Leavening 101 In baking, “Leaven” means to make the dough lighter by adding gas. This gas doesn’t necessarily need to be air, it can also be carbon dioxide, and the gas can be introduced by physical, chemical, and biological methods or, more precisely, leavening agents. Leavening agents work by capturing or producing, and trapping air in batters and doughs. The extent to which they work will define the texture of the baked good. Without those air bubbles trapped in bread, cakes, or cookies, their texture would be unpleasant, tough, and heavy. This article is a preview and part of my newsletter, The Flavor Files – Read the full article on Substack.
