Dough, batter, and texture

Wheat flour has characteristic liveliness and cohesiveness that set it apart from other cereal doughs. These characteristics make it possible for light, delicate loaves, flaky pastries, and silken pastas.

There are three basic elements at work: water, the flour's gluten proteins, and its starch granules. When integrated, these elements create cohesive mass.

Mixture of flour and water is called a dough or batter depending on the relative portions of the ingredients. According to Harold McGee, "doughs contain more flour than water and are stiff enough to be manipulated by hand. All the water is bound to the gluten proteins and to the surfaces of the starch granules, which are embedded in the semisolid gluten-water matrix. Batters contain more water than flour and are loose enough to pour. Much of the water is free liquid, and both gluten proteins and starch granules are dispersed in it." Once cooked, the starch granules absorb water, swell, and create a permanent sponge-like structure made up of millions of tiny air pockets.The term crumb refers to this network. Crust is the outer surface.

The texture of breads and cakes is light and tender because the protein-starch mass is divided up by millions of tiny bubbles. Pastries are flaky and tender because the protein-starch mass is interrupted by hundreds of layers of fat.