- Yeast
- Fermentation
- Sourdough Starter
- Leavening Agent
- Emulsifiers
- Whole-wheat Flour
- Refined Flour
- Concluding Note
7 Bread Related Terms You Should Know!
The bread universe has a wide range of varieties of bread and to keep a track of all the varieties a basic knowledge of a few terms is required. These terms will help you to understand what type of bread is best suitable for you. We challenge you to remember all 7 terms till the end of the blog.
Let’s see if you can succeed.
Yeast
Scientifically, from the perspective of the bread-making process, Yeast is a leavening agent that converts large starch molecules into simple sugars that in turn get converted into alcohol and Co2 gas. Co2 gets trapped in the areolar space of the dough to make it rise.
Simply, Yeast is an ingredient that makes the bread rise.
Fermentation
There are two ways to explain this, one scientific complex method and one simple short method, which one do you prefer?
Well, simply, fermentation from the bread-making perspective is the process where a leavening agent is left in the dough mixture that causes the dough to rise due to the release of CO2 gas.
Sourdough Starter
A sourdough starter is an alternative to the commercial yeast that is used to bake sourdough bread. A sourdough starter is made up of three ingredients: water, flour, and wild yeast present in the air. To make this sourdough starter you will easily need 6-12 days depending upon the process.
Leavening Agent
A leavening agent is an ingredient that is used in the dough-making process of the bread to make it rise. A common leavening agent is baker’s yeast. Some other leaving agents include air, steam, baking powder, and baking soda.
Emulsifiers
Emulsifiers are chemical compounds added to the dough to increase its volume. Emulsifiers increase the number of gas cells which in turn accommodate a larger volume of CO2 resulting in a much larger dough.
There are two types of emulsifiers present in the market:
Type |
Example |
Use |
Dough Strengtheners |
diacetyl tartaric acid esters (E472e) and sodium or calcium stearoyl-2-lactylate (E481, E482)) |
This type of emulsifier makes the dough stronger. Use of this emulsifier results in better texture and volume of the dough. |
Dough Softeners |
mono- and di-glycerides of fatty acids (E471) |
softer crumb structure and increased shelf-life. |
Whole-Wheat flour:
Whole wheat flour is a type of flour made by grains with all three layers, viz. Bran, endosperm, germ. It is more healthy than refined flour as it contains more fiber, vitamins, and protein than the latter.
Refined Flour:
For the Indian audience, Refined Flour is a vilayti or fancy name for maida. Refined flour is made after ripping all the fiber and nutritious value of the grain. Problems associated with refined flour/maida include:
- Weight gain
- Rise in blood sugar level
- Indigestion
- Cardiovascular Problems
Concluding Note:
Who knew that a simple bread can become so huge in itself that we will be learning terms related to bread? Crazy, isn’t it? But, now that you have read about all the seven basic terms related to the bread universe, try reading this blog and see if you can understand this blog.
If you want to enter our bread universe, this blog is a good start. We hope this blog helped you in one way or another.
Happy Healthy Shopping!
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