Water

Appears in
top 1000Bread: A Baker's Book of Techniques and Recipes
Bread

By Jeffrey Hamelman

Published 2004

  • About
Water is an ingredient of considerable importance in bread dough. Although it is easy to overlook—after all, turn on the tap and it is there—it helps to be aware of the effects water has in bread baking. The most important attributes are the following:
  • It is in the presence of water that gluten forms.
  • Water serves as a solvent and dispersing agent (for salt, sugar, and yeast).
  • Water is necessary for yeast fermentation and reproduction (and softer doughs will ferment more quickly than dry doughs).
  • Water is responsible for the consistency of bread dough.
  • The temperature of water can be varied in order to obtain dough of the correct temperature.