First experiment (Whitney)

First Experiment

Experimental Test

How does the egg white beating time affect the height of a soufflé?

Hypothesis

If the egg white beating time is longer, the height of the baked soufflé will increase.

Before Cooking

What?

Ingredients: Egg yolks, egg white, unsalted butter, sugar, low gluten flour, whole milk, vanilla essence

Tools: Electric whisker, bowls, spatula, ruler, timer, egg separator, balance, oven

Who?

Ho Wing, from group 17. I do the shopping and cooking. 

Where?

I buy all the ingredients except eggs and sugar from the baking material shop (Kam Fat Baking) in Mong Kok. There are tools, egg, and sugar at home. I carry out the experiment at my home. 

When?

I do the experiment on 20 March 2020. 

Why?

To find out the most appropriate egg white beating time (i.e. the appropriate whipped egg white stage) for the most desirable height of the soufflé.

How?

The experiment will be carried out by doing 3 trials with the same ingredients and procedures but different egg white beating time (2, 3, 4 minutes respectively). The height of each soufflé should be measured with a ruler and a card immediately after it leaves the oven because it will deflate so soon.

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Identifying 3 variables

Independent variable:

The time of beating the egg white 

Dependent variable:

The height of the soufflé

Controlled variables: 

• The amount of all the ingredients
• The type and size of equipment (i.e. mixing bowl, electric whisk, ramekin, oven, spatula, pot)
• The temperature of all the ingredients (i.e. room temperature) 
• The temperature of the oven 
• The soufflé baking time 
• The number of egg whites to be beaten each time
• The strength/speed of egg white beating (an electric whisk is used to ensure the strength consistency)  

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    The Soufflé Ingredients Preparation

Ingredients:

Serving: 3 

2  Egg yolks  

3  Egg white

20g  Unsalted butter

30g  Sugar 

20g Low gluten flour
150mL Whole milk

1 teaspoon Vanilla essence

5g  Unsalted butter for the ramekin preparation
10g Sugar for the ramekin preparation

P.s. Since all the ingredients except for egg white are controlled, I will make the 3-servings batter, then I will divide it equally into 3 trials.  Meanwhile, I will independently beat the 1 egg white with 5g sugar and 1/3 teaspoon Vanilla essence (referring to step 7) each trial.

Serving: 1 

2/3  Egg yolks  

1     Egg white

20/3g  Unsalted butter

10g     Sugar 

20/3g  Low gluten flour
50mL Whole milk

1/3 teaspoon Vanilla essence

5g  Unsalted butter for the ramekin preparation
10g Sugar for the ramekin preparation

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The Soufflé Experiement

While Cooking

Three trials are done for the experiment on the relationship between the egg white beating time and the height of a soufflé.  2, 3, 4 egg white beating time trials are tested. Since that egg white was very foamy and like a foam created on the egg white after being 1 minute beaten, I added a minute egg white beating to make the meringue stiffer to be tested. Thus, the first experiment started from a 2-minute egg white beating.

Serving:1 for each trial

Steps:

1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C

2. Brush 5g butter and coat 10g sugar onto the interior surface of the ramekin.

3. Heat the milk with 20g butter with low heat.

4. Separate the egg yolks and egg whites.
5. Beat the egg yolk with the 15g sugar, sifted low gluten flour and milk.
6. Heat the egg yolk mixture with low heat and keep stirring it while heating. Then cool it down. 

P.s. Since all the ingredients except for egg white are controlled, I will make the 3-servings batter, then I will divide it equally into 3 trials. 

7. Beat the egg white. Then add in 5g sugar at a time, while you beat it. Add in a 1/3 teaspoon of vanilla extract once they were dissolved. 

8. Fold the egg white mixture into the egg yolk mixture.

9. Pour the batter into a ramekin.

10. Use a spatula to make the surface flat.

11. Circle along the edges of the mixture and the ramekin with a finger.

12. Put it into the preheated oven.

13. Bake it at 180°C for 20-25 minutes.
14. Take it out of the oven.
15. Measure the height of the soufflé with a ruler immediately.

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After Cooking

The height of each soufflé was measured by using a ruler and a card once after it was taken out of the oven.

done by 2 min egg white beating time
Height: 5.6cm 

done by 3 min egg white beating time
Height: 5.8cm

done by 4 min egg white beating time
Height: 6.1cm

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Analysis: Trend/ Pattern/ Correlation between IV and DV

In this experiment, the effect of the egg white beating time on the height of the soufflé was tested with 3 trials from 2 to 4 minutes egg white whisking respectively. From the experiment, there was an increase in soufflé height as the egg white beating time longer. From 2 to 4 minutes of egg white whisking, there was a gradual rise in the height of the soufflé (i.e. 5.6cm, 5.8cm and 6.1cm). 

From the above result, the egg white beating time has a positive relationship with the height of the soufflé. It matches with the "If the egg white beating time is longer, the height of the baked soufflé will increase.". 

For more comprehensive research about the effect of the egg white beating time on the height of the soufflé, I will revise the experiment with more trials, and start it from a 1-minute egg white beating. Different meringue stages effect on the height of the soufflé should be observed and analyzed.

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Minimizing the errors

A ruler and a card were used to measure the height of a soufflé in this experiment. The height of the soufflé was measured with the ruler by eye-level observation. However, the error may exist under this observation. The soufflé deflated easily and might be suppressed as a card was placed on it. Moreover, it was hard to place a card on the soufflé to measure the height as its surface was not flat. Therefore, measuring the height of the soufflé with a ruler only should be done to improve the measuring process for measurement accuracy in the next revised experiment.

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Reference

Everyday Food (2016). Whipping Egg White To Perfect Peaks. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhuRyq7NrcA

Moncel, B. (2019). All About Whipping Egg Whites. thespruceeats.com. Retrieved from https://www.thespruceeats.com/all-about-whipping-egg-whites-1328681