INTERESTING SCIENCE BEHIND BREAD THAT YOU’LL LOVE TO KNOW

Any method of making dough needs to be flexible enough to allow it to relax and expand during the rising process in order to produce delicious bread. If the dough stretches out when pulled, it’s good dough. In order to hold the gasses released during rising, it must also be elastic and stable enough to maintain its shape and cell structure.

When combined with water, the two proteins found in flour—gliadin and glutenin—form gluten. Dough has these unique qualities because of gluten. Gluten affects the mixing, kneading, and baking qualities of dough and is necessary for manufacturing bread. It’s critical to master the technique of ingredient mixing while baking bread for the first time.

1.Mixing Ingredients

Mixing serves two purposes:

to divide the different ingredients equally and
To make the greatest bread possible, let a protein network (gluten) form.
Depending on the flour and mixing technique, there is an ideal mixing time for each dough.

It requires balance because
An excessive amount of mixing results in a dough that is less elastic and very extensible.
However, undermixing might result in tiny, unmixed areas that stay unrisen in the bread, giving the finished loaf a subpar interior appearance.

2. Rising (fermentation)

After mixing, the bread is allowed to rise, or ferment.

The dough gradually transforms throughout fermentation, going from a rough, dense mass with poor extensibility and gas holding capabilities to a smooth, extensible dough with good gas holding properties. The naturally occurring carbohydrates (starch, sugars) in the flour are broken down to produce carbon dioxide and alcohol, while the yeast cells proliferate and the bits of gluten protein cling to each other to create networks.Sugars are broken down by yeast into carbon dioxide and water. For this kind of fermentation to be completed, the yeast need a lot of oxygen.

Because there isn’t enough oxygen present in the dough for bread, the yeast can only partially ferment, producing alcohol and carbon dioxide instead of carbon dioxide and water. We call this fermentation of alcohol. The dough rises (ferments or proves) as a result of the carbon dioxide created in these reactions, and the alcohol primarily evaporates from the dough when it bakes.Each yeast cell creates a core during fermentation, which is where carbon dioxide bubbles appear. Inside the dough piece are thousands of tiny bubbles, each encased in a thin layer of gluten. As these cells fill with gas, the dough gets bigger.

3. Kneading

Stretching and folding the dough rhythmically builds the gluten in the flour and produces more gas throughout the kneading process. Kneading releases any huge gas holes that may have formed during rising, which also leads to a more even distribution of temperature and gas bubbles. Depending on the needs of the final product, the dough is then given another chance to rise before being kneaded once more.

4. Second Rising

The dough fills with more gas bubbles during the last rising (proving), and after this process has gone far enough, the doughs are placed in the oven to bake. Overall look: big gluten-lined gas holes with smaller holes and ingredients between them. (Electron microscope image) As the dough reaches the desired size, two hours later, growing gluten strands create a lattice. (Visual of electron microscope)

5. Baking

An inedible dough is turned into a light, easily digested, flavorful product through baking.

The dough’s internal gasses expand as a result of the strong oven heat, quickly expanding the dough’s volume. The phenomenon referred to as “oven spring” arises from a sequence of chemical reactions: gas plus heat = elevated volume or elevated pressure. The heat causes the gas pressure inside the thousands of microscopic gas cells to rise, causing the cells to enlarge.

The dough contains a sizable amount of the carbon dioxide that the yeast produces in solution. When the temperature of the dough reaches approximately 40°C, the carbon dioxide that is in solution transforms into a gas and enters already-existing gas cells. As a result, these cells enlarge and the gases’ solubility decreases overall.

The heat from the oven causes liquids to evaporate and turn into gasses, which causes the alcohol to evaporate. The pace of yeast activity is impacted by heat as well. When the dough reaches the temperature at which yeast dies (about 46°C), the pace of fermentation and the generation of gas cells both accelerate. The crumb starts to stabilize at around 60°C. Granules of starch swell around The starch granule cell’s outer wall ruptures at 60°C in the presence of water released by the gluten, forming a thick paste that resembles gel and aids in forming the dough’s structure.

The gluten strands that surround each individual gas cell change into the semi-rigid structure that is typically linked to bread crumb strength when the temperature rises to 74°C.During baking, the natural enzymes in the dough die at various temperatures. Alpha-amylase is a crucial enzyme that converts starch into sugars. It continues to work until the dough reaches a temperature of approximately 75°C.The yeast does not use the extra sugars produced between 46 and 75°C for food during baking since it dies around 46°C. The breadcrumb can then be sweetened with these sugars, which also give the crust an appealing brown hue.

