After basic fermentation, the whole dough will be divided into required weights according to the product formula we need to make. This step is division.
Post-segmentation operation
1, rounding
After the dough is evenly divided, the dough will have cutting cracks. If the corresponding operation is not done, the subsequent fermentation of dough will have problems. The dough will swell along the slit, the gluten will weaken, and the fermentation strength of the whole dough will be uneven, which will affect the final bread shape and taste.
Therefore, after we divide the dough, we put it on the table, cover it with our palms, and use our palms to drive the dough to reshape into a complete, smooth and beautiful epidermis, giving it strong gluten and better ductility.
The rounding step also has different ways according to different products. Such as toast, sweet bread, etc. Have good operation patience, can use greater force to tighten gluten and enhance the elasticity of dough when kneading. However, hard European bread, sticks, etc. You can fold the dough in a gentle way when kneading, which can keep the dough fluffy and prevent the dough from being too elastic, which is beneficial to the subsequent molding.
Rounding can cover the sticky surface inside the dough, which is more conducive to the subsequent operation.
2. Relax
After the dough is rounded, the gluten is very elastic, but its ductility is average. It is necessary to let the dough rest fully and restore its ductility before it can be finalized. We call this stage relaxation. The object of relaxation stage is gluten in dough, not yeast. To make the dough fully relaxed, forced setting is easy to cause gluten fracture, serious shrinkage and deformation.
The length of relaxation time is related to the strength of dough kneading. If the dough is too tight, it will take a long time to relax and restore ductility; On the contrary, the relaxation time can be shortened and the next step can be carried out in advance.
3. Plastic surgery
Shaping can give dough various shapes, and its main functions are as follows:
Remodeling gluten to make it more elastic. In the molding step, the surface tension of dough is used, and the skin is tight no matter what shape the product is, so that it can have enough strength to enter the oven and expand effectively.
The air exhaust in the molding process can make the dough produce uniform bubbles. For example, low-ingredient formula bread such as hard European bread is shaped with both hands to retain more bubbles; Toast, for example, will be shaped with a rolling pin to expel more bubbles and make the final product delicate.
Different molding methods can give products different tastes.
No matter what molding method and type of dough, the surface after molding should be smooth without cracks, and the bottom should be closed and complete, so as to present the best state after entering the oven for baking.