Will the kneaded dough still be chewy if it is put in the refrigerator? What are the effects of putting the kneaded dough in the refrigerator?

We all know that kneading dough is the most important step in making pasta, and it requires a lot of attention and skills. Many people knead dough at home. It is best to eat the freshly kneaded dough immediately, but will the kneaded dough still be chewy if it is put in the refrigerator? Let's take a closer look!

Will the dough still be chewy if it is put in the refrigerator?

Long-term fermentation at low temperature can easily increase the gluten content of the dough. If it is used to make bread, it is easy to knead out the fascia.

Knead the dough before going to bed the night before, cover it with plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator. Knead it a little the next morning and it is ready to use. And it tastes very refined this way.

Knead the dough at night and put it in the refrigerator. You can use it the next day without any impact!

The next day, I eat noodles for breakfast. Because time is tight and there is no time to knead and let the dough rise, I often knead the dough at night.

In this way, when you use it the next morning, it not only saves time and effort, but the key is that the dough will be chewier after a long period of resting.

Whether to put it in the refrigerator depends on the temperature at that time!

From my experience, during the hot summer months, I will put the dough in a fresh-keeping bag and put it in the refrigerator. It is not necessary at other times. Of course, if you like to put it in the refrigerator, it doesn't matter, it won't have any effect anyway.

What are the effects of putting the kneaded dough in the refrigerator?

(1) Fermented dough: steamed buns, steamed bread, bread, fried dough sticks, steamed cakes, etc.

Fermented breakfasts are very suitable for kneading the dough the night before and fermenting in the refrigerator. This can save time in the morning. The fermented dough only takes about 1 hour at room temperature of about 30 degrees, which is the most suitable temperature. If it is placed in the refrigerator for fermentation, the refrigerator temperature is usually between 2 and 6 degrees. In this low temperature environment, the fermentation speed of the yeast will slow down and the time required will be longer. Generally, one night of fermentation is sufficient.

Changes after refrigeration overnight: After the dough is refrigerated and fermented, it expands significantly and has a honeycomb structure inside, indicating that the fermentation is successful. However, it is also possible that the fermentation time is too long, causing the dough to collapse severely and have too many small holes on the surface, making the dough smell very sour.

Solution: At this time, you need to add some edible alkali to neutralize the sour taste of the dough. Generally, add 1 gram of edible alkali to 100 grams of flour. Use a small amount of water to melt the edible alkali, dig a small hole in the middle of the dough, pour in the alkali, and then knead the dough and the alkali thoroughly. Remember not to add too much, otherwise the buns and steamed buns will have a strong alkaline taste, and the dough will turn yellow. It is normal for the dough to smell slightly sour during the fermentation process, unless the situation is more serious as mentioned in the previous article, you need to add edible alkali.

(2) Non-fermented: noodles, dumpling wrappers, etc.

Changes after refrigeration overnight: After the dough without yeast powder is refrigerated, the dough has enough time to rise. During this process, gluten will be formed, making the dough more chewy. If you gently pull and thin the dough with your hands, you will find that the dough has better ductility and will not break easily like a rubber band.

Therefore, for non-fermented foods, especially when making noodles, it is better to refrigerate the dough overnight. If you are making bread, you can also use this method. Do not add yeast powder first, knead other ingredients into the dough, then put it in the refrigerator for one night, take it out the next day, add yeast powder and knead it evenly, and then it will be easier to rub out the glove film by hand.

How to store the kneaded noodles in the refrigerator

If you are making dumplings, just add a little yeast powder at night, put it in the refrigerator, cover it with plastic wrap, and let the dough ferment slowly until it is twice as large as before. The next day, take out the dough, knead out the bubbles in the dough, put it in a container again, and ferment it again. This time, ferment it until it is twice as large. The purpose of two fermentations is the secret to the smoothness of the dumpling skin. The more successful the fermentation, the more evenly the dough is kneaded, and the smoother the dumpling skin will be.

If you are making dumplings, you don’t need to add yeast powder. The next day, take out the dough, roll it out to make dumpling skins, and wrap it with fillings.

Dough kneading skills

(1) The water temperature should be appropriate. Cold water is generally used. In winter, the water temperature should not exceed 30 degrees. In summer, when mixing the powder, some salt can be added to increase the strength.

(2) The amount of water should be controlled. When mixing cold water with flour, the water cannot be absorbed by the flour all at once, so the water should be added slowly in portions, but not too much or too little. Generally speaking, the ratio of flour to water is 5:2, but it should be flexibly controlled according to the season and variety.

(3) Be sure to knead the dough thoroughly and smoothly. The more thoroughly the better. Knead it until it is firm and smooth.

(4) The kneaded dough should be left to rest for about 20 minutes to allow the powder particles in the dough to fully absorb water. Cover it with a wet cloth while it is resting to prevent the surface from becoming dry and hard.