Experiment #3

It's always easier to understand something when we see it in action so today we're going to do some experiments to help us understand our ingredients better.

Learning Objectives:

You will know the seven basic ingredients in all baked goods.

You will understand how each ingredient works and how to make substitutions.

Learning Goals:

You will separate gluten from flour.

What is Gluten?

How to Separate Gluten from Flour

Materials:

1 medium bowl

1 strainer

2 1/2 cups bread flour

3/4 cup water

Directions:

Mix the bread flour and water together in the bowl until a dough forms. Then knead the dough until it is smooth.

Place the dough ball in the strainer and begin running water over it as you massage the starch off. Continue gently massaging until the water runs clear.

Press out all of the water and knead the gluten until it is smooth.

Tada! You have gluten!

Watch this after the experiment

So now we know that gluten is the protein in wheat flour that creates the structure of our baked goods. The more gluten present the stronger the structure will be. You want a stronger structure for bread and a weaker structure for cake. What does that tell you about the amount of gluten in bread flour and cake flour?

In the picture below the gluten has formed the outside of the air bubbles that made this bread.

Record Your Findings

Answer the questions for Experiment #3 on your Ingredient Experiment Form. Remember to submit it to Google Classroom when you have recorded your findings from all three experiments.

Ingredient Experiments

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