Onion rings should have a crisp coating and break cleanly when you bite into them EXPERIMENT: Gluten Development in Batter J ust as in a kneaded bread dough, gluten—the network of interconnected flour proteins—can form in a heavily mixed batter Need proof? Try this little test Materials • See ingredients list for Foolproof Onion Rings, here Procedure Follow the recipe through step 3 Divide the batter in half and whisk one half of it for an extra minute Proceed with the recipe as directed, using regular batter and the overmixed batter, and making sure to keep the rings separate from each when you fry them Results Taste the rings side by side You’ll find that the rings with the regular batter are light and crisp, while the rings with the overwhisked batter are chewier, denser, and doughier As you continue to whisk a batter, protein molecules in the flour (gliadin and glutenin) form tighter and tighter bonds with each other Eventually those bonds are so tight that even the leavening power of baking powder is not enough to lighten and leaven the batter—it stays dense Interconnected proteins also turn the texture leathery instead of ... batter and the overmixed batter, and making sure to keep the rings separate from each when you fry them Results Taste the rings side by side You’ll find that the rings with the regular batter are light and crisp, while the rings with the overwhisked... Procedure Follow the recipe through step 3 Divide the batter in half and whisk one half of it for an extra minute Proceed with the recipe as directed, using regular batter and the overmixed batter, and making sure to... whisk a batter, protein molecules in the flour (gliadin and glutenin) form tighter and tighter bonds with each other Eventually those bonds are so tight that even the leavening power of baking powder is not enough to lighten and