Science behind baking is as interesting as the art of baking itself. What causes breads and cakes to rise has been a topic of research for many. In the baking jargon, rising is often called leavening and the agents that help this are called leavening agents or leaveners. It is important to have a good understanding of these rising agents as it affects the rise and eventually the texture of the cake. Through this write up, I have tried to give some insight into the natural and chemical leavening agents used in baking. The objective is to understand :
- the role of the leveaning agents in baking
- the leaveners that are available
- how to choose the correct rising agent depending upon what is to be baked
- the amount to be used and
- what other ingredients do they need to be paired with
