Mixing
At one time, large scale mixing was accomplished by workers bent over a long
dough trough, partially hydrating and salting the dough with the sweat off
their brows!
At Grand Central, we unashamedly
use very powerful mixers that can mix about 425 pounds of dough per batch. Mixing develops the
structure of the dough. As the protein in the flour absorbs water it develops into
gluten that is
stretched and folded in the mixer to form a complex, elastic web. This web will later give the loaf
its texture and volume as it traps the gases released during
fermentation. The proper combination
of ingredients and just the right amount of development are needed to give the dough the
strength and
extensibility it needs to withstand an extended fermentation process.
