On Food and Cooking

interrupts the gluten-water network, fat
because it bonds to fat-loving portions of the
gluten chains and prevents them from bonding
to each other. Rich doughs are therefore
relatively soft and fragile. Bakers often build
them by holding back the fat and sugar and
kneading these in only after developing the
gluten network, and then bake the doughs in
containers that support their weight and
prevent them from sagging and flattening.
Large amounts of sugar slow the growth of
yeast by dehydrating the cells, so sweet
doughs are often made with more yeast than
ordinary breads, and they may take longer to
rise. Sugar also makes sweet doughs prone to
begin browning early in the baking, so they’re
usually baked at a relatively low oven
temperature to prevent the surface from
browning before the interior has set.
French brioche dough is especially rich in
butter and eggs. It’s often retarded (chilled, p.
539) for 6–18 hours to stiffen it, then rolled