D. Hamelman. Bakery technology from kneading to baking

[Bakery technology from kneading to baking]

Bakery technology from kneading to baking

From Geoffrey HAMELMAN's book "Bread"
Jeffrey Hamelman has been working as a professional baker for almost thirty years.
For half that time, he owned a bakery in Vermont. He has worked as a bakery instructor in several culinary and bakery schools, and has taught in France, Germany, Canada, Ireland, Brazil and Japan. In 1996, he was selected as the captain of the US bakery team, which consisted of three people and represented the United States in Paris at the world cup du rse de la Boulangerie in baking. In 1998, he became the 76th Certified Master Baker in the United States. J. Hamelman is Director of the Bakery and Learning Center for the King Arthur Flour Company in Norwich. Vermont. In this position, he teaches monthly in classroom baking courses for one week and makes workouts for three weeks at KingArthur Bakery.

In this chapter, we will cover all the stages of the baking process - from the selection of ingredients to the cooling of baked bread, and each stage is not only important in itself, but also affects all subsequent ones.
Many volumes can be written for each of the individual stages of baking, but it is more important for the reader to clearly understand and understand those aspects of bread making that affect the daily activities of the baker. And while some of the information may seem "abstruse" and too scientific, keep in mind that I am a baker, not a scientist, and my goal is to explain what is useful and can be useful in the daily routine of baking.
The baking process can be divided into twelve distinct stages. Sometimes some operations, for example, kneading, can be omitted. Some of the steps (such as maturing or final proofing) are fairly straightforward, while others (such as kneading and baking) are very difficult. Always keep in mind that all the actions of the baker when processing the dough will inevitably affect the subsequent stages of bread production.

[Stage 1. Dosing of ingredients]

Stage 1. Dosing of ingredients

The first stage is the selection and dosage of ingredients. Correct and careful dosing is necessary to obtain products of stable quality, uniform in shape and size. When dosing, we also calculate the finished product yield, and the dosing accuracy prevents shortages or too many products. An important factor here is the cost of the ingredients. The only way to ensure pipetting accuracy is by weight rather than volume, so a reliable and accurate scale is a must for every baker.

[Stage 2. Kneading]

Stage 2. Kneading

The first stage of mixing has nothing to do with mixing itself - This is a simple determination of the temperature of the mixing water, which is calculated depending on the set temperature of the dough (see the section "Calculation of the set dough temperature"). Obtaining homogeneous, stable products requires compliance with many conditions, including constant temperature control. It's better to spend a few minutes calculating the temperature of the kneading water and get the dough in the right temperature range than biting your elbows later. After determining the temperature of the water, you can start the actual kneading.

What happens in a kneading machine or in a bowl where the dough is kneaded by hand is actually quite difficult to describe.It all starts at the moment when the flour particles and water come into contact with each other and the mixing process begins. Kneading serves several important purposes. The simplest of these is the even distribution of all ingredients in the dough. It is more difficult to describe the formation of gluten (gluten). At first, protein molecules in flour are randomly distributed and can be oriented in any direction. When kneading, these molecules are drawn into more or less straight fibers, and it is this stretching and ordering of the gluten threads that gives the dough "strength". Kneading the dough with the correct development of gluten allows the dough to stretch well, not to burst and retain trapped air and carbon dioxide generated by three yeast fermentation, which in turn determines the volume and color of the loaf after leaving the oven. Everything, of course, is somewhat more complicated. In fact, there are two types of gluten-forming proteins in flour - glutenin and gliadin, the nature of which is somewhat opposite.

Glutenin contributes to the formation of the structure of the dough and its elasticity, or, in other words, increases its tensile strength. Gliadin, on the other hand, gives the dough elasticity, that is, the ability to stretch. The dough requires both, and the correct kneading is required for the simultaneous formation of elasticity and firmness. The balance of these two properties allows the dough to both resist tearing (be elastic) and stretch without breaking (be stretchable). Balancing these two different viscoelastic properties remains an important challenge throughout the process. But, for example, rye flour contains very little glutenin and more gliadin, and therefore the requirements for its kneading and the properties of rye dough for baking rye bread are completely different from those for wheat dough and bread. The method of kneading rye bread is discussed in detail in Chapter 6.
Let's give an example. Imagine that you need to get baguettes by rolling out small, about 200-gram pieces of dough into dough pieces about 60 cm long and with the same diameter along the entire length. If they are too firm (which can be caused by insufficient pre-proofing after rounding or using too strong flour with too much mixing), the dough will resist you a lot during molding and most likely. will win! By the time you manage to achieve the desired length of the baguette, the surface of the workpiece will become torn and uneven, the product will look like it urgently needs a doctor or lawyer. Now imagine that you need to mold hundreds of such blanks! The other extreme is when the dough after layering is too stretchable (due to insufficient kneading of weak flour or due to too long preliminary proofing). At the same time, the dough itself does not look like itself, like a body without a skeleton, it is something "mollusk-like"! When kneaded, it does not offer any resistance at all, the workpieces are flat and shapeless, and they will remain so when baked.

