Leavening Agent

These are the key

ingredients which make our
cakes and other baked
dishes soft and fluffy.
Without this
wonderful ingredient, we
would never have our cakes
and pastriesas spongy & soft
to the touch. Some of the
leaving agents are biological
whereas others are chemical
leaveners. There are also
some mechanical leavening
techniques available.
 Most common
leavening agents
Function of Leavening
Agents
Leavening agents are added to
the batter before the dish is
prepared or baked. The
batter must be left for some
time for the leavening agent to
act on it and produce the
‘raised’ results.
The basic work of any
leavening agent is to create a
foaming action which lightens
and softens the batter.
Leavening agents create air
pockets into the batter by
producing a gas. This makes
the batter to rise & become
fluffy. Often, the gas
produced by the leavening
agents is either carbon dioxide
or hydrogen.
 Before & After
the rise
Types of leavening agents
used in baking
BIOLOGICAL LEAVENING
AGENTS:
Biological leavening agents
are the ones which involve the
use of some harmless micro-
 organisms in the process of
leavening. Yeast or
Saccharomyces Cerevisiae
species is one such agent
which produces carbon
dioxide when added into food.
 Baker’s Yeast – Yeast
Leavening
It refers to the various strains
of yeast which are used in
baking of bread and other
bakery products. The primary
function of yeast is to convert
fermentable sugars present in
the dough into carbon dioxide
and ethanol. Baker’s Yeast is
activated by adding it to a
warm sugar water solution.
The water must be warm &
not too hot (which could kill
the yeast) or too cold (which
would not help in activating
the deactivated yeast) Yeast
growth can be slowed down or
stopped using salt or some
fats.
 Baker’s
Yeast
 Beer
The most popular drink in the
world after water and tea is
formed by the fermentation of
starches mainly derived from
cereal grains. Beer is also used
as a leavening agent due to the
presence of carbon dioxide in it.
 Adding beer to batter
 Ginger Beer
It is a carbonated drink
available as an alcoholic and
non-alcoholic beverage. It is
prepared by the natural
fermentation of ginger, yeast
 and sugar. It can be used in
baking and other dishes
involving leavening due to the
presence of carbon dioxide in it.

Ginger Beer
 Kefir
Kefir also called as Milk Kefir
or Bulgaros is a fermented milk
drink which is made using kefir
“grains”. Mildly intoxicating,
this sour, carbonated drink is
similar in taste to thin yogurt.
Due to the presence of lactic
acid bacteria and yeast, Kefir
can be used as a good leavening
agent in cooking and baking.

Kefir Grains
 Sourdough Starter
It is a form of bread made by
the fermentation of dough using
naturally occurring lactobacilli
and yeast. It is mixed with flour
to give the effect of leavening.
The action of sourdough starters
is slower than baker’s yeast and
is generally not suitable for use
in a bread machine.
Sourdough Starter
CHEMICAL LEAVENING
AGENTS:
Chemical leaveners are made
up with mixtures or
compounds that release gases
when they react with each
other, with moisture or with
heat. Most leavening agents
are a combination of a salt of
bicarbonate and an acid. The
reaction of this acid and salt
leaves behind a chemical salt.
Chemical leaveners are used
in cooking that requires a
quick fermentation effect such
as in breads and cakes. Most
 common chemical leavening
agents are:
 Baking Powder
It is a fine white substance
which reacts in the presence
of liquid and heat, releasing
carbon dioxide. Baking
powder has a built in acid
that activates it.

 Baking Soda
Also called as Bicarbonate of
Soda or Sodium Bicarbonate,
a fine white powder consisting
of a mixture of alkaline salts.
It is manufactured by adding
carbon dioxide to huge vats of
water containing sodium
chloride and ammonia. When
the resultant sodium
bicarbonate settles at the
bottom, it is filtered, washed
in cold water, dried and
ground to a fine powder.
Baking Soda needs an acidic
ingredient to activate it like
molasses, honey, fruit/fruit
 juice, lemon juice, yoghurt
etc.

Baking Soda & Baking

Powder
NATURAL LEAVENING
AGENTS:
 Steam
Steam can be used as
leavening agents for cooking
that is done at very high
temperatures. The batter
must be capable of holding in
the steam until it is set. Steam
gives the effect of leavening as
it expands upon heating. This
way of cooking is generally
applied in popovers and
Yorkshire puddings.
 Piercing a Popover to allow
the steam to escape
 Air
Air is another leavening agent
that can be incorporated by
 beating the batter thoroughly
with Mechanical leavening
agents. The trapped air
expands upon heating.

Incorporating
air by beating
PHYSICAL/MECHANICAL
LEAVENING AGENTS:
 Creaming
Creaming is also a leavening
process where the sugar
crystals are beaten together
with solid fat. The sugar
crystals cut through the
structure of the fat integrating
tiny air bubbles into the
mixture. This process of
leavening is mainly done in
cookies.

Creaming
Butter & Sugar
 Whipping or Whisking
Whipping or Whisking is also
a process of leavening where
cream or egg whites are
whisked vigorously to create a
foaming action. This process
is usually done in the making
of sponge cakes.