If you’ve ever wondered why your favorite fast food chicken nuggets or breakfast sandwich tastes so good, there’s likely a secret ingredient you’re unaware of: flour. Although flour might be one of the most common ingredients in your favorite fast foods, many people aren’t aware of the surprising reasons why they use it. From making the food moister to creating a more significant visual impact on your plate, here are five surprising reasons why your fast food might have flour.
It Stabilizes the Texture
Texture plays a significant role in the popularity of fast food, and few substances can add a more velvety texture to food than flour. Take the onion rings at McDonald’s, for example. They’re trendy because they have a crisp exterior but light and fluffy interior due to the battering with flour before frying.
Flour stabilizes the food texture by coating it, making it crispy and fluffy on the inside. That way, it also protects the gluten proteins responsible for giving bread its stretchy elasticity and lends texture to food products. The same thing goes for doughnuts, waffles, and fried chicken. However, it’s crucial to identify a reputable Flour Mill if you want flour products.
It Acts as a Binding Agent
Flour is a binding agent that helps to keep the food together, making it more cohesive and compact. When you mix flour with water, it forms a paste that can act as a binding agent. That means that it can help to hold other ingredients together, which is why it’s often helpful in fast food. That is especially useful for fast food because it allows you to cook your ingredients quickly without worrying about them falling apart. It also makes cooking much simpler and less complicated, making it easier to produce high-quality food quickly.
Adds Taste: Makes Foods Delicious
When it comes to taste, flour can do a lot for a dish. It can make it more flavorful, add texture, and even make it more filling. For example, the seasoned breadcrumbs on Wendy’s Spicy Chicken Sandwich can give the sandwich an extra crunchiness while adding some heat with cayenne pepper. All of these factors can be important when you’re trying to create a fast food dish that’s both delicious and satisfying.
Flour can make your food palatable by adding some extra flavor or texture, which is especially helpful if you’re trying to get kids to eat their vegetables. It makes perfect batters for fried foods like chicken nuggets or french fries, creating a lightly crispy exterior but remaining fluffy inside – just what you want from fried food!
It’s a Thickening Agent
Flour is commonly helpful as a thickening agent in sauces, gravies, and soups. When you add it to liquid, it forms a paste that can help thicken and bind ingredients together. That way, when the sauce or gravy starts boiling, the flour will create a layer around the proteins and carbohydrates that helps keep them from clumping up or separating. Chefs often use a roux (flour + butter) to thicken gravies. That can be especially helpful in fast food restaurants where taste and time are usually essential.
Helps Disguise Off-Putting But Healthy Ingredients
When you want to add healthy ingredients to your fast food but are worried about customers not liking the taste, flour can help. Sometimes it’s hard to swallow off-putting ingredients like sardines or kale in your fast food because it just doesn’t have that savory flavor most people crave when they eat out. By coating the healthy ingredients in flour, they will be less noticeable. They won’t affect the taste of your food too much.
Hence, you can consume your seafood without getting a fishy aftertaste or avoid meat without tasting blood. It will also protect the fish from soaking in extra oil and make it crispier for consumers who prefer eating soft-baked goods.
Conclusion
Flour’s usefulness in the kitchen is widespread. It can help with the texture of foods such as french fries, french toast, and fried chicken. The protein content helps give dough more elasticity, so it rises higher than a dough without flour would. The amino acids from the gluten help create flavor and crispy crusts on baked goods like pizza, croissants, and bagels. However, it’s crucial to identify a reputable brand with good customer service and fresh ingredients for your convenience. Also, eating a balanced and healthy diet is essential to maintaining a responsible lifestyle!
