By Biochemistry Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Padjadjaran
Sumedang, Wednesday, 7 August 2024
Bread is a food product made from a mixture of wheat flour, water, and yeast or leavening agent. The bread-making process begins with kneading, fermentation (rising), and baking in an oven. Bread has two layers: the crust, which is golden brown due to caramelization and the loss of water from the surface of the bread during baking. The second layer is the crumb, which is usually white. The crust color is influenced by oven temperature, dough fermentation, enzyme activity, and baking time, while the crumb color depends on the quality of the pigments in the flour.
The main ingredient in bread is wheat, obtained from milling wheat grains. Wheat grains are used in breadmaking because they are rich in gluten. Gluten, consisting of gliadin and glutenin, contributes 85% to the dough’s strength, allowing bread to rise properly.
Several methods can be used in bread-making, including sponge and dough, straight dough, and no-time dough. The sponge and dough method involves two mixing steps: making the sponge and making the dough, while the straight dough method (direct method) involves mixing all ingredients together in one step. The no-time dough method is a direct method but requires the shortest possible fermentation time or eliminates it altogether. The dough made by either method must be extensible enough to rest and rise, elastic enough to retain the gas produced, and stable enough to maintain the shape and cell structure of the dough.85% of the dough’s formation, enabling bread to rise properly.
These methods each have their own advantages and disadvantages. The sponge and dough method offers the advantages of better tolerance to fermentation times, larger bread volumes, improved shelf life, and a stronger aroma. However, the disadvantages include shorter tolerance to mixing times, more equipment, more workers, and longer production times. The advantages of the straight dough method include less equipment, fewer workers, less weight loss due to fermentation, and shorter production times. Meanwhile, the disadvantages of this method include shorter tolerance to fermentation times and the inability to correct errors in the mixing process. The no-time dough method offers similar advantages to the straight dough method, plus the lack of a fermentation room and lower equipment maintenance. However, its disadvantages include reduced bread aroma, a shorter shelf life, and the use of more bread improvers.
After receiving an explanation through this community service program regarding the bread-making process, students at MA Darul Hufadz responded very positively. This was indicated by the participants actively asking questions about the material.
This activity was very useful for introducing the application of chemistry, particularly in the field of biotechnology, in everyday life. It can foster the understanding that chemistry is an interesting and highly beneficial science.
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27/Kim/2025
