[Sca-cooks] salt

[Avraham haRofeh]

> What purpose does salt have in baked goods?  I know that adding it too
early
> in bread making will kill yeast, but why add it at all?  I know that most
> recipes call for 1 tsp - 1 Tbsp of salt (cookies, breads, pies, etc), but
I
> never knew why....

Salt is an absolute necessity in baked goods for FLAVOR, folks! Salt isn't
just a flavor, it's a flavor enhancer. It activates and opens your taste
buds - many foods made without salt will taste bland and flat compared to
foods made with salt. In pastry making, salt also helps control bacterial
growth, and acts to tighten gluten - which increases dough strength and
reduces stickiness, but also increases the mixing time needed to reach
maximum dough development.

Avraham

****************************************
Avraham haRofeh of Northpass
     (mka Randy Goldberg MD)
RandomTag: So many men, so little reason to sleep with any of them.