 4 16 replaces the gluten 'stretch factor'.
ZYY 3 3 3 3 12

Analysis and evaluation

From these investigations I can prove and disprove my hypothesis. Sellf raising flour should be
used in cake making as this has the correct ratio of raising agent added which results in a cake
having a uniform and even structure. The addition of other raising agents can affect the taste and
texture of the cake. It is difficult achieving the correct proportion of raising agent to plain flour.
There is little different between the creaming method and all in one method. The all in one method
gave excellent results. However, it was easy to over whisk the cakes and therefore creaming by
hand provided the best results. Gluten free flour resulted in an acceptable cake, however the
texture was not perfect, however, the addition of xanthan gum improved this significantly. When
preparing and cooking food in future I will:
 Only use bicarbonate of soda with some strong flavoured ingredients such as ginger or
chocolate.
 When using gluten free flour in baked goods add xanthan gum to improve texture.

Bibliography
Rickus et al (2016) (2016) AQA GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition, Hodder
Ridgwell, J (2017) Food Science You Can Eat
Tull, A ; Littlewood G (2016) AQA GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition, Illuminate
https://get-baking.com/raising_agents.html
Word count (1999) not included title page and bibliography

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 Food investigation task
Commentary for example folder 4
GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition
See section 4.3.4 of the specification for guidance on marking the tasks

Investigate the use of raising agents in baked products

Marking criteria Strengths Development Marks
Research  Clear understanding of the task, the student has focused  Justification is evident in the task but would be 5
(6 marks) on mechanical and chemical raising from the outset. helpful to record this separately.
 Secondary research is relevant, detailed and concisely  The gluten free flour investigation is relevant but
recorded. Good evidence of different sources that have does go slightly off on a tangent.
been referenced.
 Research is analysed throughout and used to formulate
the hypothesis.
 Four investigations have been planned that link to most
of the research findings and the hypothesis.
Investigating  All four investigations demonstrate a very good  Controls for each investigation could be 13
(15 marks) knowledge and understanding of how ingredients work referenced.
and why. They link very closely to the hypothesis.  Results and conclusion could include further
 Good range of testing/investigations have been carried scientific links related to working properties of
out and results accurately recorded and interpreted – a ingredients.
strength of the report.
 Excellent use of photographic evidence, which is
authenticated, to record the investigations. Good links to
scientific principles.
 Practical investigations are recorded well with very good

Page 35
use of sensory tables and photographic evidence.

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 GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition – Investigation commentary – Example folder 4

General controls listed.

 The investigations are clear and practical results
meticulously recorded.
Analysis and  Accurate and very good analysis of the results  Many strengths to the analysis and evaluation but 7
evaluation throughout the investigation. more reflection of how the results will be applied
(9 marks)  Good use of specialist terminology throughout the when preparing and cooking food.
report.  It appears the word limit has been tight and
 The hypothesis has been proven/disproved by the investigation four could have been replaced with a
investigation work. more detailed final conclusion.
 The report is communicated in a structured and
coherent manner.
 Excellent understanding of the working properties.
 Justified conclusion evident.
Total The project was complete within 10 hours and is within the 1500-2000 word count (data within tables and 25
bibliography not included).

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