Do you ever read a recipe and come across an ingredient that just has you scratching your head? I've made several recipes in my 8 years of marriage, but every once in awhile I still come across an ingredient that I've never heard of! The latest example was this past week when I was making cinnamon rolls for my daughter's birthday breakfast. My mom's cinnamon rolls are AMAZING, and so I knew I needed to get her actual dough recipe. She sent it to me willingly, and as I looked through the ingredients, I saw 'dough enhancer' listed as one of them. I had never used an actual 'dough enhancer' ingredient before, and so this was definitely a first for me! I assumed this ingredient was for the exact purpose the name suggests- but that still didn't tell me what it would look like or where to buy it!

Well the simple answer- dough enhancers just make your bread better! Your bread will rise faster, will have a fluffier, tastier texture, can be more moist, and it will actually last longer as well!

Technically, anything you add to your dough that's not yeast or flour is a dough enhancer, such as sugar, eggs, or honey- it's feeding the yeast, making your bread much tastier! But we're going to dig a little deeper than your basics....

You can buy actual dough enhancer at the store, but there are several natural dough enhancers that will help you achieve the same thing! The fun thing is that these all can add different flavors and textures to your breads, so have fun experimenting, trying different ones or combining several and see which one is your favorite!

Ginger- just adding 1/4 teaspoon of powdered ginger to your bread can make a huge difference. The yeast will activate faster, and it can help your bread last longer!

Lecithin- this will act as a preservative, and will help your bread be softer. One of my favorite bread recipes uses lecithin- it can be a little sticky to work with, but so worth the texture and flavor!

Potato water- if you're boiling potatoes, put that water to good use by using it in your bread recipe! The starch in the water will help contain the gas bubbles released in the dough and will make your bread lighter in texture.

Vitamin C powder- another preservative, as well as helping the yeast to work better. This special ingredient will also help your bread to be softer!

Dry milk powder- this will help your bread hold its moisture longer, as well as help your bread rise higher and crust be browner. This also adds some nutritional value to your bread as well, so win-win!

Gelatin- this makes sense, doesn't it? You're going to get a chewier texture, as well as help keep the moisture in your bread. Make sure to use unflavored gelatin!

Pectin- this is the same stuff you use for jams and jellies, so if you have extra on hand toss some into your bread recipe! This can replace the fat in your bread as well as add moisture.

There are many other dough enhancers- dried potato flakes, vinegar, wheat gluten, buttermilk- it all depends on your tastes and your willingness to experiment ;). You can also buy a premade dough enhancer- I couldn't find any at my local Smith's or Walmart, but did have luck at Macey's and Amazon, if that's something you're interested in. However, you can also make your own if you'd like! I've included a recipe for you below.

Dough Enhancer

Prep time:
Cook time:
Yield:

Serving size: 1
Calories per serving: 823.568

Ingredients:
1 cup wheat gluten
2 tablespoons lecithin granules
1 teaspoon vitamin C granules
2 tablespoons fruit powdered pectin
2 tablespoons unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup nonfat dry milk powder
1 teaspoon powdered ginger


Directions:

Mix together and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Add 3 tablespoons for each loaf of bread a recipe makes and it works like a charm.

Source: restlesschipotle.com

Recipe formatted with the Cook'n Recipe Software from DVO Enterprises.

Have fun trying these different enhancers in your next loaf of bread!