Yeast plays a crucial role in bread making by causing the dough to rise.
The Role of Yeast in Bread Dough
When making bread, a small amount of yeast is added to the dough. This tiny microorganism begins to interact with the ingredients present.
- Fermentation: As stated in the reference, a pinch of yeast is added to the dough while making bread. It ferments the sugar present in the dough to produce alcohol and carbon dioxide. This process is fermentation, where yeast consumes simple sugars in the dough.
- Gas Production: The primary outcome of this fermentation relevant to bread structure is the production of carbon dioxide gas. This gas gets trapped within the elastic network formed by gluten in the dough.
What Happens During Baking
The effects of yeast fermentation become even more pronounced during the baking process:
- Temperature Activation: At the high temperature inside the oven, two key things happen:
- The alcohol produced during fermentation evaporates.
- The carbon dioxide gas expands.
- Dough Rise: The expanding carbon dioxide forms bubbles inside the dough. These bubbles are what cause the dough to expand and rise significantly. This rise gives bread its light, airy texture.
In summary, yeast uses sugar in the dough to create carbon dioxide gas, which then causes the bread to rise during baking.
