Why Bread Dough Needs Oil | Cook's Illustrated (2024)

FAQs

Why Bread Dough Needs Oil | Cook's Illustrated? ›

The rye bread without oil had a slightly tough, chewy crust. Fats work as tenderizers in breads by coating some of the proteins that form gluten, preventing them from hydrating and linking up to form large networks that would lead to toughness.

Keep the bread dough covered to protect the dough from drying out and keep off dust. Place your rising dough in a warm, draft-free place in the kitchen while it's rising. Too much heat will speed up the yeast activity, and too much cold air will slow it down.

In bread making fat provides flavour but more importantly lubricates the dough. This helps to retain the gases released during baking thus ensuring a well risen loaf which will have a soft crumb and will stay fresh longer.

Canola oil is the most popular baking oil as it's stable at high temperatures, is cost-effective and has a very natural flavour. It also has only 7% saturated fat and contains omega-3s. Choose organic where possible even if it's a little more pricey.

Oils and fats are used in a baked product to reduce the development of gluten giving the foods a crumbly texture. The fats and oils break down the gluten into “shorter strands” hence the term shorteners. Coating the flour in fat prevents the flour from absorbing water hindering the formation of gluten.

In baking, lubrication is of utmost importance for ease of dough handling and its expansion. In loaf breads, oil provides better slicing. Furthermore, it tenderizes baked items and helps in prolonging shelf life by slowing down retrogradation or staling.

The rye bread without oil had a slightly tough, chewy crust. Fats work as tenderizers in breads by coating some of the proteins that form gluten, preventing them from hydrating and linking up to form large networks that would lead to toughness.

Butter, oil, and shortening inhibit gluten development, which is good when making pastry but problematic when making bread. By adding the fat after most of the gluten has be created, your finished bread will have the nice mouth-feel of the fat but the dough will also have the gluten needed to rise well.

When too much oil is added, the dough will remain loose and unworkable. The only way to fix it would be to add some more flour, however you would need work the dough longer to encourage the gluten network to develop (given that some of the flour will be already coated with the oil).

Flavor and texture: Fat, whether it's butter, oil, or shortening, can add flavor and richness to bread. It also helps to create a softer, more tender texture in bread. Moisture retention: Fat helps to retain moisture in the bread, which can prevent it from becoming dry and stale.

What does adding eggs to bread dough do? ›

besides the nutritional benefits there are a few other good reasons to use egg in breadmaking. It makes the bread lighter and fluffier. The reason for that is the fat in the yolk that inhibits gluten formation just as any other fat would. This results in a looser dough that can expand and puff up more.

The fat and lactose in milk help with tenderizing the crumb of the bread making it softer and sweeter. The crust of the bread also gets more caramelization. Be aware that bread made with milk should not be baked at too high of a temperature to prevent it from browning too much too soon.

Ingredients: More Than Just Flour and Water

So, does oil or butter make softer bread? The answer is yes! They both contribute to a softer texture, with butter often adding a richer flavor. Sugar: Not only does it sweeten the bread, but sugar also retains moisture.

Fats/Oils; can slow down yeast growth as well. However, when making bread with wheat flour fats/oils can help; to hold the structure of the bread together, tenderise the bread and preserve freshness.

Butter in bread dough tenderizes the dough, making the soft, pull-apart texture of bakes like brioche, dinner rolls, and Pullman loaves. Standard bread dough (also called a “lean dough”)—just flour, water, salt, and natural or added yeast—relies on a strong, stiff gluten network to yield a chewy loaf.

A dough made with butter, sugar, eggs or oil. Enriched doughs are softer and richer than those made solely with flour, water, salt and yeast.

Covering your dough with a plastic bag will stop it from drying out and delivers great results no matter how your fridge functions. But if for any reason you want to proof your dough uncovered, make sure your fridge doesn't get too dry and there aren't any fans circulating air which could cause the dough to dry out.

The oil will not absorb into the flour or the gluten that forms as a result of the fermentation process. All that oil does is give your dough a coating of elasticity. Aside from providing a barrier for your dough throughout the proofing phase, this will not prevent your dough from rising.

Adding oil to your pizza dough makes it crispier once baked. The oil creates an impermeable layer that moisture, such as that present in tomato sauce, cannot easily penetrate. In other words, olive oil in pizza dough prevents sauce from absorbing into the dough and making it floppy.

Put the kneaded dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with cling film or a clean tea towel to protect it from draughts that might cause a skin to form. Leave it anywhere in the kitchen. The dough needs to rise until it is at least doubles in size.