Dough conditioner, also called bread improver, refers to a range of products added to bread dough to improve the dough behavior and bread quality. The most common ingredients in dough conditioners are:
- Ascorbic acid (Vitamin C), which strengthens gluten and improves gas retention
- Vital wheat gluten, which increases the gluten available to the dough, contributing to a stronger crumb
- Emulsifiers such as lecithins, DATA esters and DATEM, which reduce gas bubble size and contribute to a finer crumb structure
- Cysteine, a naturally occurring amino acid, which improves the strength of gluten