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Ingredientbeginnerdraft

Water

Also searched as: tap water, cooking water, steam

In short: Water is the main ingredient in almost every food. It caps the temperature at 100 °C, dissolves substances and makes starch swell.

Picture it

The quiet lead actor: where there is water, it gets no hotter than 100 °C.

What Water does
ROLEPROCESScaps the temperatureat 100 °Cmakes starch swellforms the glutennetwork with flourEvaporationStarch gelatinisationGluten development

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What happens

As long as water is present, the temperature stays at boiling point. Only once it is gone can things brown. It dissolves salt, sugar and aromas and allows starch and to form.

What the ingredient does

caps the temperature at 100 °CEvaporation
makes starch swellStarch gelatinisation
forms the gluten network with flourGluten development

Rules of thumb

  1. For a crust: get rid of the water. For tenderness: keep it.
  2. At altitude water boils below 100 °C, and cooking times get longer.
Related entries
EvaporationStarch gelatinisationHydrationBoiling point: pressure and altitude
Sources · 1
  • Harold McGee: On Food and Cooking (2004)