The Science Behind Yeast and How It Makes Bread Rise
Yeast — whether from packets, jars, or cakes sold at stores, or even from a starter you’ve prepared at home — is essential to bread making.
And yes, it is alive, even if it is sold dried.
What Is Yeast?
(Image credit: Melissa Ryan)
Yeasts are small, single-celled organisms that feed off of simple sugars, breaking them down into carbon dioxide, alcohol (ethanol, specifically), flavor molecules, and energy.
The process is referred to as fermentation.
Carbon Dioxide Helps Bread Rise
Carbon dioxide is one of the major gases responsible for leavening in baking.
Source: The Science Behind Yeast and How It Makes Bread Rise — We’ve Got Chemistry | The Kitchn
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