Yeast is an important ingredient while making any kind of bread. Be it a pizza base, cinnamon rolls or even a regular loaf of bread, they all need yeast to become soft and fluffy. While there are several types of edible yeast, today we will be talking about the one used specifically for baking purposes. In simple kitchen terms, it is called nutritional yeast.
It is sold in powdery form, which when mixed with water and sugar, gets activated. It creates carbon dioxide bubbles, and when the concoction is mixed in the flour, those bubbles get trapped in it. This results in expansion and causes the dough to rise overtime. Doesn’t it look amazing? This process of rising is called leavening.
Now, in case you do not have yeast while baking, you will be glad to know that there are substitutes which can also make your bread fluffy. Here are three substitutes that you can get your hands on.
Baking Powder
It can be found in any bakers’ kitchen. An absolute must in most recipes, even this creates the leavening effect in dough. It reacts instantly when exposed to heat and liquid, but not to the same extent as yeast.
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Baking soda and acid
Adding any acid in the equal ratio to baking soda can also make your dough fluffy. By acid, we mean lemon juice, buttermilk or diluted vinegar. For exact ratio substitution, use 1 teaspoon baking soda, and 1 teaspoon of acid to replace 2 teaspoons of yeast.
Sourdough starter
The purpose of the starter is to produce a vigorous leaven and to develop the flavour of the bread. This contains naturally occurring yeast. Made from flour and water, it has a slightly tangy flavor from the natural fermentation process. Once fermented in around 5 days, it is a fine substitute for yeast.
So there you go! You can now get your hands to knead some soft dough and become a baker yourself!