The role of water in dough formation and bread quality

Bread dough and bread are dispersed systems where several aqueous phases coexist and exchange water among each other. The water displacements are responsible for many chemical and physical properties of the single aqueous phases and the whole system. This chapter briefly reviews this subject suggesting some experimental approaches that can be of help to see with the eyes of water the changes of the system when it undergoes mixing, proofing, baking, freezing and ageing. Water activity, or, more precisely, relative humidity, is treated in some detail as the relevant gradients govern water displacements. The authors firmly believe that any future improvement of breadmaking and quality of bread will be based on a better understanding of the role of dough and bread inter – phases, across which water is displaced: the inter – phase extension in a bread dough is rather huge and can be affected by duration and strength of mixing, rest after mixing, proofing, and thermal history experienced during baking. As a result of different mechanical and thermal history, different breads can indeed be obtained from the same dough recipe.