steam leavening
Quick Summary
Steam leavening is a process that causes doughs and batters to expand during baking by utilizing the pressure of water vapor. As the interior of the baked good reaches its boiling point, the rapid buildup of steam causes the existing gas bubbles to expand, leading to a lighter, more porous structure.1234
This method is crucial for items like puff pastries and choux pastry, which are used for various French pastries, patty shells, napoleons, cream puffs, and éclair cases. The expansion is significant, with puff pastry potentially increasing in volume up to tenfold due to the steam generated at the interface between fat and dough.234
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bakingEntrapped air and vapourThe vaporization of volatile fluids (e.g., ethanol) under the influence of oven heat can have a leavening effect. Water-vapour pressure, too low to be significant at normal temperatures, exerts substantial pressure on the interior walls of bubbles already formed by other means as the interior of…
Read MoreThe vaporization of volatile fluids (e.g., ethanol) under the influence of oven heat can have a leavening effect. Water-vapour pressure, too low to be significant at normal temperatures, exerts substantial pressure on the interior walls of bubbles already formed by other means as the interior of…
Read More- bakingSteam leavening
All leavened products rely to some extent on water-vapour pressure to expand the vesicles or gas bubbles during the latter stages of baking, but some items also utilize the leavening action produced by the rapid buildup of steam as the interior of the…
Read MoreAll leavened products rely to some extent on water-vapour pressure to expand the vesicles or gas bubbles during the latter stages of baking, but some items also utilize the leavening action produced by the rapid buildup of steam as the interior of the…
Read More