Bread dough before and after baking. As the
dough heats up, starch granules absorb
moisture from the gluten, swell, and leak some
starch molecules, creating reinforcement for
the dough walls that surround the gas pockets.
Late Baking: Flavor Development and
Cooking Through Baking is continued for
some time after the bread center approaches
the boiling point. This gelates the starch as
thoroughly as possible, thus preventing the
center from remaining damp and heavy, and
slowing subsequent staling. Continued baking
also encourages the surface browning
reactions that improve both color and flavor.
Though limited to the hot, dry crust, these
reactions affect the flavor of the whole loaf
because their products diffuse inward. A light-
colored loaf will be noticeably less flavorful
than a dark one.
Bread is judged to be done when its crust
has browned and its inner structure has