Does the addition of acid into flour inhibit gluten formation?
I want my dough to have minimal gluten formation. For that I will be adding boiling water to my flour. Also I am curious that does adding any acid such as lemon juice/vinegar will inhibit gluten formation or increase formation of gluten?
Best Answer
No, it will not inhibit gluten formation. On the contrary, it will make much stronger gluten strands. In fact, if you want the strongest gluten, you have to go either quite sour (pH 3.5) or quite alkalic (I don't remember the exact number). Working on the alkalic side of things is impractical in the kitchen, so there are very few applications (kansui or pretzels are the only examples I can think of spontaneously), but making bread more sour for stronger gluten is a very common thing. It can be done by different methods, for example through using sourdough, or adding orange juice, or using commercial dough improvers based on ascorbic acid.
If you want to inhibit gluten formation, stay neutral (pH 7). Or just shorten your dough with a fat, it is the easiest and most common solution that has been practiced for thousands of years and works great.
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Does acid inhibit gluten formation?
Acid weakens gluten, breaks it down, makes gluten more extensible, less resistant to gas pressure and that is one of the reasons why sourdough loaves have higher volume - their gluten stretches, expands more due to their acidity.How do you inhibit gluten formation in flour?
Mixing, type of flour, amount of water, and presence of fats are amongst the factors that can affect gluten formation. Fats can prevent gluten development by creating a coating around the proteins (see shortening).What inhibits gluten formation?
Fats, such as butter and oils, slow down the gluten-forming process by coating the protein strands, which is one reason enriched doughs such as brioche call for longer mixing times. The coating acts like a barrier that prevents gluten proteins from sticking to one another, stunting the growth of long chains.Does flour react with acid?
Flours have enzymes (amylase) that end up degrading it. But that enzymatic activity is stopped with a PH<4.5. This is well known with 100% rye breads: I know the question states wheat flour, but this example is clarifier.Science: What is Gluten? Here's How to See and Feel Gluten
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Answer 2
Acid actually weakens gluten...makes it easier to stretch. This explanation indicates that pH of 5 to 6 is ideal for gluten development (7 is neutral). A pH above or below that range will make gluten more extensible, not necessarily stronger.
See also this for more information on additives to dough.
Answer 3
Yes, adding acid shortens gluten strands. If you try making Naan, for example, with too much yoghurt, the dough doesn't form quite as well. However the biggest way to inhibit gluten development is with using the correct flour and the correct techniques.
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