Tag: baking

Aroma Chemistry – Fresh-Baked Bread

Aroma Chemistry – The Smell of Freshly-Baked Bread

Aroma Chemistry – Fresh-Baked Bread
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As we took a look at the complex chemistry of bread-making last week, this week it seemed to make perfect sense to look at some of the chemistry that results from putting the end result of that process into the oven! There are a host of compounds that contribute towards baked bread’s aroma; here we take a look at a selection of them, how they are formed, and what they contribute.

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Baking Bread: The Chemistry of Bread-Making

Infographic on the chemistry of making bread. Mixing flour proteins (glutenin and gliadin) with water forms a gluten network, held together by hydrogen bonds and disulfide crosslinks. Kneading dough strengthens the network. Starch in flour is converted by enzymes into sugars, which are used by the yeast during fermentation. Sugars also participate in flavour-forming browning reactions. Yeast fermentation produces carbon dioxide, bubbles of which cause the bread to rise. Fats weaken the gluten network and give a softer bread. Baking soda produces carbon dioxide during baking, helping bread rise.
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Though chemistry teachers might have to regularly field questions about the chemistry of ‘Breaking Bad’ these days, baking bread is probably more likely to figure on a list of their recreational activities. Bread-making is a process that seems simple, essentially involving the mixing of just four ingredients. However, there’s a lot more chemistry to it than meets the eye; here we delve into the science to work out what’s going on in your loaf.

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