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leaven |
Also found in: Wikipedia, Hutchinson | 0.07 sec. |
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leaven (lĕv`ən), agent used to raise bread or other flour foods. Physical leavens include water vapor, which is released as steam at high temperatures (as in popovers), and air, which is incorporated by beating. Chemical leaven (baking powder and baking soda) and biological leavens (yeasts and certain bacteria) raise the mixture by the formation of carbon dioxide gas, which is expanded by heat. Some of the earliest leavens were barm, a yeast of fermenting malt liquor, and sourdough, a portion saved from a mass of dough as a starter for the next batch. leaven 1. any substance that produces fermentation in dough or batter, such as yeast, and causes it to rise 2. a piece of such a substance kept to ferment a new batch of dough How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content. |
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| Baking ammonia, an old-fashioned leavening agent and predecessor to today's baking soda and baking powder, is also known as ammonium carbonate. Try substituting 1/4-cup of silken firm tofu for one egg as a leavening agent when baking. What makes the breads quick is that most rely on leavening agents such as baking powder and baking soda for their rising action. |
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