Talking about gluten protein molecules is useful, of course, but I've never seen a baker holding a microscope while kneading. Hand sensations when kneading dough and changes in visual and tactile perception should never be neglected. After loading all the ingredients for the dough into the kneader and turning it on, the flour begins to hydrate. Regardless of the type of kneading paddle, it is very important that the rotation speed is low at first. At this stage, the outer surface of the starch granules is moistened, the ingredients clump together, and dough begins to form. After mixing the ingredients, usually 2-3 minutes after the start of kneading, turn off the machine and taste the dough by touch (it would be nice to taste the dough - did you forget to add salt). The dough should be sticky, "rough", rather liquid, it does not yet have strength, smoothness or elasticity.Immerse your hand in the dough - it parted freely, almost without resistance. This is how it should be at this stage of kneading, because here homogeneity of the dough (uniform distribution of ingredients) is important for us, and not its "strength".

Usually novice bakers at this stage conclude that the dough is too runny and add flour. However, what seemed like a very thin dough at the first stage of kneading will soon (at the second stage, when gluten is forming) turn into a thick, dense dough. The addition of flour early in the batch has already ruined many batches of dough. You can "feel" the transformation of the dough from a liquid shapeless mass into a dense elastic and developed dough only with your hands during the entire kneading process.

After you have made sure that the consistency of the dough is normal, the kneading phase continues, in which the gluten continues to develop. Usually the mixer is switched to the second speed at which gluten is well formed. Touch the dough with your hand - a well-kneaded dough will resist; it has already gained strength, became elastic, but soft and a little springy. Some bakers separate a small piece of dough and stretch it into as thin a film as possible (sometimes referred to as a "windowpane test"). This is just one way to gauge gluten formation, but caution should be exercised: if this thin film is completely transparent and the gluten is fully formed, the dough will almost certainly be “jumbled”, too dense. Correct gluten formation does not mean its complete formation, and, as we will see below, the duration of kneading at the second speed and, therefore, the degree of gluten formation is determined by many factors. If our only goal is to get the required volume of dough, then we can stop at a higher dosage of yeast and maximum gluten formation in the mixer. At the same time, the maximum volume is one thing, but good taste and aroma is another, and the methods of kneading that provide the maximum dough volume, at the same time, negatively affect the taste and aroma.
With each rotation of the kneading body, the dough is stirred and oxygen penetrates into it. The importance of oxygen penetration is due to the fact that it participates in strengthening the gluten framework, however, excess oxygen can have a negative effect on the dough. Too much oxygen will lead to excessive mixing: the gluten bonds begin to break, the dough becomes shiny and sticky as moisture is released from it, the elasticity decreases and the overall structure weakens. Excessive oxidation occurs even before this extreme point is reached, resulting in a deterioration in taste and aroma, that is, the overall quality of the bread.

So what should a baker consider when kneading dough? One extreme is high speed kneading, which maximizes gluten formation and matures directly in the kneader due to oxygen capture and maximum shear forces. In this case, the dough is as "strong" as possible, and fermentation of the dough is almost impossible. Flavoring components of flour - carotenoids, which also give unbleached flour its creamy color - are oxidized due to excessive mixing. This leads to the impossibility of developing taste and aroma, a very long process. The other extreme is a very slow mixing only at the first, slowest speed. The same is observed, for example, when kneading with hands (or even with feet, as has been done for many centuries). At the same time, a minimum amount of gluten is formed, and the oxidation state remains minimal. Fermentation lasts for hours, as the dough ripens, it is repeatedly kneaded, carotenoids are not oxidized, and the taste and aroma of the bread is excellent.At the same time, the volume of the loaf is relatively small due to the poor physical processing of the dough.

There is also a kind of "golden mean": the dough is kneaded in a bowl until the middle stage of gluten formation. Over time, thanks to the kneading, the physical structure is also formed (sufficient fermentation). In the mixer, carotenoids are not oxidized too much, they participate in the formation of the bread taste and aroma, and the bread turns out to be of good volume. Thanks to this, a balance of accurate kneading is achieved without destroying carotenoids, on the one hand, and on the other, good fermentation to obtain the maximum possible taste and aroma, elasticity and strength of the dough, as well as preserve the quality of the product.

