Salt plays several important roles in baking:
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Flavor enhancement: Salt enhances and balances flavors, especially sweetness, and can take a mediocre recipe and make it outstanding.
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Moisture retention: Salt is hygroscopic, meaning it attracts water and holds onto the moisture in baked goods, helping to keep them fresh for longer.
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Yeast control: Salt controls the rate of fermentation, acting as a healthy check on yeast development, and helps to stabilize the fermentation rate, which is crucial when working with yeast in bread baking.
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Gluten development: Salt strengthens the gluten structure in bread dough, making the gluten network more compact and improving the texture of the final product.
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Preservation: Salt helps to prevent the development of objectionable bacterial action or wild types of fermentation, which can help in preserving the quality of the finished product.
In summary, salt is a crucial ingredient in baking, contributing to flavor, texture, and overall quality of the baked goods.
