The dough is not smooth and always cracks. Is the dough bad? The dough is not smooth and always cracks. How to remedy it?

We all know that when many people make pasta, they will first mix the flour and then knead the dough continuously to allow the flour to fully ferment. When kneading the dough, many people will find that the dough is not smooth and is easy to crack. So why is the dough not smooth and easy to crack? Let's take a closer look!

The dough is not smooth and always cracks. Is it because the dough is bad?

Not necessarily. It may be caused by the amount of water used and insufficient kneading time. It does not mean that the dough is bad.

First of all, we need to know that the reason why dough has good toughness and ductility is because of the gluten in the dough. To give the simplest example, have you ever seen ramen noodles? The dough can be pulled into a long noodle, which is its ductility, and this is all due to gluten. On the contrary, if there is not enough gluten, the dough will not have ductility and will easily break when subjected to tension.

So what influences the formation of gluten? In this case there are two main factors: water and time.

1. Water is a necessary factor for gluten formation. Without enough water, sufficient gluten cannot be formed. Generally speaking, only harder dough will have obvious cracks and pits on the surface, as shown in Figure 1. The dough has a low water content and cannot form sufficient gluten in a short period of time. Naturally, the dough does not have enough tensile strength and extensibility, and it breaks as soon as it is kneaded.

Another problem is uneven distribution of water when kneading the dough. Pouring too much water at once or pouring the water unevenly in the dough can also easily lead to this situation, for the same reason.

2. Time is another necessary factor for gluten formation. The dough is not smooth and always cracks when it is just kneaded. At this time, the water and flour have not been fully integrated, the gluten protein has not had enough time to absorb water to form enough gluten, and the dough has almost no ductility.

What should I do if the dough is not smooth and always cracks?

First, the proportion of water when kneading the dough should be within an appropriate range, and second, the dough should be given enough time to rise and relax.

However, considering all factors, different pasta dishes have different requirements for the softness and hardness of the dough. Generally speaking, as long as the water added can knead the flour into dough, there is no big problem. As long as it is relaxed enough, the dough can become flexible and extensible. Therefore, the most labor-saving and effective way to solve the problem of cracks and pits on the dough surface is to let the dough rest first and then knead it.

First let the dough rest and then knead it. This method works whether you are making pancakes, steamed buns or steamed buns, whether you are making leavened dough or unleavened dough, and whether it is hard dough or soft dough.

How to knead the dough smoothly without cracking

1. Check the raw materials. Make sure to choose good flour. Inferior flour will cause the flour to not be smooth when kneaded. Do not choose low-gluten flour. Low-gluten flour will have no gluten strength no matter how you knead it. The materials must be in proportion.

2. It is very important to add water when kneading the dough. Use warm water so that the dough will be soft and elastic. Do not add enough water at once when kneading the dough. Pour the flour into a basin or on a panel, make a groove in the middle, pour the water in slowly, and stir slowly with chopsticks. When the water is absorbed by the flour, rub the dough repeatedly with your hands. When adding water to the dough, you can add an appropriate amount of salt and stir together. You can also add some sugar and a small amount of cooking oil. Adding salt can make the dough smooth and tough without breaking. Adding sugar can improve the taste of the dough, shorten the fermentation time of the dough, and make the dough softer and more expanded. In addition, too much water is lost during the kneading process without being replenished. To avoid this situation, we should put a small amount of water on the palm of our hands to keep the moisture in the dough during the kneading process.

3. The method of kneading the dough should be appropriate. There are several methods of kneading dough at present, including kneading, pounding, kneading and throwing. No matter which method is used, the dough should always be kept smooth. Do not knead the dough randomly. Use appropriate force when kneading. Do not knead too hard, otherwise stiff lumps will appear.