Controlling Gluten Strength

Gluten development and strength varies according to the product desired. For yeast-leavened breads and puffs, bakers need the tough qualities of gluten. For goods such as pastries, griddle cakes, and cookies, gluten needs to be controlled to avoid undesirable toughness. Here are some techniques and ingredients that affect gluten/gluten strength:

• Flour - high protein flour produces strong gluten, low protein and cake flours produce a weak one. Durum semolina produces a strong, plastic gluten preferable for pasta.
• Oxidizing substances - oxygen frees the sulfur groups at the end of glutenin proteins such that they are more available to react and form longer gluten chains that give dough greater elasticity and strength.
• Water - little water underdevelops gluten and forms a crumbly texture; a lot of water makes for less concentrated gluten and a softer, moister dough.
• Stirring/Kneading - mechanical actions stretch and organize the gluten network.
• Salt - the electrically charged ions of salt cluster around charged portions of the glutenin proteins allowing proteins to come closer to each other and form stronger bonds. Salt geratly strengthens the gluten network.
• Sugar - limits gluten development by diluting the flour proteins.
• Fats and oils - weaken gluten by bonding huydrophobic amino acids, thus preventing the proteins from further bonding to each other.
• Acidity - weakens the gluten network by increasing the repulsive forces between chains. This action is somewhat opposite of the effects of salt.