Why does boiling water make dough taste sweet?
I was experimenting on dough for chapathi, which is basically wheat tortilla. This is how I normally prepare it,
Mix whole wheat flour and salt with room tap water, often 20 to 30 degree Celsius .
Knead with oil until I get a consistent dough.
Immediately press with a rolling pin and cook in a pan
In this method, the product is often crisp, never fluffy and no particular taste.
But today I experimented with hot boiling water as I read recently it denatures protein in food, which prompted me to experiment.
When I cooked my chapathi, those were extra tender but more importantly, it was very sweet, even though I added salt .
I hope to find a scientific explanation to this phenomenon.
Best Answer
Flour is mostly starch, and starches are long chains of sugar molecules. When you add hot water to starches they gelatinize and burst, and these gelatinized starches soften the dough. Gelatinization works faster at higher temperatures. There are enzymes in the flour which break the starch down into sugars, and they work more efficiently at high than room temperature as well, say 65°C.
Both these processes work at lower temperatures, but they work faster a higher temperatures, which is why adding boiling water gave you that result. At room temperature gelatinization works faster than enzymes action breaking starch down into sugars, so letting the dough rest will soften the dough without making it much sweeter.
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Quick Answer about "Why does boiling water make dough taste sweet?"
When you add hot water to starches they gelatinize and burst, and these gelatinized starches soften the dough. Gelatinization works faster at higher temperatures. There are enzymes in the flour which break the starch down into sugars, and they work more efficiently at high than room temperature as well, say 65°C.What does boiling water do to dough?
Scalding flour has two major effects on the dough: Breaks down and inhibits gluten formation: Hot water damages and partially denatures proteins such as gluten and gliadin in the flour. Because these damaged proteins cannot effectively form gluten networks, this reduces the strength of the dough.How does water temperature affect dough?
The temperature of the dough as it begins proofing, or rising, affects the rate of fermentation and, in turn, the flavor and texture of the finished product.What occurs when flour is added to warm water?
Whisking near-boiling water into wheat flour is known to do a certain amount of damage to the protein in the flour, and eventually, this damage impairs the amount and quality of the gluten that these proteins are capable of forming.Can you use boiling water with dry yeast?
Then again, if your water is too hot, you will kill the little buggers and they will be useless. Typically, hot water somewhere in the range of 105\xb0 and 115\xb0F is ideal for proofing dry yeast. 95\xb0F is often recommended for live yeast, but it may not be hot enough at 95\xb0F for activating the dry yeast.Does Boiling Dough Make The Best Bread Ever?
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