The temperature of the inside of the bread rises during baking, reaching about 98°C. Until the bread reaches this internal temperature, it is not fully baked. Alcohol and moisture that evaporate from the loaf’s core and crust cause weight loss. The loaf surface reaches 100°C+, which produces steam. The crust heats up and ultimately reaches the same temperature as the oven as the moisture is forced out. The appealing color of the crust is a combination of sugars and other compounds, some of which are created when some of the proteins break down. Above 160°C, these reactions—known as “browning” reactions—occur very quickly. They are the main factors that contribute to the production of crust color.

6. Cooling

When bread comes out of the oven, it cools very quickly in bakeries. The temperature of the crumb’s interior is roughly 98°C, while the crust itself is over 200°C. There is a lot of saturated steam inside the loaf, which needs time to release. To avoid harming the loaf, it must cool to approximately 35°C before slicing and packaging.

Bread, being moist, loses heat as the water evaporates from its surface. The ambient temperature and the flow of cool air surrounding the bread have an impact on the pace of evaporation. To guarantee effective cooling occurs prior to the bread being sliced and wrapped, bakeries have designated places for cooling.

Though it appears straightforward—just plain flour, yeast, and water—the science of bread is actually far more intricate. However, the dough undergoes a wide range of chemical reactions. In this piece, Alex will examine the science of the common loaf for Kitchen Geekery.

The two main chemical components of bread are starch and proteins. Simple sugars (like glucose) are long, chained polymers that are connected end to end by chemical bonds to form starch molecules. Conversely, proteins, which are composed of various combinations of distinct amino acids, are more complex.

Particularly, two proteins—gliadin and glutenin—are crucial to the process of producing bread. They are found in flour, and they combine to make gluten when water is added.

Gluten: what is it? Gluten naturally forms into tangled bunches. However, by adding bulk to the wheat and kneading the resulting dough, we straighten the internal structure of the gluten bunches into lines that better capture carbon dioxide inside the dough.

Bread’s puffy interior is caused by microscopic gas pockets that are held in place by gluten. Weakly kneaded bread will not generate enough pockets of gas in the dough due to insufficient carbon dioxide trapping, which will result in a weak gluten structure and heavy, dense baked goods.

What is yeast used for?

Most of the carbon dioxide is produced by yeast through anaerobic respiration. Yeast is a group of microscopic, one-celled fungus that make sticky dough when combined with flour and water. Though this dough appears to be completely calm, reactions are taking place inside of it.

Without talking about how yeast breaks down, this essay about the science of bread wouldn’t be complete.

Long chains of starch are broken down into individual glucose molecules by some yeast enzymes (chemical-eating proteins), while other yeast enzymes consume the glucose molecules to make CO2 and ethanol during the fermentation process.

Currently, this procedure isn’t entirely effective. Not every glucose molecule is converted into carbon dioxide. Certain components are transformed into acids, esters, and alcohols during other chemical reactions, which enhance the bread’s flavor.

While it does drastically change the taste, some individuals choose to leaven the bread dough with baking powder rather than yeast. The reaction between baking powder, flour, and water solely produces carbon dioxide and salt; no other compounds or flavors are produced and added to the bread.

Improving the dough quality

Fortunately, adding salt will reinforce the dough because the dough is normally not strong enough on its own and gas can escape too readily, leaving us with flat bread.

By slowing down other enzymes that hasten the degradation of proteins, salt fortifies gluten. If there is insufficient salt added, the dough will be sticky and difficult to work with. Excessive salt causes water to leave yeast cells by osmosis, which slows down the synthesis of carbon dioxide.

Allowing the enzymes to accomplish their job of breaking down the gluten is crucial because of these vital chemical processes occurring inside the dough. Because enzymes are sensitive to pH and heat, the bread dough needs to rise in warm, dry circumstances that are covered.

Baking bread

It’s time to put the dough in the oven after the bread has risen. The heat briefly accelerates the yeast’s growth and increases its production of carbon dioxide, which causes the dough to rise. Though the yeast cells will eventually perish due to the oven’s high temperatures, any water that remains inside the cells eventually turns into steam and escapes. As a result, the outside of the dough hardens, giving bread loaves their well-known texture.

We hope that this comprehensive essay has answered all of your questions on the science of bread; if not, kindly let us know. You might also want to try our delicious banana bread recipe.

Optimal Advice
It’s fairly easy to accelerate the processes while using yeast to make bread, so the dough rises more quickly.

The dough should be placed in a glass bowl, covered with plastic film, and sprinkled with sugar water (fermentation requires anaerobic conditions to make carbon dioxide). For brief intervals, place it in the oven or microwave on a very low setting. As a result, the enzyme response will rise without becoming too strong to destroy the enzymes.