Food - Drink
Hot Water Dough Vs. Cold Water Dough: What's The Difference?
By HALDAN KIRSCH
Amateur bakers may not know that using ingredients at the wrong temperature can ruin baked goods. If you're following a recipe that adds water to pizza dough, flatbread dough, and more, but doesn't specify the temperature of the water, you should know the differences between hot and cold water doughs to help you make the right choice.
Hot water should always be used in recipes for softer, more delicate goods that don't need to rise much, like homemade dumpling wrappers, tortillas, or flatbreads. This is because hotter water breaks down the chewy and tough gluten in flour more effectively and prevents a rigid structure from forming, resulting in a softer but less stretchy dough.
Thicker and more sturdy doughs, such as ones used for bread or pizzas, require cold water. Cold water maintains the gluten content in flour, which traps the gasses produced by yeast or other leavening agents and lets the dough rise; however, breads made with low-gluten flour like rye or buckwheat work better with hot water.