Fats work as tenderizers in breads by coating some of the proteins that form gluten, preventing them from hydrating and linking up to form large networks that would lead to toughness.
Ideally, olive oil should be added after the autolyse (or fermentolyse). This means that you would complete the autolyse (or fermentolyse) and then gently incorporate the olive oil into the dough.
If you don't use any oil, the dough will pull apart and produce holes. It also makes the dough more flexible, rolling out and stretching to its maximum potential.
Step 2: Prep the Bread Dough
Butter or Olive Oil Brush: Brush softened butter or olive oil atop the loaf before baking to add flavor and color. Milk Bath: Brushing a loaf with milk before baking gives the baked bread a tender, golden crust. For a sweet bread recipe, sprinkle with sugar if desired.
Not using an oiled bowl: You need to let doughs rise in a bowl that's lightly coated with a neutral oil, such as corn or canola. This prevents the dough from sticking and tearing when it's removed, which can ruin its gluten structure.
Oil. Pizza dough recipes include oil because it makes the process easier to stretch out the dough without any holes. Oil also adds flavor. Since many people prefer the savory Italian flavors of a traditional pizza, many recipes use olive oil.
Again, the machine-kneaded dough is on top and the hand-kneaded dough below. I find flour works better than oil or water to accomplish dividing the dough, as it helps prevent the surface of the dough from tearing or sticking.
The rye bread without oil had a slightly tough, chewy crust. Fats work as tenderizers in breads by coating some of the proteins that form gluten, preventing them from hydrating and linking up to form large networks that would lead to toughness.
Overall, you can swap melted butter for oil in 1:1 in a quick bread recipe. If a recipe calls for creamed butter or solid butter, then it's best to stick with butter, and not swap out using oil. If the original recipe needs only oil but you want a lighter texture and stronger flavors, you can add both oil and butter.
Egg wash often appears in pastry and bread recipes and can be used to create a shiny, brown crust or act as an edible glue. An egg wash is a simple mixture of egg and a little water, milk, or heavy cream. You can adjust the egg wash so your baked goods come out as crisp, soft, or shiny as you want them.
When making brioche and other rich breads, add the butter last. Fat bonds to gluten proteins, preventing them from bonding to each other, so adding it later gives the gluten network a chance to develop, ensuring the structure of the final product.
Canola Oil
Canola oil is, without doubt, one of the best types of oil for baking. It's preferred in many recipes since it has the most neutral flavor compared to other types of oil. It also tends to be lighter in flavour, so it will not negatively affect the baked product's flavor and texture.
While adding oil to your dough will give you a better, crispier crust, there are specific ways to avoid oily dough. Using flour on the top of the dough will enhance its stretchable properties and keep moisture in while putting the oil on top will prevent it from losing its flavor.
How much oil should I use? For most types of bread 2-5% of the total flour should be used. This can increase with enriched bread, however, at higher levels the oil can damage the gluten. When adding oil at levels higher than 5%, delay its inclusion until near the end of mixing.
For almost any type of bread, greasing the entire ball of dough before the first rise is an essential step. It's easy to do and becomes second nature as you bake more loaves of bread.
“If the dough has risen too long, it's going to feel fragile and might even collapse as you poke it,” says Maggie. If this is the case, there's a chance you can save your dough by giving it a quick re-shape. Learn more about this fix in our blog on saving overproofed dough.
Eggs help the dough rise and create a large crumb that's great for soaking up liquids, like a bowl of chocolat chaud (hot chocolate). The egg yolks give the bread a golden interior, and butter adds an extra boost of moisture. The result is a rich, buttery flavor, and deep golden-brown crust.
Water vs.
Milk changes bread recipes by producing a softer loaf, due to the milk fat content, which also gives bread a richer flavor. Bread made with milk browns more easily than bread made with water, as lactose or milk sugar will caramelize as it bakes.
If your dough feels dense and tough to handle when you stop the mixer, it is a sign that it is becoming over-kneaded. Over-kneaded dough can become very hard to work with and produce a more flat and chewy bread.
Adding oil to your pizza dough makes it crispier once baked. The oil creates an impermeable layer that moisture, such as that present in tomato sauce, cannot easily penetrate. In other words, olive oil in pizza dough prevents sauce from absorbing into the dough and making it floppy.
Prep your workspace with olive oil to avoid sticking.
The trick here is to skip the flour. Flour is good for keeping some doughs from sticking, but too much flour can make pizza dough tough. Instead, rub your work surface and hands with a little olive oil (about 2 to 3 tablespoons).
Adding too much water or oil to the dough can make it sticky as hell. It will also make it difficult for the yeast in your dough to move freely, causing a slow and low rise. Seldom, using the wrong flour, kneading the dough too little, or excess humidity can also cause your pizza dough to be sticky.