Baking & Snack - June 2017 - 61

FORMULATION
Chemical Leavening

rising to the
Chemical leaveners help bakers
manage volume, but there is
much more in the balance.
by Donna Berry

Consumers expect most baked goods to have some degree of volume. This lift, also known as leavening, involves the entrapment of air, which causes the dough or
batter to rise and lighten up. Without leavening, baked
goods are dense, often hard, masses only palatable when
consumed in a thin format, such as with flatbread and
matzo.
There are three categories of leaveners. The first includes some of the basic baking ingredients, such as
butter, eggs, milk powders and syrups, which by their
molecular composition help create a rise by forming a
matrix that entraps air. These ingredients typically work
in combination with a more powerful leavener, which is
either biological (yeast, sourdough starter, etc.) or chemical (baking powder, baking soda, etc.).
There are several considerations when deciding on the
appropriate leavening system. This includes process, distribution and sensory characteristics. "Yeast imparts a defined flavor profile, and in sweet goods such as cakes and
muffins, this is undesirable," said Michelle Briggs, vicepresident technical and marketing, Kudos Blends.
Yeast and starter cultures are living systems that can
be challenging to control. Baked goods leavened by such

a biological means require additional time and even a
modified temperature space - a proofing box or room
- to allow for growth. It's also an immediate process,
whereas the microorganisms grow, produce carbon dioxide and then get baked.
Chemical leaveners, on the other hand, allow for controlled release of carbon dioxide during the resting and
baking phases of production. This can be carefully manipulated to produce the best volume in baked goods.
"Yeast fermentation takes time," said Sharon Book,
senior food technologist-bakery, ICL Food Specialties.
"Chemical leavening is much faster. It is very versatile and
lends itself to both lean and rich formulas as well use in
bakery mixes, refrigerated and frozen doughs, and baked
goods for retail and foodservice."
Robert Mason, technical development managerencapsulates and inclusions, SensoryEffects, a division
of Balchem, said yeast tends to make gas bubbles, which
then expand, whereas chemical leavening tends to make
many smaller bubbles. "This can make for a softer crumb
structure and mouthfeel," Mr. Mason said.

Baked goods from brownies to
bread require proper volume
and chemical leaveners
offer more ways to meet and
exceed expectations than
ever before.
Matsutani America

Timing is key
Chemical leavening involves the combining of an acid
with a base, which when activated, produces carbon dioxide. Sodium bicarbonate, also known as baking soda,
is typically the base; however, potassium bicarbonate
is increasingly being used to assist with total sodium
reduction.
"It is key to consider the process and when the gas
should be released," Ms. Briggs said. "The bicarbonate
functions only as a gas source. It is the acidic components
that control the rate at which the gas is released."

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