Controlling Gluten Development

There are three main ways that gluten develops and doughs mature during bread making. One way is by mixing, sometimes called mechanical dough development. A second way is by chemical dough development, through the use of ascorbic acid and other maturing agents that strengthen. Finally, gluten is developed over time during bulk fermentation and final proof. Of the three, this last means of gluten development is the most complex and least understood, because many other chemical and physical changes happen as dough undergoes fermentation. While they act in different ways, all three means of gluten development encourage the alignment and bonding of glutenin subunits into a large, cohesive network.