Water - one of the most important raw materials for making bread

When making bread, in addition to techniques, it also needs good raw materials to support, otherwise it is difficult to achieve good results

Changes and role of water in dough

hydrolysis

The protein in the flour reacts with water to produce gluten, and the starch contained in it undergoes gelatinization under the action of water

Solvent action

Water helps dissolve various dry ingredients and allows them to be thoroughly mixed, which helps to knead a uniform dough

control dough temperature

The temperature of the water has a great effect on the fermentation of the bread dough

Control the consistency of the dough

The amount of water can be adjusted to control the consistency of the dough, and the strength and viscosity of the dough can be controlled by adding the appropriate amount of water for better handling

aid in biological responses

Biochemical reactions, including yeast fermentation, require a certain amount of water, and water can be used as a carrier for reaction media, especially for enzyme media

The effect of water quality on bread

The effect of water hardness

The hardness of water refers to the content of salts dissolved in water, that is, the content of calcium salts and magnesium salts

When the sum of calcium and magnesium ions in 1 liter of water is equivalent to 10 mg, it is called 1 "degree"

High water hardness is conducive to the formation of dough gluten, but it will affect the fermentation speed of bread dough and make the finished bread taste rough

If you can't trust the water you use, you can boil it and let it cool before using it

　　pH of water affects

　　The pH of water is the negative logarithm of the concentration of hydrogen ions in water, so pH is sometimes referred to as the index of hydrogen ions

　　Neutral aqueous solution pH=7; acidic aqueous solution pH<7, the smaller the pH value, the stronger the acidity; the alkaline aqueous solution pH>7, the larger the pH value, the stronger the alkalinity

　　During the fermentation process of bread dough, amylase decomposes starch into glucose, and yeast reproduction is suitable for an acidic environment (pH value is about 5.

　　In fact, for water, everyone basically uses tap water, which may be hard water, soft water, or something in between

　　The most important point of chlorine is the enemy of yeast and fermentation.

　　(Qingling)

　　"China Food News" (February 21, 2022 05 edition)