Dough it right

The aroma of freshly-baked bread, with a good finish and glaze that rises to perfection, is pure magic, writes Avin Thaliath

Simple and basic bread recipes are the foundation of almost all kinds of bread that are baked in the world of gastronomy. The inspiration to develop a new product for bakers is derived from one such set. While we keep this in mind, the recipes revolve around the varying percentages of flour, yeast, sugar and water. Additional ingredients such as butter, milk, eggs, seasonings, etc., are used depending on their authenticity and the requirements of the baker.

Great bread is made by giving equal importance to both the bread and the recipe. It is very important for bakers to do so because the recipe remains the same irrespective of which part of the world it belongs to. Volume and weight are two widely used scales for measuring ingredients in baking. Measurements in terms of cups, tablespoons, teaspoons etc., are used for scaling volume. When ingredients are measured in terms of grams, this means they are scaled in weight. It is ideal to either follow the recipe by weight or by volume, but not mix them. However, measuring the ingredients for baking in weight over volume has an added advantage. The number of molecules varies for each ingredient when measured in weight and volume which in turn affects the final product.

When the dough mixing takes place, molecules interact with each other and a chemical reaction takes place. The volume of certain ingredients changes. The air particles between the molecules differ when compared in volume, for example, a teaspoon of salt that comprises larger salt crystals will weigh less than a teaspoon of salt with smaller crystals. The difference might be very minute in smaller quantities, but when it is measured on larger scales the difference is quite a lot which directly affects the quality of the product.

The four essentials of bread

When the bread-making process is on, there are four main factors that have to be kept in mind. Time, temperature, gas content and strength. Having a perfect balance between these four elements results in a perfect bread. Having great control over these four factors is very important in any environment as the baker needs to follow a standard recipe and a standard product irrespective of being in any part of the world. Irrespective of the process being dough mixing, dough kneading, dough fermenting or baking, a lot of attention should be given to time. If a preferment is used for making bread, the time for the preferment to mature should also be accounted for.

Usage of a preference definitely increases the time of the baking process but it also adds a lot of flavours and a great crust to the bread. Whereas on the other hand, temperature speeds up the process for expediency. Controlling temperature in a cooler environment is very important as a warmer environment aids in the fermentation process. Temperatures indirectly affect the flavour of dough by altering the rising time.

Chill water and a cooler environment are two foes of any bread making which not only affects the flavour of the dough but also slows down the process. Chill water is used to compensate for the heat that is generated by the friction of the electric mixer. If the dough is handled with hands in the process of kneading or shaping some of the heat is transferred from the body to the dough. The dough should be properly kneaded and handled delicately with a brisk and efficient motion. Temperature can also be used to modify the fermentation process keeping in mind the type of yeast used for the dough. Lastly, the temperature of the oven is very important as the final baking process takes place in it.

The right texture

The gas content of the dough in each step varies; every step determines whether the dough is ready for the next step. Gas retention in the process of baking also determines the final product if the bread is baked in an earlier stage as the bread fails to capture and retain the gas, and if the bread is baked too late, post-fermentation, the gas escapes before baking resulting in a collapsed bread. Punching the dough post-fermentation removes all the gas from the dough which helps the baker to shape the bread and further bake it. A poor job removing gas during shaping results in bread with gaping holes inside. When the dough is baked it is important for the dough to have evenly distributed air bubbles for a good bread texture. At times it turns out to be over gassy which is caused by excess addition of yeast which not only yields an undesired bread texture but is also weak and hard to work with. The temperature also controls the gas content of the dough.

A warmer temperature boosts the budding process of the yeast which in turn boosts the fermentation, and vice-versa. Last, but not least, the strength of the dough is determined by the gluten content of the flour used for making the dough. If the dough is too weak it fails to rise when the gas is produced in the process of fermentation; if the dough is too hard it fails to deliver a moist bread texture on the palate. Controlling the strength of the dough also helps in increasing the aesthetic appeal of the final bread by shaping it in the desired way.

(The author is India’s leading pastry chef based in Bengaluru who exudes the vibe of a guru — calm, peaceful and funny. A pandora of knowledge, he is Master Shifu in disguise — a modern teacher who imbibes the art & science of baking. He’s an avid reader and a tabla player who loves to sway to his own tunes!)