Enriched Doughs

The term enriching indicates that ingredients containing fat or sugar are added to the dough. Many different ingredients, such as milk, oil, or butter, may be used to enrich a dough. Often, enriched breads also contain a measure of sugar that has been introduced either through the addition of ingredients that contain some type of sugar (e.g., lactose, through the use of milk), or simply by the addition of a granulated or syrup form of sugar.

The addition of fat or sugar dramatically affects the finished product. The additional fat acts to shorten the gluten strands and increase the elasticity of the gluten in a dough. This will have a tenderizing effect on the finished product, yielding a more tender crumb and the development of a soft crust. Additional sugars promote quick fermentation and browning of the crust during baking.