This is How Sugar Affects Bread Dough | How to Use Sugar for Breadmaking

Contrary to popular belief sugar slows down fermentation. I have made a video explaining it already. This video is about the other effects sugar has on bread dough. I will also address an incorrect statement I made in the previous video. How does sugar affect bread dough? Sugar acts as a liquefier. It absorbs water, weakens the gluten structure, and makes the dough looser. The dough expands more when baking achieving an airier and softer crumb. It also makes it stickier and a little harder to work with. Of course, it makes the bread sweet too. Besides that, it makes the crust caramelize faster when baked, so baking temperatures should be adjusted when using sugar. White sugar is mostly used to sweeten rolls and buns. Dark sugar syrups like barley malt syrup, black treacle, honey or even maple syrup can be used to add colour to the crumb and give the bread a distinct flavour. I personally use malt syrup and black treacle for rye bread as the intense flavour works well with rye and seeds