The Secret Of Making Bread With Salt
Aug 05, 2020
Salt is a flavoring agent, but it plays a very important role in the bread making process. According to different recipes, the amount of salt is generally 1-2% of the powder. Since salt will reduce the water absorption of the protein in the flour, it is recommended to add it in the final stage of kneading the dough. What are the secrets of adding salt to bread?
Flavor production
Adding an appropriate amount of table salt can produce a light salty taste, which harmonizes with the sweetness of sugar to increase the flavor of bread, and the taste will be more layered.
Inhibition of bacteria
Yeasts and harmful bacteria are generally weak in resistance to salt. The osmotic pressure caused by salt in the bread delays the growth of bacteria and sometimes even kills them.
Gluten stability
Table salt can change the physical properties of gluten, increase its ability to absorb water, make it swell without breaking, condition and stabilize gluten. As the salt increases the strength of gluten, the quality of bread is improved, and the texture of gluten is densified to increase elasticity. Weak flour can use more salt, and strong flour is suitable for less salt.
Color improvement
Using salt to condition gluten can produce a relatively fine structure inside the bread, so that light can easily pass through the thinner tissue wall membrane, so the color of the internal tissue of the baked bread can be whiter.
Adjustment of fermentation time
Because table salt can inhibit yeast fermentation, it can be used to adjust the fermentation time. The dough without salt at all fermented quickly, but the fermentation situation was extremely unstable. Especially when the weather is hot, it is more difficult to control the normal fermentation time, and over-fermentation is prone to occur, and the dough becomes sour. Therefore, salt can be said to be a material for "stabilizing fermentation".
Impact on process
If there is a lack of salt, the dough will ferment too quickly and the gluten strength is not strong. During the fermentation period, the dough will sink after it is initiated. The addition of salt will also increase the mixing time.