There is no doubt that an elastic ("strong") dough is necessary to obtain good bread. However, there are alternative options for achieving full development of the dough in the kneading machine with the inevitable consequences of excessive oxidation and too rapid maturation of the dough. Long-term fermentation and the use of pre-fermented semi-finished products increase the acidity of the dough during its maturation due to the formation of organic acids. One of the advantages of this increased acidity is the hardening of the dough structure. Another effective way to strengthen it is to knead the dough, which has a quick and noticeable effect. It is very important to understand the relationship between the degree of kneading, elasticity ("strength") and the degree of fermentation of the dough. As with other aspects of baking, it is very difficult to quantify the required parameters here because the boundaries are amorphous and flexible. By carefully observing the progress of the batch and its results (that is, the properties of the resulting dough), the baker can well acquire practical skills and an empirical understanding of cause and effect.

Duration of mixing

Since the duration of the batch depends on many factors, consider some of them.
Kneading machine type... In the USA, professional bakers are most popular with spiral kneaders, planetary mixers and machines with an inclined kneading body, and in home baking, desktop mixers, similar in principle to planetary mixers, prevail. Different types of mixers differ not only in the number of revolutions per minute at certain speeds - the type of kneading body also acts on the dough in different ways. Mixers with a spiral kneading body are highly efficient and form the dough relatively quickly without excessive oxidation. At the same time, due to their high efficiency, they are able to create an excessive kneading of the dough in a short time, which is why it is necessary to work with them very carefully and carefully monitor the duration of the kneading. Mixers with an inclined kneading body work a little slower and softer (when I follow their work, it always seems to me that I still see two old bakers standing opposite each other over a bowl of dough and kneading his hands, immersed in the bowl to the elbows) ... As in the spiral mixer, the bowl in which the inclined kneading body is immersed rotates together. him. Under the influence of such processing, despite the gentle mode, more oxygen is absorbed into the dough than in spiral mixers, so one of the problems here is the possibility of excessive oxidation of the dough. In planetary mixers, the kneading body is lowered vertically into the stationary bowl from above. Such mixers are rightfully considered universal (multifunctional), since, unlike spiral mixers and dough mixers with an inclined kneading body, in a planetary mixer, not only a hook, but also a spatula or a whisk can be installed as kneading bodies, so that you can knead the dough for a wide variety of products - from biscuits to cookies. Although they are completely ineffective as bakery mixers, they can still make dough for great bread.When working with a fierce type mixer, it is important to know its rpm at different speeds. It is equally important to calculate the coefficient of friction in this type of equipment (for more details, see "Calculation of the set dough temperature").
The amount of dough in the bowl. Once I thought that the dough forms faster if it fills not half, but three quarters of the bowl (bowl), but I was wrong. Indeed, the larger the dough, the greater its mass, which means that during kneading the dough is fermented faster. However, in fact, the less dough in the bowl, the faster the gluten formation occurs. Take a 70 kg kneader. Let's make two kneading doughs: first about 20 kg, and then about 50 kg. During the first kneading of the dough, a greater proportion of the total mass of the dough is processed in one revolution of the kneading body than when kneading the second. This allows gluten to form faster with less dough.
Hydration. Hydration is the proportion of water in the dough relative to the amount of flour. Which dough forms faster - wetter or drier? A very dry dough (hydration no more than 60%) does not have enough moisture for the required degree of flour hydration, and it takes more time for gluten to form. In very wet doughs (hydration above 72%), gluten also forms slowly, as the high moisture content makes it difficult. Therefore, if a dough with 66% hydration requires 3 minutes of kneading at the second speed, then for the same development of gluten in a dough with more or less hydration, a longer kneading is required.
Types of flour. The structure-forming properties of rye flour are much less pronounced than that of wheat flour - it can be kneaded all day without achieving the same development of gluten as in wheat flour. In fact, the requirements for kneading rye flour dough are completely different (see Chapter 6). When kneading a dough made from whole grain wheat flour, coarser flour particles with their corners "pierce" the gluten frame, which somewhat increases the dough kneading time. Bleached flours have their own characteristics. Bleached flour with a high gluten content requires a longer kneading time than bleached flour with a lower gluten content, since in the former case it takes longer to form gluten. Flour from soft wheat varieties, for example, confectionery, rarely forms gluten in general, and if it does, it quickly disintegrates if it is too kneaded. Despite the fact that there are quite effective ways to improve the baking properties of weak flour (for example, adding more leaven, more kneading, increasing the duration of fermentation), it is always recommended to carefully and carefully select the desired flour.
The presence of other ingredients. When fats are added (in the form of butter or vegetable oil, eggs, etc.), they envelop the gluten filaments and delay its formation. As the fat dosage increases, the required kneading time also increases. That is why the dough for products such as brioches, in which the proportion of butter is 40 to 70% by weight of the flour, should be completely kneaded before adding the butter. Sugar softens the structure of the gluten, and as the dosage increases, the duration of the batch should also increase. Finally, when adding grains or flakes (fried, raw or soaked) to the dough, they will "pierce" the gluten framework, and therefore the kneading time must be increased.

