So here’s the thing with dry ingredients: they absorb the wet ones. It’s kind of the point of mixing dough. Yet as with most aspects of baking, and life for that matter, there’s SO much more complexity involved. The amount of water absorption hinges on what ingredients you’re mixing, and the desired amount will be different based [...]
Particle size helps with quality control for milling flour. Particle Size What is particle size? Also known as granularity, particle size is a quality control parameter of a cereal flour after it is milled. The particle size of granular materials is commonly referred to as diameter, which is usually measured [...]
Do you beat the heck out of your dough during mixing and make it as warm as possible? If so, I’d like to introduce you to a new form of cool mixing from Rapidojet. Here, we learn about Dr. Bernard Noll’s startup story for Rapidojet: continuous hydration mixing technology. From Minimal Viable Product (MVP) that didn’t sell well, [...]
I’m a big fan of masa flour. Not just because of all the delicious things it’s used in like tortillas, chips, taco shells, tamales…the list goes on. But because it also has increased bioavailability of niacin, improved protein quality, increased calcium levels, and reduced mycotoxin content. Another plus, it's naturally gluten-free! So if you’re looking for a gluten-free product, masa [...]
Artisan breads are in. One of the top food trends for this year is rustic breads, like Ciabatta. If you’re going to try your hand at a bread like this, you need to understand fermentation and starters like biga. What is biga? Biga is a preferment with no salt, usually stiffer than the French variety of Poolish. It [...]
Hydration is a part of the mixing process that you MUST get right. No matter what you’re mixing—doughs, batters, or anything in between—there needs to be a way of making dry ingredients interact with wet ingredients. True, the level of hydration you’re aiming for is going to depend on what you are mixing. However, you [...]
Without the proper hydration, gluten will not function properly. Gluten thrives on hydration. While dough is in the mixer, water molecules are binding to the polar sites on the gluten proteins. When these proteins have enough water, they provide elastic and extensible properties. In other words, the better hydrated gluten is, the better [...]
Straight Dough Also known as no time dough or rapid dough processing What is Straight Dough? Straight dough is a breadmaking system or method in which all ingredients (dry and liquid) are placed in the mixer and the dough is then mixed to full development. Unlike the sponge and dough system, where [...]
Autolyse What is autolyse? Autolyse is a process in which a portion of (or total) water and flour in a bread formula are pre-blended and set to rest for a period of time. This resting period gives the dough special processing characteristics and improves the overall quality of the baked goods. [...]
