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Kneading dough develops a stretchy gluten network
Hydrating wheat proteins allows gliadin and glutenin to link into elastic dough
When water is added to wheat flour, the proteins gliadin and glutenin absorb moisture and bind together to form gluten. Kneading aligns these protein chains into a strong, elastic network that traps carbon dioxide gas produced by yeast during fermentation. This trapped gas enables bread dough to expand and rise into a light structure.
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Tags: bread, gluten, baking
Kneading dough develops a stretchy gluten network: the short answers
- Where does this come from, and can I check it?
- Hydrating wheat proteins allows gliadin and glutenin to link into elastic dough. The figure is taken from US Department of Agriculture, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.
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