The Secret To A Golden Crust: Why Flour Comes Before The Egg Wash

Dredging food in flour before dipping it in an egg wash is a crucial step in the standard breading procedure. This initial dip in flour helps the egg wash stick better to the food's surface by absorbing any additional moisture from the food. The hydrated starches in the flour create a gel, giving the beaten egg something to bind to. This process is essential for creating a distinct and attractive crunchy crust on foods such as chicken or fish.

Flour helps the egg wash stick better to the food's surface

When preparing food for pan-frying, a thin coat of flour before the egg wash helps the egg stick better to the food's surface. This is because the flour absorbs the moisture on the surface of the food, creating a dry base for the egg wash to adhere to. Without the flour, the egg wash would slip off the food's moist surface. The flour acts as a “primer” or “traction” for the egg wash, which then sticks to the final coating of breadcrumbs, nuts, or cornmeal.

The standard breading procedure involves a basic three-step approach: first, the food is dusted in flour, shaking off any excess; second, it is dipped into a beaten egg wash; and finally, it is dredged in the main coating. This procedure results in a distinct and attractive crunchy crust around the food when pan-fried.

The initial flour coating is also known as a “pre-dust,” which helps to reduce the moisture at the boundary between the food and the coating. This is especially important when using starchy batters, as the egg proteins adhere better to the food and cook more quickly than wheat starch gels.

In summary, the flour helps the egg wash stick better to the food's surface by absorbing moisture and creating a dry base for the egg to adhere to, ensuring a crispy and crunchy crust when the food is cooked.

The hydrated starches in the flour create a gel, giving the beaten egg something to stick to

When cooking, it is common to coat food in flour, followed by an egg wash, and then breadcrumbs. This is known as the standard breading procedure. The hydrated starches in the flour create a gel, which gives the beaten egg something to stick to.

The initial dip in flour helps the egg wash stick better to the food's surface. The flour acts as a primer, helping all the other coatings cling to the food. The flour also helps to wick up any additional moisture from the food.

The standard breading procedure is as follows:

Flour

The food is first dusted in flour, shaking off any excess. This step helps to remove any moisture from the food, which can prevent the egg wash from sticking.

Egg Wash

The food is then dipped into a beaten egg wash. The egg acts as a sticky glue, attaching the breadcrumbs to the surface of the food. When the egg proteins cook and solidify, the breadcrumbs are secured in place.

Breading

Finally, the food is dredged in the main coating, which can include breadcrumbs, panko, nuts, or cornmeal. This step gives the food a crunchy crust when pan-fried.

By following these steps, you can ensure that the beaten egg has a sticky surface to adhere to, resulting in a crispy and delicious coating on your food.

Flour helps to wick up any additional moisture from the food

Flour Wicks Up Moisture

When preparing food for pan-frying, coating it in flour before dipping it in an egg wash helps to wick up any additional moisture. This is an important step in achieving a crispy crust.

Flour is hygroscopic, meaning it quickly absorbs any available humidity from its environment. In this case, the flour will absorb any excess moisture from the food's surface. This is especially important when frying foods with a wet surface, such as meat, which also releases juices while frying. The flour coating helps to absorb this liquid, ensuring that the egg wash has something to stick to.

The flour and the egg wash work together to create a sticky surface for the final coating to adhere to. The hydrated starches in the flour form a gel-like substance, which the beaten egg can then cling to. This gel is created when the flour absorbs the moisture from the food's surface and is essential for the rest of the breading to stick.

By absorbing the moisture, the flour also helps to reduce the moisture at the boundary between the food and the coating. This is crucial because excessive surface moisture can prevent the coating from adhering properly. The flour acts as a primer, ensuring that the egg wash and final coating cling to the food effectively.

Overall, the initial flour coating plays a vital role in the breading process, helping to wick up any additional moisture and create a crispy crust on the final product.

The proteins in the flour and eggs help most types of breadcrumbs stick to the food once cooked

The proteins in flour and eggs are essential in helping breadcrumbs stick to food once cooked. This three-step breading procedure is commonly used for fried foods, especially meats such as chicken. The initial dip in flour helps to absorb any moisture from the food and acts as a primer for the other coatings to cling to. The hydrated starches in the flour create a gel, which the beaten egg can then stick to. The egg acts as a glue to attach the breadcrumbs to the surface of the food. When the egg proteins cook and solidify, they secure the breadcrumbs onto the food.

The proteins in the flour and eggs help to harden the coating, providing an additional texture and a crunchy crust. This process is simple but can get messy, so it may be helpful to keep one hand for dry ingredients and the other for wet. It is also important not to let the food sit too long after it has been coated, or it may become soft and gummy.

Flour acts as a primer to help all the other coatings cling to the food

Flour Acts as a Primer

The initial dip in flour helps the egg wash stick better to the food's surface. The hydrated starches in the flour create a gel, giving the beaten egg something to adhere to. The flour helps to wick up any additional moisture from the food, which would otherwise cause the egg to slip off. This is especially important when the food has been washed or contains juices, such as meat.

The standard breading procedure is a simple, time-tested, three-step approach to preparing food for pan-frying. It results in an earth-shatteringly crispy crust! The first step is to dust the food in flour, shaking off any excess. The flour acts as a primer to help all the other coatings cling to the food.

The Egg Wash

The second step is to dip the food into a beaten egg wash. The egg acts as a sticky glue to attach all the breadcrumbs to the surface of the food. When the egg proteins cook and solidify, the breadcrumbs are secured onto the food. A little bit of oil in the egg wash helps thin the liquid coating, and the extra fat browns the breadcrumbs better.

Breading

The third and final step is to dredge the food in the main coating. This can include breadcrumbs, panko, nuts, or cornmeal. The shape and size of the breading will determine how fast it will brown and the texture of the crust. Breadcrumbs act as an insulator to prevent food such as fish from drying out.

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