In bread making, as with any baked item, the proper execution of mixing is crucial to the quality of the end product. When mixing bread dough, there are four identifiable stages that signal changes in structure and the stage of development of the dough.
Stages of Gluten Development
The ability to stretch dough to a thin membrane indicates full gluten development, demonstrated here by the gluten window.
One way to know when to check for gluten development is to understand the changes that occur during mixing. There are four separate mixing stages, no matter which mixing method you use. Each stage shows a clear difference in how far along the dough has developed in gluten structure. You will know when to end the mixing process because the formula you are using will tell you the level of development you need.
Dough that has reached short development will become a homogeneous mass but will fall apart when worked with your hands.
If you are making a lean dough that requires partial or improved gluten development, for example, you should continue mixing, then check the gluten window again periodically. Dough that has reached the improved gluten development stage holds together, but tears when you check for the gluten window.
Some doughs require intense development, meaning that you need to keep mixing the dough beyond the partial development stage until it is fully developed. If, as you check the gluten window, the dough doesn’t tear and holds a thin membrane you can see through, then the gluten is properly developed. When the gluten window is transparent enough to see light through it, the dough has reached intense gluten development.
Checking the gluten window is important, and the stakes get higher when you are making an intensely developed bread. If you overmix the dough, the gluten will break down. The dough will go from being smooth and elastic to wet and sticky. Your bread will fail, meaning that it won’t rise properly or bake well. On the other hand, if you don’t mix the dough enough or mix it improperly, you will also wind up with low volume and poor internal structure. Poorly mixed dough may mean that the flour will not absorb the liquids properly and that the dough turns out irregular. It will have a poor gluten structure, lack elasticity, and will remain wet and sticky.
