Yep, the water. It's the number of particles of flour
in the overall volume that gives you the consistency.

/Edit, strictly it's a effect of the release of starch which generates partial non-newtonian behaviour in the dough under kneading, so strictly it's a relationship between the amount of starch present in volumetric space. Water molecules have limited impact on the whole thing except to contribute "shape" through H-bonding, it's the branched long C-chains of starch "catching" on each other like little bits of velcro that give you the dough.
( the mighty badger Aphrodite, on a bar stool, by your side, Fri 10 Sep 2010, 12:55, 1 reply, 16 years ago)

But the volume of water
is a small fraction of the volume of the dough. It's hardly a colloidal suspension in the usual sense.
( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Fri 10 Sep 2010, 12:57, Reply)

True
but the number of water molecules is irrelevant, only the "space" they create for the dough to occupy. See edit above. This is also getting far too serious ;)
( the mighty badger Aphrodite, on a bar stool, by your side, Fri 10 Sep 2010, 13:02, Reply)

Ah, so you're talking surface sites and hydrogen bonding then
Much clearer now!
( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Fri 10 Sep 2010, 13:05, Reply)

no it's not ... ;)

( the mighty badger Aphrodite, on a bar stool, by your side, Fri 10 Sep 2010, 13:57, Reply)