What happens to gluten when dough is over-kneaded in enriched doughs?

• A. Gluten becomes too developed, dough becomes tough and loaf may be dense with reduced volume.
• B. Gluten becomes weaker and collapses.
• C. Gluten disappears entirely.
• D. Dough becomes under-structured and oily.

Answer: (A)

In enriched doughs, gluten development is a balance: the fats, eggs, and sugar tenderize the dough, making it soft and pliable. If you knead too much, the gluten network can become overdeveloped and very tight, losing elasticity. That stiffness prevents the dough from expanding well in the oven, so the loaf rises less and ends up with a dense crumb and a tougher bite. The concept is that overworking the gluten in enriched doughs leads to a structure that is too strong and less extensible, not weaker or vanishing.

Other ideas don’t fit: gluten doesn’t disappear, and overkneading doesn’t simply make the dough oily or under-structured in that sense. It creates a network that is too developed and rigid, which explains the dense loaf.