[Stage 3. Fermentation of the dough]

Stage 3. Fermentation of the dough

Immediately after turning off the mixer, dough fermentation begins. All the oxygen in the dough is utilized by the yeast in a few minutes and fermentation occurs anaerobically, that is, in the absence of oxygen. As a rule, the fermentation process is initiated either by natural leaven from a pure culture available to the baker, which is added to the dough during kneading to start fermentation, or in the form of a yeast-based dough (liquid dough, ripe patefermentee dough), or by adding baker's yeast to the dough, or a combination of the above methods. It is during this fermentation of the dough that the bulk of the taste and aroma of the bread is formed.Needless to say, the introduction at this stage of substances that artificially accelerate its course, for example, bread improvers, dry starter cultures or ready-made bakery mixtures, has a dramatic negative effect on the quality of bread.

Of great importance for the development of the taste and aroma of bread is the formation of organic acids during the fermentation of dough, which not only participate in the formation of these characteristics, but also have a strengthening effect on the structure of the dough, thereby actively participating in its formation. Since organic acids are formed rather slowly (it may take several hours before the desired aroma of bread is formed), the use of a dough that has matured for many hours and already contains a large amount of the required organic acids seems to be a rather effective way to enhance the bread flavor and aroma. Another result of fermentation is the formation of carbon dioxide gas, a byproduct of yeast. This gas is present in the liquid phase of the dough in a dissolved state and remains in it until the temperature of the dough piece rises during baking. Then the dissolved carbon dioxide turns into a gaseous state, expands, increases the volume of the workpiece in the furnace and evaporates.

Fermentation can take place in the temperature range from 0 to 50 ° C, but in certain temperature ranges, called optimal, it is most active. For wheat dough, the optimum fermentation temperature is 24-26 ° C, for rye it is at least 3 ° C higher. Yeast activity and gas formation reach a maximum at temperatures slightly above the indicated ones - above 27 ° C. However, gas formation is by no means the only purpose of fermentation, and one should not forget about the formation of taste and aroma. As a rule, the temperatures optimal for the formation of flavoring compounds in the dough are somewhat lower than the optimal temperatures for gas formation. For wheat bread, the temperature in the range of 24-26 ° C is balanced: it provides both the formation of flavoring substances and the formation of the product's volume, and not to the detriment of each other.

[Stage 4. Workout]

Stage 4. Workout

Until recently, American bakers were taught, as the dough rose, to lower it once or twice, kicking it down with fists. Despite the importance of this operation, it is only partially effective. In contrast to this "kneading", kneading the dough is much more effective and in fact is a very important baking technique that is often underestimated. It is the right kneading at the right time that distinguishes high quality bread from medium quality bread. Why is this happening?

First of all, how to crush the dough is important. Sprinkle flour on your workbench, a little more than you think is necessary. This "excess" flour will not get into the dough as it will crumble. If there is less flour on the worktable than needed, the dough will stick to the table during kneading, and the surface of the dough will "break". Needless to say, it doesn't make him attractive. Then unload the dough onto a workbench so that the top of the dough “spreads” slightly over the floured surface. Now take it by the edge (for example, the left one), lift up about a third of the piece and press it firmly into the rest of the dough. With spread fingers of both hands, crush the dough so that gas comes out of it. Do not try to remove all the gas formed during fermentation, you just need to get out of it. Then lift about a third of the piece on the right side and press it into the center of the rest of the dough, slightly overlapping the line of the first heap, and squeeze again to remove gas. Before this time and all subsequent kneading operations, make sure that all flour has been swept from the top of the dough. You should do your best to ensure that this flour does not penetrate the dough, otherwise gray unbaked stripes will appear on the baked loaf.and traces of flour will give the bread an unattractive appearance, and it will not taste any better. After kneading the right edge, grab the dough by the edge farthest from you, lift about a third of the piece and crush it towards you into the remaining dough. The last operation of such a punching is to knead in the same way the third of the dough closest to you into the center of the rest. After kneading this fourth side, turn the dough over on the work table so that the folds are at the bottom, pass your hands to the elbows under the dough on the left and right, lift it up and load it into the dough bowl. Moving 20-30 kg dough pieces in this way is relatively easy, which is often done, but heavier dough portions are, of course, more difficult to mix - in this case, ask your partner for help or use more less capacious dough containers.

