The CHEMISTRY in baking cinnamon rolls

Steffanie Tuft
Salt Lake Community College
Spring 2020 – Chem 1010-301-831-Sp20

We all love the smell of freshly baked cinnamon rolls but do any of us really know the chemistry behind
those savory treats? Cinnamon rolls go through several chemical reactions throughout the process of
making them from scratch. The definition of a chemical reaction is; a reaction in which reactants come
together to absorb energy producing a product, or new substance, in this case the reactant are the
ingredients we use to make cinnamon rolls and the heat absorbed produces the new substance. To
begin we need to add yeast with warm milk and set aside to activate the yeast, than we add the yeast to
our butter, sugar, and salt mixture, this process is called fermentation, yeast is a living single-celled
organism that feeds off of simple sugars, breaking them down into carbon dioxide, alcohol, flavor
molecules and energy. Carbon dioxide is expelled as the yeast feeds off simple sugars, as the dough
rises, and proofs carbon dioxide is formed causing the dough to double in size. Another thing that is
made when yeast breaks down glucose is alcohol (ethanol), carbon dioxide and alcohol are broken down
into equal parts, for every glucose molecule two molecules of carbon dioxide and two molecules of
alcohol are formed, at room temperature the alcohol is in liquid form but when baked the alcohol
begins to evaporate transforming into gas bubbles that contribute to the bread rising in the oven, The
scientific equation for this is C6H12O6 2 CH3CH2OH + 2 CO2 meaning Sugar (glucose or fructose) alcohol
(ethanol) + carbon dioxide. In other words, yeast eats sugar and gives off alcohol and carbon dioxide.
Another thing yeast develops in this process is gluten, gluten traps the bubbles of gas helping the dough
to be light and fluffy.
After the dough is raised it is rolled out to form the cinnamon roll shape, different things are
added to make it more flavorful like cinnamon sugar and raisins or pecans etc… once they are
rolled out and spread out onto a pan they are left to raise for a second time, this results in a
finer gluten structure and prevents huge gapping air holes from forming.

The final step in this process is the baking and as mentioned before the baking has its own
chemical reaction, since the ingredients will absorb heat energy it will be an endothermic
reaction which means, heat is absorbed from its environment giving the absorbed energy the
activation energy it needs for the reaction to occur. The proof that the chemical change is
taking place is that the soft doughy mixture is now reacting with the heat and causing it to
bubble, stiffen, and raise. Another proof, and probably the most enticing, is the aroma the
chemical change gives off letting us know that they are going to be a sweet and savory treat.
Top them off with a cream cheese or butter cream frosting and you are in for an amazing
chemical reaction of you own.
 Bibliography

https://www.thekitchn.com/the-science-behind-yeast-and-how-it-makes-bread-rise-226483

https://prezi.com/pdo4_il4lxzk/chemical-reaction-1-yeast-fermentation/

https://moleculargastronomychemicalreactions.weebly.com/blog/cinnamon-scrolls-chemical-reaction-
caramelisation