leavening
cooking process
Quick Summary
bread
Leavened dough rising at a bakery.
Leavening is a cooking process that causes doughs and batters to expand, creating a porous structure in baked goods. This expansion is achieved by the release of gases within the mixture.
Common leavening agents include:
- Air: Incorporated through vigorous mixing, often seen in cakes made with whipped egg whites.
- Steam: Utilized in items like puff pastries, where water vapor pressure causes swelling during baking.
- Yeast: A biological agent that ferments sugars, releasing carbon dioxide gas and contributing to flavor. This is fundamental for most breads and rolls.
- Chemical Leavening Agents: These include baking soda and baking powder. Baking soda reacts with acidic ingredients, while baking powder contains both a base and an acid that react when mixed with liquid and heated, releasing carbon dioxide.1234
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