Change Your Path to Perfect Bread With Dough Conditioners
Baking bread is a daunting proposition for many, and for good reason. There are so many variables in the game, only a few of which you can control. If you’ve ever wanted a bread dough cheat code, I have great news: there is such a thing and it’s called dough conditioner.
Dough conditioners – also called “boosters” or “improvers” – are basically magic flour dust. Used primarily in commercial kitchens, these specialized blends of chemical additives allow bakers to customize every physical characteristic of bread dough to their exact specifications. Gluten strength, gas retention, fermentation rate, aroma, crumb texture, softness and even color can all be strictly controlled with a suitable dough conditioner. This level of control ensures that every batch of dough is the same, which in turn makes the rest of the baking process fast, efficient and reproducible.
Home chefs can reap the same benefits on a smaller scale. The dough conditioners are easy to use; just mix with other dry ingredients and you’re done. You can even buy commercial mixes from King Arthur Flour or Amazon for $ 15-20 a pound, but these ready-made products have one big drawback: they depend on the recipe. Different doughs need different help, so a booster designed for whole grain rye bread will not work with cinnamon rolls, and vice versa. If you’re sticking to one bread recipe, the ready-made mixture is ideal, but if experimenting is half the fun, use homemade bread completely.
Making your own dough conditioner is incredibly easy. You only need two or three common, inexpensive ingredients: ascorbic acid (vitamin C) powder , vital wheat gluten, and optionally powdered lecithin . Each ingredient has a different function: Ascorbic acid shortens kneading time and makes the dough rise at base speed, while vital wheat gluten adds chewiness and texture. Lecithin is simply a plush crisp that turns stale over the years, and its powerful emulsifying properties help even crumbly whole grain dough stick together. He’s a little more obscure than the other two – hence his “optional” status – but you won’t regret tracking down some of them. (As a side note, most lecithin foods are derived from soy, so if you are allergic to soy, opt for sunflower lecithin.)
Before the brute force of DIY magic bread dust hits your head, there are two cardinal rules to follow. Read the instructions first. Specialty ingredients vary from brand to brand, so be sure to follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for proper storage and use. Second, start small – well, very small. A pinch or two of each ingredient will make a significant difference in most recipes. If you see suggested percentages of conditioner for a test on the Internet , ignore them. These numbers were designed for industrial equipment and would be overkill.
You will begin to familiarize yourself with custom made dough conditioners after the first batch. Personally, I love using ascorbic acid and vital wheat gluten in my bagel dough. They significantly shorten kneading and lifting times without compromising this critical chewing factor. When it comes to lecithin, it can make Olive Garden’s soft homemade breadsticks too light – a burden I’m more than happy to carry.