After kneading the dough, its upper surface will be flat and smooth, and traces ("seams") from the kneading will remain on the lower surface. From the first kneading operation until the dough enters the oven, these top (smooth) and bottom (with kneading seams) dough surfaces will remain in the same orientation. No matter how many kneading operations you perform, the top of the dough will always be the top, and the bottom will be the bottom; this orientation is maintained during dough dividing and pre-rounding as well as during final shaping. You can imagine that the dough (by the total mass or already divided into separate pieces) has its own axis, like that huge loaf with the North and South poles, on which we live.

By doing the right workout, we ensure three important things. First, we remove the carbon dioxide from their dough. If the excess carbon dioxide gas produced by the yeast is not removed periodically, fermentation will not proceed properly. The operation of removing carbon dioxide can be carried out using the traditional American method of “kneading”, but it is less effective than kneading. Secondly, when kneading, we equalize the temperature of the dough, which can be very useful. If you work with cold dough in a warm room, then the outer surface of the dough heats up faster than the inner layers, and when kneading, we equalize these temperatures by pressing the outer, warmer layer inward, into the colder part. Conversely, if you work with warm dough in a cold room, the dough temperature will equalize in the same way. Thirdly, the correct execution of the kneading contributes to the strengthening of the dough, which is of great importance for it. When kneading, the gluten threads are stretched and ordered, and we instantly feel how the dough becomes denser and stronger.

When to warm up
The next and most important question when considering a workout is when to do it? As we have already noted, in order to preserve flavoring components in the dough and to avoid excessive oxidation, we intentionally take less time for kneading than is required for the full formation of gluten. We compensate for this small “under-kneading” with a correct kneading, thereby increasing the strength of the dough. But how often do you need to crush the dough? It depends on the type of dough, its required strength and the duration of fermentation before dividing into dough pieces. Below are some important considerations.

• Dough (especially made with baker's yeast, which wanders for more than an hour and a half, should be blended at least once, at least to remove carbon dioxide.
• Dough made with large amounts of pre-fermented flour (more than 35%) usually turns out to be strong enough (due to the strengthening properties of acids formed in the pre-fermented semi-finished product), so that too much pounding negatively affects the quality of the finished bread. If the dough turns out to be too strong, then its extensibility decreases, with such a dough it is difficult to achieve a complete rise of the product in the oven.This directly contradicts the assertion that only proteins and "strength" are important for flour and dough - there is no doubt that when a dough is too strong, its extensibility deteriorates.
• Light flour dough it is better to subject it to more workouts.
• High hydration dough it is also better to knead several times. A good illustration of the benefits of extra kneading is ciabatta bread, which is between 75% and 85% hydrated (real peccarimacho even get up to 90% hydration - but never again). The more kneading operations, the more voluminous the finished bread turns out.
• Dough with a short fermentation period, for example, for sourdough rye bread, does not require kneading at all, since there is little gluten in it and the structure of the dough cannot be improved by kneading.
• A dough that is strong in naturefor example, for baked goods such as challah, does not require kneading, since it is already strong enough immediately after kneading. However, if the fermentation of the dough lasts more than an hour, it is advisable to carry it out.

[Stage 5. Dividing the dough]

Stage 5. Dividing the dough

After the end of the fermentation period, the dough is divided into separate pieces. There are a lot of ways to mechanically divide the dough - from the use of hydraulic dividers, as a result of which a lot of gas is released from the dough, to more modern dough dividers, which operate in a more gentle way, but are very expensive. Naturally, mechanical division of the dough is much faster than manual division. At the same time, it can be argued that the "softness" of dough division manually allows you to get better quality bread. To perform the task of dividing the dough, you need metal knives, scales, and skillful hands. Speed ​​is also of no small importance, especially when it is required to quickly prepare dozens of dough pieces, avoiding over-oxidation of the dough. Often, dusting the work surface and hands with flour, which dries them, helps speed up the dividing process, and dividing the dough becomes easier and faster. If the dough sticks to the hands or scales, the dividing speed is reduced and the surface of the dough becomes uneven. When dividing the dough into pieces of the required weight, it is useful to cut the pieces as close to the desired size as possible. This will almost always require small adjustments - by either adding or removing small pieces of dough. However, try to avoid the appearance of pieces consisting of many small pieces of dough - one solid piece is better than a piece of many small pieces.

[Stage 6. Preliminary rounding of blanks]

Stage 6. Preliminary rounding of blanks

After dividing the dough into pieces of the required mass, they are given the desired, as identical as possible shape. This pre-shaping "organizes" the dough pieces, making the final shaping simpler and easier. For most types of bread, the dough pieces are slightly rounded. The final shaping is carried out after the preforms have sufficiently settled, whereby the proximity of the preforms to the desired final shape of the loaves determines the final shaping time, which is what bakers use. For example, if for one production reason or another it is necessary to carry out the final molding faster, then at the stage of preliminary rounding they are limited to fairly easy processing of the dough. If, between the preliminary and final shaping of the blanks, you still need to divide, knead or load another dough into the oven, then it is better to use a coarser, more intensive processing, since the dough will have more time to lay before the final shaping.

