Hydration

Hydration is the process of absorbing water. The many ingredients in baked goods absorb or react with water in different ways. All these processes are necessary for dough formation.

Starch is, by weight and volume, the largest component of bread doughs and most other doughs and batters. It does not dissolve in water, but it does attract and bind with water molecules and undergoes a change in form. Water molecules become attached to the surface of starch granules, forming a kind of shell around them. During baking, the heat causes the hydrated starch to gelatinize. Gelatinization helps form the structure of baked goods and is discussed later in this. Without hydration during mixing, gelatinization could not take place.