How to fix the dough being too wet

The steamed buns we usually eat are made after the dough is fermented. As a chef, you probably deal with this dough every day. It is really a delight to see these little doughs transformed into cute little animals in the hands of the chefs and into these delicious dishes for our taste. However, if the dough is too wet, the result of making steamed buns will be affected. At this time, you can add some baking powder to improve it.

Generally, making pastries requires making dough, but for those who don’t often cook, they don’t know how much dough to add to water. So can the dough be fermented if it is too wet and soft? How to remedy if the dough is too dry?

Can the dough be fermented if it is too wet?

Fermentation depends on whether the amount of yeast used is sufficient. The humidity and temperature during fermentation will affect the expansion of the dough. You can judge whether the dough has been fermented by pressing it with your finger. If a fingerprint is left, it means it is OK. You can use this to judge whether the fermentation is complete.

Besides, the room temperature of 20℃ is a bit low. Generally, fermentation is carried out at 36℃ and 80% humidity, and it takes 80 to 90 minutes. If the above conditions are not met, the time required will be relatively extended.

How to fix the dough being too soft:

1. Try to raise the temperature of the dough a little, preferably by adding some hot water.

2. Add baking powder (35g baking powder for every 1500g flour). The method is to add a little hot water to dissolve the baking powder, then add it to the dough, and use your fist to knead the water and baking powder thoroughly. When the dough starts to puff up, add a little sugar, and it is ready to be made.

3. After finishing, do not add sugar, just steam it in a steamer over high heat.

What to do if the dough is dry:

Leave the dough in a container covered with a damp cloth and sugar for a quarter of an hour. The dough will be soft.

The protein in dry flour is shrunk. These tiny protein particles can only expand after absorbing water and combining with water molecules. The stretched-out protein macromolecules are intertwined with each other to form a network structure of proteins, which is the dough. After the dough is just kneaded, many protein molecules have not had time to combine with water molecules, so the network structure of the dough is incomplete and feels harder. The principle of sugar dough is to give it time for the protein molecules to fully absorb water and expand and stretch, so as to achieve a more gluten--elastic effect, making the dough softer and more flexible.

Dough making tips:

The best temperature for leaving dough: The most suitable temperature for leaving dough is 27~30 degrees. The dough can be successfully fermented in 2 to 3 hours at this temperature. To achieve this temperature, according to climate changes.

The temperature of the water used for making dough can be adjusted appropriately: use cold water in summer; use warm water of about 40 degrees in spring and autumn; in winter, use 60-70 degrees hot water to knead the dough, cover it with a wet cloth, and place it in a warmer place. What to do if there is too much alkali in the leavening dough: If there is too much alkali in the leavening dough, you can add white vinegar to neutralize the alkali. If you find that there is too much alkaline when the fish is about 70% cooked, you can sprinkle some alum water on the finished product, or apply some light vinegar water after taking it off the steamer.