Dough oxidation via enzymatic action
This weekend I was experimenting with colored sourdough. I incorporated spinach to one of my most tested recipes to as the source of pigments. For this loaf I used the spinach raw but quickly discovered (both by experiencing it and later by doing some research) that it was not such a great idea. Spinach, as many other vegetables tend to oxidize rather quickly when they are cut and exposed to air. This is oxidation is caused by enzymes naturally present in plant matter.
Not only was the finished loaf not very green, but it also lacked proper spring and the crumb was much tighter than that from the base formula/procedure. While looking for an explanation, it occurred to me that maybe those same enzymes that oxidize the pigments in the spinach are causing the dough to oxidize.
A good way to test this would be to repeat the bake using blanched spinach instead. This way, the oxidizing enzymes will get denatured. If they had any effect on the overall development of the dough it should be fairly obvious.
Has anybody run into a similar issue? I'd appreciate any feedback from you guys.