Gluten: The Protein That Makes Baking Work - Section 3: How to Control Gluten Development

Controlling gluten development is is mostly about managing only three things:

1. How much water reaches the two proteins (gliadin and glutenin)

2. How much you work the dough to align those proteins

3. What other things get in the way of gluten formation

It's really that simple. Once you understand these basics, everything else becomes clearer.

Flour choice#

The first choice you make affects everything that follows - which flour to use. Some contain more protein than others, while some are milled more finely.

Both characteristics significantly impact gluten development: higher protein content and finer milling mean more water reaches the proteins that form gluten.

Think of it this way - protein content determines your gluten potential, while the fineness of milling affects how well water can reach those proteins. This is why bread flours (high protein) and fine-milled flours (like '00' flour) create chewier textures than cake flours (low protein with coarser grind).

Water#

Water is the key to gluten development - without it, nothing happens. Picture flour proteins as a bundle of dry, stiff strings. Add water, and they become flexible and able to connect with each other. The more water that reaches your proteins, the more connections they can make. But there's a balance: too much and your dough becomes slack and hard to work with.

Movement #

Working the dough through kneading or mixing is like introducing proteins to each other at a party - the more they interact, the more connections they make. But just like at a party, too much interaction can be overwhelming. Over-mixing can actually break down the gluten structures.

The type of movement also matters. The purpose of movement in gluten development is to align the proteins and help make them into a strong web of long strands of gluten. This is where good kneading techniques and stand mixers come into play. You can't create strong gluten by constantly tearing the dough apart.

Secondary considerations #

Flour, water and movement control the lions share of gluten development in your dough, but they are not the whole story. There are also other variables you can control when working with your dough:

Time#

Time can substitute for physical work. Even without kneading, gluten develops slowly when flour and water are left together - this is why no-knead bread recipes work. Time is also helpful in relaxing gluten that's already formed, making dough easier to shape after a rest period.

Temperature#

Temperature changes how these proteins behave. Warm proteins are more active and flexible, like a rubber band in the sun. Cold proteins are slower and stiffer, like that same rubber band in the fridge.

This is why pie dough stays flaky when made with cold ingredients, while bread dough develops faster in a warm kitchen.

Other ingredients#

Other ingredients can either help or hinder gluten development.

Fats act like waterproof coatings on your proteins - once a protein is coated in fat, water can't reach it to help form gluten. This is perfect for tender pastries, but not so great for chewy bread.

Sugar is also tricky - it competes with proteins for water, which is why sweet doughs often need extra kneading time to develop properly.

Salt on the other hand will make your gluten network stronger - which can be good when you want a tight dough, but not so good when you need to stretch your dough.

Putting it all together#

Knowing all this gives you control. When you want strong gluten development (like for chewy bagels), use plenty of water, adequate mixing, and minimal fats. When you want less gluten (like for tender cakes), limit water, keep things cold, mix minimally, or add fats early in the process.

Every choice either helps or hinders gluten development - the art is in choosing the right combination for what you're making.