Crust Thickness: Shaping Outer Structure and Bite

Why Crust Thickness Matters

Crust thickness plays a major role in texture and mouthfeel. A thin crust gives a soft, tender bite, while a thicker crust adds more chew or crunch. Across baked goods, from pan breads to baguettes and flat breads, crust thickness strongly influences consumer perception and eating experience.

As shown in the video, crust forms when the dough begins to heat: the outer layer sets while the interior continues to expand. This difference in behaviour explains why the crust becomes denser than the crumb. Depending on the style of product, bakers aim for either thin, flexible crusts or thicker, more robust ones. Because crust formation begins early, the properties of the dough, strength, expansion capacity, water mobility, directly influence the resulting crust thickness

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Transformation of Dough - Explore the Keys to Crust Thickness

In the Back to Flour Series,  Transformation of Dough shows how flour composition influences the mechanisms that determine crust thickness.

Protein quality helps the dough resist deformation during oven rise, preventing collapse as the internal crumb expands. Starch functionality—especially gelatinisation—defines when the structure sets, influencing how the dough is pushed upward and how alveoli form. Damaged starch and amylase activity affect water mobility, gas production, and expansion during proofing and early baking, contributing to thicker or thinner crusts. Sugar, when added, supports gas expansion and influences both gelatinisation and crust softness. Together, these flour components shape how the dough expands and sets, and therefore the final crust thickness.

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‍For a Quick Overview of What Shapes Crust Thickness

To complement the video, our PDF guide offers a concise technical summary. It includes a comparative table showing how flour components impact size and shape across different products—from baguettes and pan breads to biscuits and croissants.

📄 Download the PDF: What Impacts 54% of Baked Product Crust Thickness

What’s Next?

This focus on Crust Thickness is part of our ongoing exploration in the Back to Flour Series. By linking consumer expectations to flour functionality, we provide an intuitive and scientific understanding of what makes bakery products desirable.

The Back to Flour Series is constantly growing—with videos, technical PDFs, and resources across At the Table, Transformation of Dough, Secrets of Flour, and more technical insights to come.

Explore the categories below and stay tuned as we continue to connect flour functionality with product excellence.