Why might we put eggs in bread dough to bake bread? Why would a baker leave eggs out? What’s the difference between egg whites and egg yolks when baking?
The ChainBaker YouTube channel shares this methodical comparison video with four types of dough: No egg, whole egg, egg white only, and egg yolk only. All other ingredients—flour, water, yeast, and salt—are identical.
The step-by-step video explains and demonstrates clearly for beginners and may also be pretty interesting for experienced bakers. The man behind ChainBaker, known online as Charlie the YouTube baker, explains:
“…besides the nutritional benefits there are a few other good reasons to use egg in breadmaking. It makes the bread lighter and fluffier. The reason for that is the fat in the yolk that inhibits gluten formation just as any other fat would. This results in a looser dough that can expand and puff up more.
“The egg white on the other hand acts as a coagulant and sets the crumb making it bouncier and chewier in a good way.
“Crust is another part of the bread that is greatly affected by egg. It caramelises more and becomes crispier. Breads that contain egg should not be baked at very high temperatures as the crust may go too dark too soon.”
“Eggs also add flavour which works well in enriched dough. The yolk is the part that contributes to the flavour mostly as the white is quite bland by itself.
“But not everyone can or will eat egg. What alternatives are there? You can make bread dough light and fluffy simply by using any other fat rather than egg yolks. Sugar and milk will also act in a similar way. A roux like tangzhong makes bread super light and fluffy too. To achieve a bouncy crumb that an egg white would provide you could use some potato starch or cornflour in your flour mix.”
For sweet recipes, you can also replace one egg with 1/4 cup of applesauce, or a smashed banana in cakes and pancakes. Aquafaba, whipped chickpea liquid, is also a good substitute. From The Kitchn:
“Three tablespoons of aquafaba is equivalent to about one whole egg, while two tablespoons of aquafaba is equivalent to about one egg white. Keep in mind that a can of chickpeas yields about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of this liquid, so about eight to 12 tablespoons.”
Explore more about what happens if we leave an ingredient out if a recipe:Microwave cupcakes in a mug, an easy chemistry experiment.
Also, these 4 Levels food science videos and more eggs:
• How to make kawaii egg animals
•How to make ‘cloud eggs’
• Why do supermarket eggs look perfect?
FAQs
The whole egg contributes to the richness and moisture content of the dough and enhances the overall flavor and texture of the bread. The yolks, being rich in fats, enhance emulsification and ensure a smoother texture. Whereas, the whites, when beaten, create stable foams, adding a light and airy quality to the bread.
What does egg do to bread dough? ›
besides the nutritional benefits there are a few other good reasons to use egg in breadmaking. It makes the bread lighter and fluffier. The reason for that is the fat in the yolk that inhibits gluten formation just as any other fat would. This results in a looser dough that can expand and puff up more.
What happens if you add too much egg to dough? ›
Eggs are responsible for giving baked goods structure, which means the amount you use directly affects the resulting texture. Using too few eggs will make your desserts dense, but using too many will make them rubbery. The explanation for this lies in the fact that eggs are made up of protein.
Can I add an egg after kneading? ›
The eggs can be beaten or not prior to addition. If you try to add extra wet ingredients later in the process the dough becomes slimy and very difficult to work with for a while.
Does egg make dough stick together? ›
They can make the dough more delicate and crumbly, creating a softer texture in the final baked product. Structure: Eggs act as a binding agent, helping to hold the pastry dough together. They provide structure and stability, especially in recipes where a more substantial or flaky texture is desired.
Why is my homemade bread so dense? ›
There may be several reasons for a dense, cake like texture in bread. It may indicate the kneading wasn't enough for the gluten to develop properly, or the dough was proved for too short a time or the dough may have been too dry. It is also worth checking the flour you used.
What does adding milk to bread dough do? ›
The fat and lactose in milk help with tenderizing the crumb of the bread making it softer and sweeter. The crust of the bread also gets more caramelization. Be aware that bread made with milk should not be baked at too high of a temperature to prevent it from browning too much too soon.
How do you make bread more airy? ›
Add Sugar
Adding sugar weakens the gluten structure, absorbs water, and eventually makes the bread lighter and softer. As a result, sugar improves the bread's taste, structure and texture. Yeast also eats up sugar to produce carbon dioxide, which raises the dough and makes bread fluffy.
What makes bread rise higher? ›
The gluten in the dough traps the carbon dioxide gas, preventing it from escaping. The only place for it to go is up, and so the bread rises. Carbon dioxide actually also helps gluten develop in bread. Unless you're gluten-intolerant, gluten is a great thing, folks.
What does butter do to bread? ›
Butter, technically a dough enrichment, tenderizes bread dough and limits gluten development, yielding a softer, more tender crumb and a richer flavor. The butter in this sourdough babka dough makes the interior tender—and delicious. Photo by Maurizio Leo.
Bread with no egg looked as normal as any other white loaf. It had puffed up evenly and had a nice crust colour and a soft texture. The interior was soft but quite tight. This could be made lighter by skipping the pre-shaping or folding steps making the dough looser.
Does bakery bread contain eggs? ›
Most bread doesn't, and is made of flour, water, yeast, salt, and a small amount of sugar, honey, or molasses to feed the yeast. There are, however, enriched doughs for speciallty breads such as brioche, egg bread, and others. They may contain milk, eggs, butter, additional sugar, or other ingredients.
Do eggs tenderize dough? ›
Tenderizing: The fat in the egg yolk shortens gluten strands in batters and dough to tenderize the product. Moisture: Since eggs are mostly water, they moisten the products to which they are added.
How to make bread brown on top? ›
Egg wash is a mix of beaten whole egg and water (or milk or cream), which is used to brush onto the top of baked goods before baking. The purpose of egg wash is to provide a nice golden brown, shiny finish on your baking. I use this egg wash for pie crust, or this also makes a great egg wash for bread recipes.
Does egg thicken dough? ›
In cookie formulations, for example, egg proteins permeate the dough and coagulate “contributing rigidity to the crumb and assisting the gluten to hold the volume attained.”2 In a custard or pudding, this coagulative property is responsible for the custard texture and mouthfeel.
What does egg wash do to bread dough? ›
The egg-liquid mixture is then brushed over baked goods—like bread or pastries—before going in the oven to help give them a strikingly golden color and an eye-catching gloss after baking. An egg wash can also help seal the edges of filled pastries or hand pies and help any sprinkled sugar adhere to the dough.
What happens when you add egg to pastry dough? ›
Egg yolks added to shortcrust pastry make it richer and slows down the development of the gluten in the flour, which is exactly what you want. Gluten has an elastic quality which can make pastry rubbery if overdeveloped. But the resulting crumbly dough can be difficult to work with.
What ingredient makes bread soft? ›
Milk powder.
Instant milk powder makes bread dough super soft and fluffy and also helps to give it a good rise. It also contributes to the dough staying nice and soft after baking for a little longer than a recipe that does not use milk powder.
