Tag: Chewy bread

Over 400 years ago, bagels originated in Poland as a type of boiled and then baked wheat bread, creating a dense, chewy texture. While fundamentally a bread product, understanding what kind of bread is a plain bagel requires a deeper look into its unique preparation and historical background.

Bread flour, a common type of high-protein flour, typically contains between 12% and 14% protein. This higher protein content is the key to creating robust dough and superior baked goods, so understanding what does high-protein flour do to bread is crucial for achieving professional-level results at home.

With a protein content often exceeding 14%, high gluten flour provides the maximum strength needed for exceptionally chewy and elastic doughs. The best use of high gluten flour is in baked goods where a strong, structural gluten network is the key to success, such as rustic loaves, bagels, and specific types of pizza dough.

Vital wheat gluten is a highly concentrated protein, packing a 75-80% protein punch, designed to enhance dough structure. Understanding how much vital wheat gluten to put in bread flour is key to improving elasticity, creating a better crumb, and ensuring a higher rise.

According to baking experts, too much gluten development in bread dough can cause the finished loaf to be tough, dense, and have a lower volume. This can happen to a recipe with too much gluten, which becomes overdeveloped from extensive kneading or using the wrong type of flour. Understanding the signs of this common baking mistake is the first step toward correcting it.

While bread flour already has a high protein content, adding vital wheat gluten further boosts its strength, leading to a more structured and chewy final product. This concentrated protein enhances the gluten network, allowing the dough to trap more gas and achieve a superior rise.

Did you know that high gluten flour can have a protein content as high as 16%? This key characteristic defines **what is high gluten bread**, giving it a superior chewy texture, impressive volume, and structural integrity that sets it apart from loaves made with standard flours.