Place the preformed dough pieces on a floured surface or wooden planks. The dough pieces must be laid sequentially, with a certain number of pieces in each row.This simplifies the calculation of the dough yield (it is always easier to multiply 6 pieces in a row by 10 rows than to count 60 pieces separately). In addition, such an ordered stacking of the dough pieces allows the final shaping to be carried out in the same sequence in which the pre-shaping was carried out, that is, the dough duration for the individual pieces will be approximately the same.

Some bakers place the preforms on the work surface seam down, while others, on the contrary, seam up. While it doesn't really matter, it's worth discussing both options. Seam down users do this to improve the flatness of the dough, and the preform holds its shape better when seamed down; since the seam on top of the workpiece tends to "blur" somewhat. I have never encountered any problems with a slight “bleeding” of the seam, and I prefer to lay the blanks flat side down, since I usually have to work with hundreds of blanks daily, that is, they are constantly divided and molded. Before placing the workpieces, the working surface of the table is sprinkled with flour, and often there is less of it on one side of the workpiece and more on the other. When stacking with the seam up, I avoid any flour from below into the loaf during molding. Often, when laid with the seam down, some of the flour from the backfill penetrates into the preform during the final shaping, and traces of flour remain in the finished product.

[Stage 7. Sleeping]

Stage 7. Sleeping
For the dough (but not for the baker!) This is the passive stage. The baker still has many hours of hard work before rest. Preformed dough pieces are covered with a dense sheet of polyethylene (if curing is carried out in stationary cabinets) or vinyl film (if curing is carried out directly on the tiers of the trolley), bending its ends and fixing them under the corresponding tier. As we have noted, the length of time is determined by how weak or strong the pre-molding treatment was.

[Stage 8. Molding]

Stage 8. Molding

Rounded or oblong dough pieces, baguette-shaped pieces and some less common forms of fendu-type products, the surface of which is pierced with a special device, triangular-shaped pieces and all their other varieties appear as a result of the final molding of preformed dough pieces (the peculiarities of forming pieces of a specific shape are discussed in Chapter 3). After shaping, the blanks are placed in special baskets, between the folds of baking cloth, in metal molds or on sheets. We repeat once again that in order to avoid drying out, the surfaces of the workpieces must be covered. For this purpose, so-called retarder proofers are convenient, which are final proofers with adjustable temperature and humidity. If they are absent, you should carefully choose a room in the bakery with an appropriate temperature and humidity regime and cover the blanks with baking cloth, plastic wrap or sheet.

[Stage 9. Final proofing]

Stage 9. Final proofing

Final proofing is the stage between the shaping of the dough pieces and their loading into the oven. Since the taste and aroma of bread is mainly determined by the correct kneading, the use of sourdough or dough (if necessary), the duration of the fermentation of the dough and the quality of baking, the main role of the final proofing is to ensure the required degree of rise of the dough. Too much or too little rise in the dough has a negative effect on the appearance and other organoleptic properties of the bread. As a rule, the bread dough should not rise 100% at the start of baking. If a person loses weight by 100%, only the nose will remain; Likewise, after increasing the dough volume during proofing before baking by 100%, the bread dough collapses.The exact rise of the dough during proofing is very difficult to quantify as there are many variables to consider in the process, but the approximate increase in dough volume should be 85-90% of the final product volume. If you constantly and carefully monitor each dough piece, then very soon the baker's eyes and hands will correctly assimilate the required degree of dough rise and the parameters corresponding to it.

[Stage 10. Notching]

Stage 10. Notching

Certain types of baked goods, such as ciabatta, plaited bread, fendu (French country bread) and some hearth breads, are loaded into the oven without notching the dough pieces. But most dough pieces are cut with a sharp blade before baking. Thanks to these cuts, we deliberately weaken the upper part of the workpiece, which allows us to regulate the increase in the volume of the bread in the oven. In the absence of a cut (cuts), it is more difficult for bread to increase its volume, and the dough piece in the weakest zones of its surface may burst (like a bicycle wheel bursts at a puncture or rubber defect), which causes defects in the shape of the product. Baguette-type baked goods are cut in a traditional way that is virtually unchanged, while other items can be cut in almost infinite ways, giving the product not only a unique appearance, but can also serve as a trademark for the baker or bakery.

