This event was in special partnership with the Ontario Agricultural College in celebration of their 150th Anniversary. The Ontario Agricultural College has been a powerhouse of innovation and education in food, agriculture, communities and the environment. Food science is one of the many areas of expertise within the Ontario Agricultural College.
Speakers included:
Dr. Iris Joye, an Associate Professor at the University of Guelph in Cereal Chemistry and Biochemistry. Her research focuses on the structure of gluten in baked goods like bread, including how to improve gluten development and develop high quality gluten-free products.
Matthew James Duffy, a Chef and Professor at Centennial College in Baking and Pastry Arts Management. Chef Matthew self-identifies as a ‘sourdough bread fanatic’, and shares his insights on baking through his website and newsletter.
Bread is a seemingly simple food, serving as the basis for many dishes across various cultures. But making bread is both an art and a science – one that depends on the mastery of a few key components and careful management of how they work together.
Making your own bread from scratch can be an incredibly fun and deeply creative activity that can lead to endless delicious possibilities. But before you start riffing off your favourite recipes, it’s important to consider a few basic rules of breadmaking. Once you understand these basic principles, you can create your own formulas that you will carry with you forever.
Gluten: What is it, and why is it important?
Wheat contains gluten, which is made up of two proteins – gliadin and glutenin. Each have different properties; gliadin adds viscosity (so dough can be stretched), whereas glutenin adds elasticity (which helps dough snap back after stretching). Strength and stretch are both needed for good bread.
When you add water to your dough, you hydrate the flour, which also hydrates these proteins – triggering a network-forming reaction between molecules.
This is also what makes it difficult to create gluten-free bread that has similar texture and properties to gluten-containing bread. Various products like xanthan gum can mimic the effects of gliadin in more viscous doughs (like cake), but it is more difficult to mimic glutenin, because replacements struggle to hold in the gasses (created through fermentation) that give bread its texture and rise. Additionally, replacement products may not have the same nutritional properties such as protein and fibre. Research in Dr. Joye’s lab is investigating gluten-free alternatives to develop high quality gluten-free products.
Flour Power
“Not all flours are created equal! From pastry flour to bread flour and everything in between, each has their own properties that will determine how you work with them, and what baked goods they are best for.”
Wheat is a cereal grain – a grass that humans have cultivated for centuries. Rye, another common flour used in bread, is another kind of cereal grain. When ground, these grains become the flours that we use for baking.
Different flours have different properties. Bread flours tend to have the highest percentage of protein (typically 14-15%), followed by all-purpose flour (11-12%), and pastry flour (10%). However, flour may vary by region – for example, flours in the UK are typically lower in protein. You can also consider mixing different flours for specific results.
Bread flour is the most ideal for bread, as the high protein content helps to build strength in the dough; it can help your bread develop more volume and more elasticity. However, you can also use all-purpose flour – you just need to hydrate it less. The only flour generally unsuitable for bread is pastry flour, as it is higher in gliadin and creates dough with more viscosity and weaker bonds between the protein molecules – it’s better for pastries, like croissants!
How can you tell if you have built enough strength in your dough? Try the ‘windowpane test’ – stretch your dough and see if it breaks. You should be able to stretch it enough that you can almost see through it – like a windowpane. When it breaks, you want to see smooth, clean lines – not jagged lines along the break.
Fermentation
“In breadmaking, fermentation is the process that causes yeast and bacteria to convert sugars into carbon dioxide, among other things. This is what causes the dough to rise.”
Fermentation can be achieved using commercially purchased yeast, or through natural fermentation like a sourdough starter. Fermentation creates a more acidic environment in your dough, leading to the somewhat sour taste of fermented breads like sourdough – but watch out, your dough’s rise can be affected if it gets too acidic!
Rye flour, one of Chef Matthew’s favourites, is quite alkaline/basic – which has a buffer effect on the acidity of your dough. As it ferments over time, it becomes more acidic.
Hydration
“Water enables fermentation, hydrates starches and proteins, and impacts the texture, taste, crumb, and storage qualities of your bread.”
Ever wonder what “85% hydration” means in reference to bread dough? The hydration percentage of bread is essentially the amount of flour used in proportion to the amount of water. An 85% hydration dough would be made with 100g of flour and 85g of water, for example.
Higher hydration breads keep longer and tend to have more open “crumb structure” – that is, airier, or bubblier, inside of the bread. It is important to note that certain flours (whole wheat, for example) need more water to be fully hydrated, and flour that is ground more finely is better at absorbing water.
So you’re ready to begin (or continue) your bread-baking journey… now what?
Start by asking: What products and recipes do you have access to? What are your baking goals?
If you’re just starting out, don’t go overboard and buy many different types of flour – start with just one! Bake through the bag and understand its properties before starting to change it up.
Comparison is your enemy! There is a lot of information online, but don’t get discouraged if your recipes turn out differently. Learn to understand the different components of bread, and practice, practice, practice!
At the end of the day, you’ll probably still end up with a delicious loaf of bread.
Watch a recording of the event below: