Leavener History

The earliest form of leavening in ancient times was a type of yeast, or breadmash, devised by the Egyptians. The yeast was mixed with a type of flour made from ground nuts. Other ingredients and spices were added to make a raised bread.

This same type of yeast leavening has been used throughout the centuries. Housewives had to make their own yeast by mixing water, flour, potato, salt and sugar into a slurry, which stood at mild heat while yeast cells from the air fell into the mixture and started to generate. A "starter" of this type of yeast could also be kept on the back of the stove for continual use. Although the homemade yeast gave food a desirable flavor and tender crust, this method was slow and had inconsistent results. There was a continuing search for a better, faster and more consistent leavening method.

In the 1800s it was discovered that bicarbonate of soda would create carbon dioxide gas in the presence of certain acids. Housewives could make their own chemical leavening formula (baking powder) from baking soda and sour milk or buttermilk. The leavening reaction was faster, yet somewhat undependable. The majority of leavening gas was released when mixed with ingredients in bowl (bench stage), and very little was released during baking. The finished product was not consistent, and many times had some discoloration.

Then in the 1850s a crude type of monocalcium phosphate acid was successfully used with fairly good results. Sixty to 70% of the leavening action was released in contact with moisture (bench stage) and the rest during baking. The cost was much less than that of cream of tartar, and the end product was pleasing to the palate. One difficulty with this early mixture was the fact that most of the leavening occurred during the bench period and could be lost with too much handling. Many refinements to the early monocalcium phosphate have been made over the years, and this acid phosphate remains one of the staples in baking powder today.

In 1885 sodium aluminum sulphate was discovered. This acid ingredient caused the release of carbon dioxide only when heat was applied. This in itself was not desirable for consistent leavening, but when combined with other acid phosphates it made possible a consistent leavening action (1) during the mixing (bench) stage and (2) when heat is applied.

Continual refinements and laboratory testing throughout the years have made possible the dependable, quality leavening products we use today.

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