Naturally, there are no rules on how to cut dough pieces. In practice, you will very quickly see for yourself what the effect of cutting in different ways on different types of products is. If the piece is weak (either due to too much lift, or simply by its nature, for example, if the recipe includes a large amount of rye flour), it is better to make small cuts, since due to the relative weakness of the sides of the loaf, deep cuts are more likely to force the bread " spread out in width ”and become flatter, and not rise up. On the other hand, it is better to cut deep enough "strong" blanks with an optimal degree of dough rising at the time of loading into the oven, such cuts will beautifully disperse in the oven.

[Stage 11. Baking]

Stage 11. Baking

It is unlikely that an ear of wheat facing the sun and bathed in a light breeze • light (and also visited by insects, infected by a fungus and beaten by hail and frost) is impatiently waiting for it to turn into a loaf of wheat bread. And yet I can't help feeling that a finished loaf of bread is the perfect completion of the grain's journey from field to oven. A huge part of human culture, civilization and history is woven into the history of grain, for centuries the very existence of man has almost completely depended on grain. So much labor has been spent on growing, protecting and processing grain into food that it is very difficult to imagine our life without it. Yes, of course, there are rice and other cereals, there is corn, but wheat has penetrated into the physical and psychological spheres of human life much deeper. Be that as it may, leaving aside the cultural and mythological aspects and even just the need for food, baked bread is obtained only after the baker loads his dough into the oven and subjects it to all the last transformations. As a rule, at the time of loading into the oven, the temperature of the dough is 21-27 ° C. When placed in a hot oven, the dough undergoes significant physical, biological and enzymatic changes. The first visible signs can be attributed to the phenomenon that is called "rise in the oven" ("jump in the oven"), that is, the last stage of fermentation (see color insert, photo 7). In the initial phase of baking, intense yeast fermentation takes place, accompanied by the formation of gaseous carbon dioxide and ethyl alcohol. These gases expand as the dough temperature rises and the dough starts to rise in the oven.This stage does not last long, because at a temperature of about 60 ° C the yeast dies. The yeast produced the same gases during the main fermentation of the dough, but they remained dissolved in the liquid phase of the dough. The second, more noticeable phase of the rise of the dough in the oven is associated with the heating and expansion of these entrained gases, thereby significantly increasing the volume of the bread. At this early stage, enzymes are still highly active, especially on the surface of the dough, where they convert starch into sugar-like substances (dextrins), which are involved in color formation later in baking. At a temperature of about 50 ° C inside the dough, bacteria die and, moreover, at this temperature, the starch of the rye flour begins to gelatinize (for possible undesirable consequences of this, see the text on p. 60 on rye flour).

During baking, flour starch absorbs moisture, swells and acquires shine (during kneading, only the outer surface of the starch granules is moistened, but later, under the influence of the heat of the oven, moisture penetrates into the granules). At temperatures of 60-70 ° C, the swollen starch granules begin to gelatinize and contribute to crumb formation. At a temperature of about 60 ° C, when all the carbon dioxide gas has already been released, the increase in bread volume slows down. At this time, the amylase activity reaches its maximum, and at a temperature of about 63 ° C gluten (gluten, which was soft and did not have a rigid structure when loading the dough into the oven) begins to stretch and increase in size until at a temperature of about 75 ° C does not end its coagulation and does not form a crumb structure. As the internal temperature of the dough rises, the activity of enzymes and gelatinization of starch, respectively, slow down and at a temperature of about 90 ° C they stop altogether.

Crust - This is the only part of the bread, the temperature of which is above 100 ° C, since the temperature inside the crumb rarely reaches this level. At a surface temperature of 100 ° C, a crust begins to form and a color begins to form, which is caused by the reaction of melanoidin formation (Maillard) - a complex of chemical changes that lead to a darkening of the crust of bread or, for example, a piece of grilled meat. The products of this reaction are also involved in the formation of the aroma of baked bread. The reaction of melanoidin formation occurs when heating and in the presence of moisture, proteins and reducing sugars, that is, all those substances that are present in the dough piece at the time of loading the dough into the oven. At these temperatures, aldehydes and ketones are formed, which also contribute to the taste and aroma of baked bread. The melanoid formation reaction is completed at a temperature of about 177 ° C. In the formation of the color and taste of the bread crust, caramelization processes are also involved, occurring in the temperature range of 150-200 ° C.

Loss of moisture in baked bread
The baked bread always weighs less than the dough piece, since the evaporation of moisture from the dough is between 10 and 20%. Various factors affect the moisture content of baked bread, namely:
• dough piece weight: the larger the workpiece, the lower the percentage of losses in percent of the initial weight;
• dough shape and crust: crumb ratio: elongated products with a larger crust, such as baguettes, have a high crust: crumb ratio and lose significantly more moisture than billets of the same mass of round or oblong shape; molded bread loses less moisture than products of the same weight baked directly on the stone hearth of the oven;
• baking time: it is clear that the longer the baking lasts, the greater the weight loss, however, full baking allows you to get a richer flavor of the bread, which is often underestimated;
• temperature: at higher temperatures in the oven, bread is baked faster, and the total weight loss due to evaporation is lower than when baking dough pieces of the same weight and shape at lower oven temperatures;
• furnace type: wood-fired brick ovens, steam ovens, rotary ovens and non-steam ovens for baking pizza have different effects on moisture evaporation, although oven temperature, size and shape of dough pieces and degree of baking have a greater overall effect on losses moisture than the type of oven used.

