Walder Science Center Kitchen Science Forums

Showing posts with label Gluten. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gluten. Show all posts

Wednesday, October 1, 2014

Stretching Shaping and Filling the Strudel dough!

Flour, Gluten and Strudel by Sarelle, in Chicago.

Last Monday (Sep 22) Walder Kitchen Science guru Sarelle Weiner did it again at the new Walder Science Center in Chicago.

Just as she did in Modiin, Israel, Sarelle presented another great session focusing on flour types, protein content, and the properties of gluten.

After familiarizing the 9 participants to flour combinations made from flours of different of varied season wheat, Sarelle emphasized that professionals weigh their ingredients to maintain a consistently excellent product. Measuring cup volumes often results in inconsistent product because the volume is often measured inconsistently. You can't go wrong when you weigh out ingredients.

After that, we learned about gluten's properties. Gluten is made from 2 proteins, glutenin and gliadin. Glutenin provides extensibility, making it possible for the dough to stretch out. Gliadin provides the elasticity making the dough bounce back when its rolled out and keep its shape. The dough's balance of glutenin and gliadin determine the products ultimate flakiness, chewiness, and crunchiness.

In the case of strudel dough, Sarelle taught the group how to coax, cajole or otherwise persuade the dough to such a level of thinness that you can read a newspaper through the dough. The news printed on the paper under the dough wasn't so great, but the strudel was extraordinary! And just in time for the Rosh Hashana table.

The session ended at the end of 2 hours with everybody enjoying the strudel of their labors. Both sweet and savory. Edges cut off from the stretch dough provided the culinary bonus Sarelle promised. They were deep boiled in honey and cinnamon as taiglach - honey knots especially to bring a sweet new year!

STAY TUNED as Walder Science Center is having Sarelle taking her experience to your neighborhood in Chicago and all over Israel.

Shanna Tova.

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Kitchen Science Focus on Flour and Gluten a hit in Modiin!

On Wednesday night, Aug. 27th, 2014 The Walder Center presented another great Kitchen Science program focusing on the properties of flour. Sarelle Weiner, pastry artist, engaged a group of in Modiin, Israel, in various activities relating to flour.

How to measure consistently so that the product can be relied upon to have the right texture and body. What are the different types of flour that are on the market and what are the uses for each type?

Then we learned about Gluten. Gluten is a complex protein formed when water is mixed with flour. The proteins Glutenin and Gliadin in the flour combine to form Glutenin when water or other liquids are introduced to the flour when making dough. Glutenin provides extensibility into the dough - the ability to stretch without breaking. A property of glutenin is to make the product chewy. Gliadin provides the elasticity into the dough - the property that causes the ends of the dough to snap back when rolling it out. Elasticity makes the dough keep it form as it breaks, as opposed to running over the pan.

When you are baking a cake- do you want it to be easy to cut with the edge of the fork, or difficult? More Gluten or less?
When you are baking cookies - do you want them to be crisp or chewy? More Gluten or less?
When baking muffins, do you need a batter that you can pour into a baking cup or a dough that you can roll out? More Gluten or less?
When baking bread, do you want a dough that's paper thin and can cover a table top withuot breaking, like a strudel dough? Or do we want it to rise as a thick tall loaf? More Gluten or less?

The evening developed as Sarelle challenged us to make strudel doughs and filling some with sweet and savory fillings. YUM YUM!
And we also learned a great bonus product that can be made with the strudel dough ends!

Buy the end of the session, all the participants felt that, with their new knowledge of flours, measuring techniques and gluten, they can now prepare winning holiday treats with confidence.

Science in cooking and baking equals spectacular products.
Once the word is out, the Walder Kitchen Science Focus on Flour with Sarelle has been requested in Chicago, and other locations.

Stay tuned!