#5. Πως φουσκώνει η γλουτένη τα τσουρέκια | Τσουρέκι Q&As

Θέλω να σας παρακινήσω! Να γνωριστείτε με τη μαγική ζύμη του τσουρεκιού. Η συνταγή που αγαπώ και δίνει τα τσουρέκια της αγκαλιάς είναι μια με μεγάλη αναλογία υγρών.

[dalagiorgos]

By Nathan Myhrvold and Modernist Bread:

When it comes to making bread, you can forget everything you may have heard about the importance of mixing or kneading dough. Many believe there is a mechanical aspect to mixing that causes gluten development. Mixing does have an impact on bread, but it is not what causes gluten to develop—hydration, not kneading, causes gluten development. The goal of mixing or kneading is always the same: to hydrate flour.

Hydration unleashes a cascade of chemical reactions. Gluten forms once two of the nonwatery-soluble proteins in flour, glutenin and gliadin, are hydrated. As long as the water is dispersed and the flour is hydrated, gluten will develop. However, you can’t just pour water on flour and walk away hoping that a dough will develop. Although gluten is a self-organizing protein, it requires a jump start to distribute the ingredients evenly in the dough and begin hydration. This can be accomplished slowly by simply combing the ingredients and allowing the flour to hydrate over time, or faster by manipulating the dough by hand, or it can be completed in minutes or seconds by machines. In addition to speeding up the overall process, mixing can create a different texture in the final bread, primarily by tightening the crumb, and ultimately makes many breads feasible that would otherwise be difficult to mix by hand.