Just as in a kneaded bread dough, gluten—the

network of interconnected flour proteins—can form
in a heavily mixed batter. Need proof? Try this little
test.

Materials

• See ingredients list for Foolproof Onion Rings,
  here.

Procedure
Follow the recipe through step 3. Divide the batter in
half and whisk one half of it for an extra minute.
Proceed with the recipe as directed, using regular
batter and the overmixed batter, and making sure to
keep the rings separate from each when you fry
them.

Results
Taste the rings side by side. You’ll find that the rings
with the regular batter are light and crisp, while the
rings with the overwhisked batter are chewier,
denser, and doughier.
As you continue to whisk a batter, protein
molecules in the flour (gliadin and glutenin) form
tighter and tighter bonds with each other. Eventually
those bonds are so tight that even the leavening
power of baking powder is not enough to lighten and
leaven the batter—it stays dense. Interconnected
proteins also turn the texture leathery instead of