Water Dynamics in Fresh and Frozen Yeasted Dough

Water is an integral part of wheat flour dough-the amount, physical state, and location of water are crucial to the formation of a dough that will hold gas and produce an open, aerated crumb structure in the final product. This has been understood for centuries by craft bakers, who were highly attuned to the "feel" of dough in their hands. In the 20th century, empirical instruments were invented that simulated part of the breadmaking process, and their limited predictive capacity made them valuable quality control tools. During the latter decades of the 20th century the cost and availability of advanced instrumental methods for characterizing foods improved dramatically, and facilitated a "fundamental science" approach to food research. The physicochemical mechanisms by which water exerts such a strong influence on the character of dough are now better understood. This review contrasts the empirical and fundamental view points, and summarizes recent knowledge about the roles of water in the manufacture of fresh and frozen yeasted dough.