[Stage 12. Cooling]

Stage 12. Cooling

From a technical point of view, bread begins to stale the moment it leaves the oven. In the same sense, we can say that people and all living things begin to die at the moment of their birth. In fact, the quality of the bread is highest when it is just taken out of the oven. If bad bread is edible only warm (if it is edible at all), then the best taste and aroma of good bread is achieved only after it is completely cooled. The warm crumb remains doughy, and the taste and aroma remain unexpressed. Some baked goods, such as rye sourdough bread, reach their best quality only after a few hours, as their aroma must fully develop and "settle" after cooling. Rye and rye-wheat bread with a high proportion of rye flour requires 24 to 48 hours of aging after baking to stabilize the crumb and fully develop the taste and aroma. At the same time, the crumb loses its rubber-like properties, and the taste and aroma matures and is fully formed. Such bread stays fresh for several days.

And if you "beat" the dough with a wooden paddle (I don't want to buy a bread machine), like a pie dough, what is the result? Or you just need to use your hands (I am a beginner baker. I do this and that. Bread is obtained according to different recipes while "in different ways" (experience is a gain)).

Yes, I also use only rye sourdough, rejuvenate it with whole grain, then make a dough. Everything rises, bakes, but the impression is that it is damp, with sourness, although only wheat flour is used in the dough (whole grain with bakery). Maybe I'm overbearing? or not stirring? (dough and dough are more often in the refrigerator, I come home from work and in the "fight"))

It is best to knead the dough in a food processor that has a kneader - great dough turns out! Watch here https://Mcooker-enn.tomathouse.com/index.php@option=com_smf&topic=138203.0, and if you set a goal to bake bread at home and in the oven, then you should be puzzled with a dough mixer.

Wet bread - a lot of liquid in the dough or undercooked! It is better to check the readiness of baking bread in the oven with a temperature probe https://Mcooker-enn.tomathouse.com/index.php@option=com_smf&topic=4648.0

Sour bread can be from the wrong sourdough - unripe or a large tab in the dough.

[Admin]

Admin, tell me, is it true that any bread baked in KhP is like a sponge? that is, solid, like in a store, it will not work in HP? Sorry if the question is stupid

The answer is simple: what we put in is what we get! Any bread you need to learn to bake

Thanks, then there is hope to learn how to bake hard bread, I don't like "sponges" ...

Thanks, then there is hope to learn how to bake hard bread, I don't like "sponges" ...

Yes, no problem: reduce the amount of liquid according to the recipe and get a brick

Hello Admin. Please tell me, on the forum there are baking modes somewhere (sequences of operations: kneading, raising, etc.) with a breakdown by time for a particular type of bread. At least for the main types - white, rye, French, whole grain, sourdough. Classically correct. What should be followed at the beginning of mastering the technique.

There are such tips in the Kneading and Baking Basics section. CONTENTS OF THE SECTION "BASICS OF KNEADING AND BAKING" A lot of information, you need to work with text.

You can see my recipes, I always describe in great detail the recipe and approach to the dough, all stages, and baking https://Mcooker-enn.tomathouse.com/index.php@option=com_smf&action=profile

Question: which baking method did you choose? X / stove or oven?

There is also a lot of information in the author's topics of yeast bread Wheat yeast bread
Choose a recipe, see the technology described by the author and ask questions.

[Admin]

Admin, Thank you. Yes, of course, I read, it is more or less clear on wheat yeast. For other questions. For a bread machine. Simply in my programs, strange in duration of operations. We have to get out.

You need to adapt to any x / stove and make friends with it.Spend a lot of time next to her, observe the process, write down all the stages, take pictures, then compare the results and draw conclusions, try to understand the programs. For example, I did just that once

Check out these topics and get started CONTENTS OF THE SECTION "BASICS OF KNEADING AND BAKING" MASTER CLASSES FOR KNITTING THE Dough (BOXES)

And this topic can understand the processes in the x / stove UNDERSTANDING BREAD IN HOMEMADE BREAD especially the topic HOME BREAD BREAD UNDERSTAND # 6

Good luck!

[Admin]

Admin, that's how I started, so so far everything is working out, but I would like not to violate the technology, and my bread machine has it :)

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