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How does Saccharomyces cerevisiae contribute to baking and brewing?

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Two Amanita pantherina mushrooms with brown caps covered in white spots grow among moss and fallen leaves. — fungus A pair of panther cap mushrooms (*Amanita pantherina*). Closely related to the death cap mushroom (*Amanita phalloides*), the panther cap is highly poisonous.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae, commonly known as brewer’s or baker’s yeast, is a single-celled fungus that plays a fundamental role in food production through the process of fermentation. Its utility in both baking and brewing stems from its ability to convert sugars into ethanol and carbon dioxide.1234

In baking, the primary goal is the production of carbon dioxide. When added to dough, the yeast ferments available sugars, releasing gas that causes the dough to rise (leavening). While ethanol is also produced during this process, it evaporates during the baking of the bread.253

In brewing, the focus is on the production of ethanol. The yeast ferments sugars derived from malted grains to create alcohol. In the case of beer and sparkling wines, some of the carbon dioxide produced during fermentation is retained in the final product to provide effervescence.23

Through thousands of years of domestication, humans have selected specific strains of S. cerevisiae to optimize these fermentation processes for various culinary applications.23