This is Why Cookies and Biscuits Have Those Little Holes
August 28, 2024
source: freepik
That is very true, I am a very curious person, you know? Especially when it comes to MY food! My friends always make fun of me for this; they say, “Why do you have to ask so many things while you’re eating? Can’t you just eat your food?” For instance, I had such a question about lollipop sticks for quite some time. They must have been hollow for a reason, right? It was nice to solve that mystery. So, what is my next challenge, you may ask? What is the significance of the small holes that are always seen in cookies? Since I often have cookies (Well, not that often, but… almost every day haha), I can’t help but pay attention to these small holes… I mean, how could you not notice them too? Are they necessary? Why are they there? Is there any purpose that I should be aware of? Because I should know these minor facts… Well, this is what I found out…
Surprise, surprise, these small holes in cookies are not just for aesthetics, although they do look nice. They are to release steam during baking. Sounds pretty fancy, right? But think about it: when you bake cookies, the dough is heated and the moisture present in it changes into steam. If that steam has no way to escape, it will accumulate, and your cookies will rise and then fall, resulting in misshapen cookies. Are they not shaped perfectly, like the cookies we all desire to have? These small punctures are called docking and they ensure that doesn’t happen. They let the steam out and also help make the cookie flat and even.
Alright, let me explain more about this cookie science since it is a real thing. When you are making cookies, you have all these great ingredients in the dough: flour, sugar, butter, eggs, and sometimes chocolate chips or nuts. When the cookie is being baked, the water contained in the dough turns into steam. If there is no hole through which it can be released, this steam accumulates within the dough. You would get a cookie that looks like a mini balloon, not the soft or crunchy cookie we want to bake. It is through these holes that steam can escape from the cookies in a balanced manner, giving the cookie a good look.
However, not all cookies are made this way, and these holes are not present in all of them. Isn’t it interesting that cookies such as shortbread cookies are usually decorated with a beautiful design of small punctures? That is because shortbread dough is generally dense and doesn’t spread out as much when baking. Holes allow the cookie to hold the shape and structure that it is supposed to have and not balloon up in certain areas while baking.
This is not only applicable to cookies but to other food products as well due to the tiny holes. Other items such as crackers and pie crusts are prepared in the same way to achieve the final product. Have you ever seen those small holes in a pie crust? Same deal! They aid in avoiding the formation of bubbles and ensure the crust is level, giving it a good surface for placing other fillings.
So, let us discuss how these holes are created. Home bakers can use a fork or a special tool known as a docker. The only thing you need to do is to just give the dough a little poke before baking, and you are set. It is quite a basic procedure, but it goes a long way in the final result. In the case of mass production of cookies, the process is mechanized, where the dough is punctured by holes made by machines.
Hold on a minute, there is more to these tiny holes than just the release of steam. It also has an effect on the texture of the final product, which in this case is the cookie. Since steam can pass through the holes, they facilitate making the cookies crispy. This is especially true for cookies such as shortbread or specific sugar cookies where crumbliness is one of the features. So, in a manner of speaking, those tiny perforations are indeed versatile – they prevent the cookie from rising while at the same time providing it with that cracking sound.
And here’s a fun fact for you: contrary to what may be expected, the number and position of the holes can, in fact, influence the end result. If there aren’t enough holes, the steam cannot escape properly, and the cookie will be uncooked on the inside. If you poke too many holes, you will be left with a cookie that is far too dry. That is where the balance comes into play. This is why you can notice that the pattern of the holes on the surface of different types of cookies is different, and each of them corresponds to a specific type of dough and the texture that is to be obtained.
Thus, the next time you take a cookie in your hand and bring it to your mouth to take a bite, remember the small holes. If anyone should point at you and ask why you are making those holes in the dough of your cookies, you will have a perfect answer. Everyone around you will think that you are a pro at baking, and your cookies will be perfect.
And that is all there is to it, folks! The question of the small cookie holes has been answered. They are small but ensure that the cookies we make are as good as they should be in terms of taste and presentation. Well, I guess that’s enough of that. I have cookies in the oven and I can’t let them burn. This batch might have a few more holes than the last, to be safe.
And, why did the cookie go to the doctor? Because it felt crummy! (Sorry, I couldn’t resist!)