Why boiling water, then cold water for this shaobing recipe?
I'm trying to make this Chinese pastry called Shaobing. Some recipes I've found call for first adding boiling water then adding cold water. There's no yeast, just some salt and flour. FYI, these recipes are from pretty old cookbooks.
My question is, what does adding boiling water first, then cold water do to the flour?
Best Answer
Adding boiling water to flour causes the starch granules to swell and gelatinise, allowing the dough to absorb more water, resulting in a softer and/or fluffier finished product. However, a dough made entirely with boiling water lacks extensibility (i.e. can't be stretched) because some of the precursor proteins to gluten are denatured at such a high temperature. This may be desirable as less gluten means the dough is easier to roll out thin.
On the other hand, dough made entirely with cold water has high extensibility, especially when gluten is allowed to develop through time and kneading, giving the finished product more chewiness.
Your recipe uses a combination of both types of dough, balancing between both extremes so that the finished product is not too soft but not too chewy.
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Why do you use cold water when making pastry?
As the fat is mixed with the flour, it is warmed slightly. Then, the water is poured in, and the ice-cold temperature of the water prevents the fat from warming any further, which could potentially melt it into the flour rather than retaining the small bits of fat.What is the effect of using cold water or hot water in making dough?
Unlike us, yeast will still work to produce gas at cooler temperature. They'll just do it more slowly. So if you do use cold water in your dough, expect to be waiting a little longer for your dough to rise and fill out with gas. This is no bad thing, as a longer prove can help develop more great flavour in your dough.Whats the difference between hot and cold water pastry?
Unlike with other pastries whereby cold fat is used to achieve a shorter, crumblier texture, the hot water and fat in this pastry gives a more dense consistency.What does hot water do to dough?
Found in baked goods across the world \u2014 tortillas, milk bread, cornbread and cream puffs, to name but four \u2014 hot water can speed mixing time; make it easier to fill and form doughs; yield softer, fluffier breads; and create stunning pie crusts like Ms.Hell's Kitchen \
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