On food and cooking the science and lore of the kitchen ( PDFDrive ) 1010

material surrounding them must be elastic enough to contain it for that much time Weak doughs and runny batters can’t hold gas bubbles for more than a few minutes, and are therefore usually raised with a faster-acting gas source This is the role played by chemical leavenings These ingredients are concentrated, and small differences in the amount added can cause large variations in the quality of the finished food Too little leavening will leave it flat and dense, while too much will cause the batter to overexpand and collapse into a coarse structure with a harsh flavor Nearly all chemical leavenings exploit a reaction between certain acidic and alkaline compounds that results in the production of carbon dioxide, the same gas produced by yeast The first chemical leavening was a dried water extract of wood ash — potash, mainly potassium carbonate — which reacts with the lactic acid in a soured dough as follows: 2(C3H6O3) + K2CO3 2(KC3H5O3)+ H2O + CO2(2 molecules of lactic acid plus 1 of potassium carbonate yield 2 molecules of potassium lactate, plus a molecule of water, plus a molecule of carbon dioxide) The Acid Components of Baking Powders Some of these acids are available only to manufacturers Most double-acting supermarket baking powders are a mixture of sodium bicarbonate, MCP, and SAS Single-acting powders omit the SAS, and the MCP is coated to delay its release artificially Leavening Acid Time of Reaction Cream of tartar, Immediately, during tartaric acid mixing Monocalcium Immediately, during ...follows: 2(C3H6O3) + K2CO3 2(KC3H5O3)+ H2O + CO 2(2 molecules of lactic acid plus 1 of potassium carbonate yield 2 molecules of potassium lactate, plus a molecule of water, plus a molecule of carbon dioxide)... plus a molecule of carbon dioxide) The Acid Components of Baking Powders Some of these acids are available only to manufacturers Most double-acting supermarket baking powders are a mixture of sodium bicarbonate, MCP, and SAS... Single-acting powders omit the SAS, and the MCP is coated to delay its release artificially Leavening Acid Time of Reaction Cream of tartar, Immediately, during tartaric acid mixing Monocalcium Immediately, during