Gluten is a water-insoluble protein that is formed when water is mixed with flour. It includes two naturally occurring proteins: glutenin and gliadin. When water is added to flour and mixed together, the proteins are brought together and begin to interact. This interaction forms gluten, a very elastic substance. A high-protein flour will make a dough with strong gluten while low-protein flours yield delicate, tender doughs.
Materials:
4 bowls
Liquid measuring cup
1 cup measuring cup
Strainer
Ingredients:
1 c. all-purpose flour
½ to ¾ c. water per cup of flour
- Add 1 c. flour to a bowl.
- Slowly add about ½ to ¾ c. water to flour and knead until mixture forms a soft, rubbery ball of dough. Let sit about 10 minutes.
- In a sink, run cold water over the dough ball. You will notice the water turning milky as it washes away the starch in the dough. Knead and squeeze the dough over the strainer (so you don’t lose the dough ball down the drain).
- When water no longer becomes milky, the dough has no more extractable starch, so you can stop washing.
- Check out the gluten you just extracted!
