Gluten

• Gluten (in wheat flour) is an important protein for producing the right texture in baked products eg bread + cake
• Gluten makes dough stretchy and elastic + able to be shaped and rise
• Gluten traps air bubbles that have been produced in the dough e.g. bread making
• doughs will often shrink back when they are stretched e.g. shortcrust and puff pastry doughs
• Gluten lets doughs rise as the gas bubbles they contain expand during baking
• Gluten coagulates and sets the baked mixture in the last stages of baking