Experimentbeginnerdraft
Making gluten visible
Also searched as: washing out gluten, gluten experiment
In short: Wash a ball of dough under water and the is what remains: a tough, rubbery lump.
Picture it
Like panning for gold in a stream: wash away the sand and the valuable part is left.
Before · Afterball of dough in water
You need · 40 minutes
- 100 g white flour
- 60 ml water
- a bowl of water
How it’s done
Sequence · Step 1 of 3
Knead flour and water into a dough and rest it for 20 minutes.
All steps as a list
- Knead flour and water into a dough and rest it for 20 minutes.
- Knead and squeeze the ball of dough in the bowl of water.
- Change the cloudy water until it stays almost clear.
What you see
The water turns milky white. What remains is a small, very stretchy, rubbery lump.
Why it happens
The milky part is washed-out starch; the lump is pure gluten. Pull it apart: that is how it holds the gas bubbles in bread.
Related entries
Sources
- Harold McGee: On Food and Cooking (2004)