Chemistry of Baking Homemade Bread

How to Get the Density, Texture and Chewiness You Want

Dec 1, 2008

See yourself as scientist or artist, getting the type of consistency you want in the bread you bake is really up to how well you understand its chemistry.

Bread Now and Then. The smell of baking bread as you step into the house is an aroma that evokes emotions of comfort, safety and home. Few would dispute that a loaf of homemade bread is like nothing else. Leavened and unleavened, bread has played a role in world cultures for a myriad of centuries. From the manna said to fall from heaven, to remnants of leavened dough found in pharaoh’s tombs, the history of bread stretches far back into the reaches of time.

Though numerous in its various forms and shapes, bread of available grains has been found around the world. With the technology of grinding wheat into flour, to the addition of wild, airborne yeast to the mix, bread as we know it has enriched our eating experiences. Wheat flour is to this day the most highly produced flour and is special in its ability to produce a fluffy and light loaf.

High Gluten Content of Wheat Flour. Due to its significantly higher content of gluten, wheat flour is superior in its ability to rise and hold its shape. Gluten is formed in the bread making process through kneading. As the dough is stretched, the bands of gluten become more elongated and develop a network of bonds that will hold together more strongly. The addition of yeast to the mixture creates the environment needed for the tiny carbon dioxide bubbles from the yeast to be released. As these bubbles are formed, they become trapped within the gluten and held there. Thus your bread rises. The condition of the gluten in the dough will determine how well it hangs on to those bubbles and how high it will rise.

Texture and Kneading. Texture is another consideration when determining what kind of bread you want to make. The more the dough is worked, the chewier the end product will be. This would be desirable for baked goods such as bagels, pizza crust or French bread. The stability factor of the dough will be determined through how vigorously and long it is kneaded.

Know Your Flour. There is a clearly a chemistry to bread making and the more information you have about all the variables, the more precisely you can manipulate them to come up with the type of bread you want at any given time. The types of wheat flours available to you at most markets is something to be informed about as well, as gluten content varies between them. Coarse, whole wheat flours are lower in gluten development, are slower to rise and will create a denser loaf, while bread flour is very high in its gluten activity. Cake flour is low in gluten, will create a finer texture crumb and is not really recommended for bread making. Flour labeled “all purpose” is somewhere in the middle and for most at-home bakers is sufficient for bread, cakes and baking in general. Naturally milled wheat flour will appear to be a slightly off-white color, while bleached flour is very white and has a slightly higher gluten potential, though chlorine is usually used in that process.

Art and Science. Trying different ingredients, working the dough, and paying attention to what you did and how the end product came out can be your science in the kitchen. Keep notes, get feedback (always share your bread), and make another loaf. That is the best advice for sorting out how to get the type of dough that you want on a particular day.

The copyright of the article Chemistry of Baking Homemade Bread in Breads & Muffins is owned by Kate Barthel. Permission to republish Chemistry of Baking Homemade Bread in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.