Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Dough is a ..

Dough is a thick, malleable paste made out of any cereals (grains) or leguminous crops by mixing flour with a small amount of water and/or other liquid.
The dough process is a precursor to making a wide variety of foodstuffs, like breads and bread-based items e.g., crusts, dumplings, or flatbreads, noodles, pastry, pizza, bread rolls, biscuits, cookies and similar items. This includes all kinds of breads or similar recipes made from maize, rice, sorghum, wheat, and other cereals or related crops used around the world.
The different Flatbreads such as pita, lafa, lavash, matzah or matzo, naan, roti, sangak, tortilla, or yufka are made from dough and eaten in many parts of the world. Some flatbreads, such as naan and roti a leavening agent may be used also Salt, oils or fats, sugars or honey or sometimes milk or eggs are also common ingredients to be added when making a dough.
Few terms related to dough ..
1 A leavening agent is a substance used when making a dough or a batter that causes a foaming action which lightens and softens the finished product.
2 Proofing also called proving is the word used by professional bakers which means the final dough-rise step before baking, and generally refers to a specific rest period known as fermentation.
Fermentation is a rest period meaning "Allow dough to rise."
3 Overproofing occurs when a fermenting dough has rested too long.
4 A dough proofer is a chamber used in baking that encourages fermentation of dough by yeast through warm temperatures and controlled humidity.
5 A dough retarder is a refrigerator used to control the fermentation of yeast when proofing dough.
6 A banneton is a type of basket used to provide structure for the sourdough breads during proofing.
7 Batter is a semi-liquid mixture of one or more grains used to prepare various foods. Many batters are made by combining dry flours with liquids such as water, milk or eggs; batters can also be made by soaking grains in water and grinding them wet. Often a leavening agent such as baking powder may be included to aerate and fluff up the batter as it cooks, or the mixture may be naturally fermented for the same purpose.
8 Kneading is a process in the making of bread or pasta dough, used to mix the ingredients and add strength to the final product. Its importance lies in the mixing of flour with water.
9 Kneading can be performed by hand (the traditional way), or in a mixer equipped with a dough hook, or in a bread machine.
10 The dough is put on a floured surface, pressed and stretched with the heel of the hand, folded over, and rotated through 90° repeatedly. This process continues until the dough is elastic and smooth. The dough is allowed to rise or "prove".
11 The knocking back or punching down of the dough is done after proving. The dough is punched once or twice, after which it is kneaded gently for a short time. The aim of this is to remove any large air pockets which have formed in the dough, create an even texture.
12 No-knead bread is a method of bread baking that uses a very long rising time instead of kneading to give the bread its texture.
It is characterized by a low yeast content and a very wet dough.
13 A dough scraper is a tool used by bakers to manipulate dough and to clean surfaces on which dough has been worked.
14 A dough mixer is an appliance used for household or industrial purposes. It is used for kneading large quantities of dough.
15 The word batter comes from the old French word battre which means to beat because many batters require vigorous beating or whisking in their preparation.

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