| |
| |
|
Cooking Tips at Kitchen Chef |
|
|
|
Why do We Need to Knead?
Bread dough needs to be elastic in order to capture the gases created by the yeast, stretch as bubbles form in the dough, expand, and rise. Without that elasticity, bread would not have the open texture we enjoy nor would bread be chewy. But what creates that elasticity? The endosperm of the wheat contains two important proteins, glutenin and gliadin. When wheat flour is mixed with water, these two proteins link with the water molecules and crosslink with each other as they are physically manipulated by kneading. It takes a certain amount of physical manipulation to bring these molecules into contact and create strong links. As the kneading continues and these molecules create stronger bonds, gluten is formed. It is gluten that gives the dough elasticity. If you watch the dough being mixed with the bread hook in your stationary mixer, you will see changes occur in the dough as the kneading takes place. First the dough will stick to the sides of the bowl. As the bonds become stronger and the dough more elastic, it pulls away from the sides into a drier ball. The sides should become clean. Within four or five minutes at medium speed, the dough will change even more and become elastic as the gluten is completely formed. After you have watched this process a few times, you will be able to recognize the changes in the dough as the gluten forms. If you pinch a portion of the dough and stretch it, it should pull to a thin layer before it breaks. Without that elasticity, bread isn't good bread. For more articles like this visit The Bakers' Library. © 2004 The Prepared Pantry
MORE RESOURCES:
Cooking-Tips - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Caring For Your Wooden Cutting Board Researchers have found that bacteria have a tougher time surviving on wood cutting boards. However, plastic cutting boards are less porous than wood, making it less likely to harbor bacteria over a long period of time, but only if it is immediately cleaned. Wok this Way! (Part 1 of 5) IntroductionWoks have been synonymous with Chinese cooking since the emergence of Chinese cuisine. They have been used for some 3000 years in China for a variety of cooking methods, including stir frying, boiling, and steaming. Do you own an AGA or RAYBURN cooker ? The Cooker-rail.. Secret of Light and Fluffy Biscuits and Pancakes Would you like to lose some weight -- in your baking, that is? This one secret ingredient (that you likely already have in your kitchen) is not only inexpensive and healthy, it'll also add a bit of "cloud" to your biscuits and pancakes!And that ingredient is .. 10 Smoky Tips To BBQ Food Safely Cooking outdoors was once only a summer activity shared with family and friends. Now more than half of Americans say they are cooking outdoors year round. The Almighty Beer-Can Chicken A popular method of cooking chicken in recent years both in Barbeque contest as well as backyard barbeques is the beer-can chicken. Cooking a beer-can chicken couldn't be any easier but the results are worthwhile. 7 Things to Consider when Buying a BBQ BBQ as we all know is an abbreviated form of barbecue or barbeque. The BBQ has assumed so much importance today that you could call it the crown. Baking Bread and Your Freezer There's a lot of bread in our freezer. In our exuberance, we often bake more bread than we can eat in a day or two. Using Bread Machine Mixes in Your Oven You don't have to own a bread machine to enjoy the variety of bread machine mixes. And you don't have to make blocky, square loaves with holes in the bottom. Cake Pans Cake pans?.the secret behind every successful cake. Baking Bread in a Dutch Oven Dutch ovens were made for baking. In the hands of a practiced baker, a Dutch oven will create beautiful breads and desserts. Season Your Pans for Non Stick Cooking Nothing is more frustrating than trying to cook a delicious meal and having it stick to the bottom of the pan. A well season or cured pan will make cooking more fun, easier to clean and create better tasting food. To Fry Or Not To Fry? Here's a little known factoid - did you know that KFC changed its image by retiring the slogan Kentucky FRIED Chicken. Instead, they became known as serving up Kitchen Fresh Chicken. Kid Birthday Cake Idea Collection - Cake Decorating Without Fear Our kid birthday cake idea collection makes cake decorating fun and fearless. You don't have to be a pastry chef to create a professional quality cake for your child's birthday or other special event. Ten Proven Tips to Buy the Best Meat Available Ten Proven Tips to buy the Best Meat AvailableAs you look through the meat section at your local grocery store you are probably like so many others asking yourself if the steaks you have chosen is really good meat. Here are some tips on how to make sure you buy good meat. How to Bake: Muffins (with recipes) Muffins are a mainstay around our house. They are as nourishing as they are good to eat. The Noble Crescent Roll - How to Roll a Masterpiece Ahhh?the noble crescent roll. In some forms it has its origins in the Middle East and in Europe. Wok this Way! (Part 2 of 5) Selecting a Wok As mentioned in Part 1 of the series, woks come in different sizes ranging from 10 to 32 inches in diameter, but a wok that's 11 to 14 inches in diameter should suffice for use in a household kitchen.Woks come in 2 different bottoms, the traditional round-bottomed woks, and the "westernized" flat-bottomed woks. What is a Serving Size? Have you ever wondered how much a serving really is. Well, pull out your box of Raisin Bran, grab the milk a bowl and a spoon. Alone In the Kitchen: Stirring Up Mindfulness Put on your apron! It's time to stir up a batch of mindfulness.Julia Child, the trilling television chef who taught millions of Americans how to prepare French food without being hoity-toity, died in her sleep at the age of 92 recently.
|
| home | site map |
| © Kitchen Chef 2006 |
