Baking & Snack: What approach does BreadPartners use to extend or replace eggs in bakery use? What replacement rates are possible? Which baked foods respond best?

Denis Wellington: The baking industry faces continual change, and that’s the case with use of eggs.

Eggs have a number of important functions in baked foods. For example, eggs increase the shelf life by trapping moisture in the starch. They help keep a stable pH in breads and provide flavor, structure and body to many baked goods. Their functions also involve volume, height and aeration in cakes.

Our egg replacer, Sunset, is made of ingredients that mimic all these functionalities. It is quite versatile and can replace up to 100% of eggs in bread, rolls and bagels. For cakes, muffins, brownies, cookies and brioche, it can replace eggs at 30 to 50%.

What has been the experience of bakers using Sunset to extend or replace eggs in their formulations?

Our customers have been extremely positive about Sunset. They particularly appreciate the all-natural flavor profile.

What changes in formulation are required to accomplish this?

For the most part, formulations do not need to change, but because Sunset is a dry product, you will need to adjust the water. To replace five pounds of eggs, simply blend one pound of Sunset with four pounds of water.

Do you think the adoption of egg replacers will be a permanent change in bakery formulations?

Several of our customers have told us that they will continue to use Sunset to replace eggs even when egg prices return to normal. This is because of valid fears about the return of avian influenza in the fall. Even when eggs get back to normal pricing, the use of egg replacers will still save bakers considerable money.

Editor’s notes: For a slideshow of egg replacer ingredients, click here. The July 2015 issue of Baking & Snack carries full coverage of the egg situation and egg replacer ingredients.