What happens to dough when sugar is added?
I've been experimenting with a brioche recipe. After mixing the first few ingredients (flour, liquids, etc.) and develop some gluten, I add the sugar per the recipe's instructions. At this point, it seems that the dough starts taking on a different texture -- smoother, and almost wetter-looking.
What exactly is happening to the dough when sugar is added? Why is the texture changing? Is it really getting wetter? I doubt the sugar turning into a liquid during kneading to cause this effect. I'm assuming something else is going on???
Best Answer
The sugar competes with proteins and starches (read:flour) for water. With less water available for the flour, fewer gluten chains are able to form resulting in a more tender dough.
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Quick Answer about "What happens to dough when sugar is added?"
Adding sugar to bread provides easy food for the yeast, allowing it to produce carbon dioxide faster and therefore leading to faster rising times. As well as this, sugar provides more flavor, tenderizes the crumb, increases browning, and holds onto moisture, which keeps the bread fresh for longer.What does adding sugar to dough do?
But the main role of sugar in the bread dough is to provide food for the yeast. Sugar isn't really required for yeast to grow and multiply, as it can convert the starch into flour. However, adding sugar can greatly affect their performance and activity.What happens if I add sugar to bread dough?
Adding the sugar gives an added boost to the yeast as the yeast grows and multiplies. The yeast uses the sugar, forming by-products of carbon dioxide and alcohol, which give the bread its characteristic flavor. The sugar that is not utilized by the yeast tenderizes the bread by preventing the gluten from forming.Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Nicole Michalou, JÉSHOOTS, Tara Winstead, JÉSHOOTS