Why does yeast make bread and cake dough rise?

Do you remember the healthiest yeast recipe you’ve ever tried?

It could be your mother’s moist cake or the best chocolate cake in the world, and only your grandmother knows the recipe, and there’s nothing better.

It’s hard to choose just one style, but the best ones are those that have been in the family for years.

Every home has its special ingredients and recipes, but when it comes to cakes and breads, there is one unavoidable and common ingredient: yeast.

Containing living organisms called yeast, yeast is nothing more than a microscopic powder of fungus that consumes sugar, producing carbon dioxide and alcohol.

When the dough is heated in the oven, the yeast multiplies and depletes the sugars and starches in the dough.

Thus, the process ends with the release of carbon dioxide, which causes the dough, whether for cake or bread, to rise.

Gluten, another element in the mix, helps the dough rise, allowing the gases created by this reaction to become trapped in the tiny internal cells.

This makes the dough or bread fluffy, soft, and very light.

The second myth is that yeast was discovered by the ancient Egyptians and cultivated by domestic peoples.

Today, most yeast is produced by the dry powder method, which makes the yeast inert.

You just need to add water when preparing the dough, and it will become reusable.

A Great Invention

Common types of yeast include chemical yeast, baking soda, dry yeast, fresh yeast, and natural yeast.

Although they have different names, they all serve the same purpose and work the same way in food preparation.

According to nutritionist Fernanda Marks, yeast serves to give volume, prepare foods, and mainly soften and add shine to doughs.

However, she emphasizes that as each type of yeast has a different composition, each produces different results.

So, knowing each type makes a difference in choosing the best for your diet.

The main types of dough made with organic dry yeast include pizza, bread, donuts, and pastries. It is also known as instant yeast and consists of yeast organisms, fungi, and enzymes.

It can be stored outside the refrigerator and is ideal for making whole wheat flour dough.

Dry yeast is easier to work with when it comes into contact with water and flour.

Thus, it can be mixed with dry curd.

Another difference among the different strains of yeast is the necessity for dough resting due to the activation of microorganisms during the fermentation process.

So, if you’re looking for a quick idea, recipes with dry yeast are not the best choice for fast fermentation.

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Source of information: receitas.globo.com

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