Why Does Dough Puff Up When You Bake It? (2024)

FAQs

Why Does Dough Puff Up When You Bake It? ›

The carbon dioxide gas released by the process of fermentation gets trapped in the sticky, elastic dough, causing it to “puff up" or rise. This can take a while, though, which is why you need patience when you're baking bread! Likewise, the ethyl alcohol produced gives the bread its unique smell and taste.

When you add yeast to water and flour to create dough, it eats up the sugars in the flour and excretes carbon dioxide gas and ethanol — this process is called fermentation. The gluten in the dough traps the carbon dioxide gas, preventing it from escaping. The only place for it to go is up, and so the bread rises.

As you probably know, bread 'rises' because of tiny bubbles of CO2 made by the yeast. When you put bread in the oven, you want these bubbles to expand from being heated up. This is actually the last stage of rising. It's called the 'spring', and it can make bread as much as 20% larger, so also lighter and spongier.

The yeast reproduces rapidly in the dough. It ferments the sugar present in the dough into carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide fills the dough and causes it to increase in volume. This makes the dough rise and the bread thus appears spongy.

underproof dough will spring back completely correctly, proof will spring back slowly and only halfway, and overproof dough won't spring back at all. after baking, the underproof dough will be dense and deformed. while the dough that was ready will be fluffy and light. and the overproof dough will be flat and deflated.

When dough puffs up, it's because there are air bubbles trapped within it and with nowhere to go, the dough is forced to puff. Docking the dough gives this air room to escape and so, it doesn't stay in the crust. Many restaurant owners think they can't dock their frozen pizza dough, since it is frozen.

Now, recover the bowl and let the dough sit, covered, for another rise at a comfortable room temperature. Then, uncover and deflate it again, as before, and turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. The dough is now ready to be shaped.

Rather than do that, I would look to extending fermentation if your dough isn't rising quickly. Or just go ahead and bake your bread. Accept that you did the best you could that day, and try again tomorrow.

The carbon dioxide gas released by the process of fermentation gets trapped in the sticky, elastic dough, causing it to “puff up" or rise. This can take a while, though, which is why you need patience when you're baking bread! Likewise, the ethyl alcohol produced gives the bread its unique smell and taste.

Does dough expand in the oven? ›

The moist, warm environment makes dough rise faster than simply letting it sit on the counter. The humidity inside the oven will keep the dough from drying out while rising.

If a dough ferments too long or is too warm, it can quickly overproof and degrade its structure, resulting in a poor rise in the oven.

Dough development takes place during the mixing process to convert the flour proteins into a gluten matrix that has the elasticity to allow the bubbles to expand in later stages. Gases are generated by yeast action and/or chemical leavening agents to expand the bubbles and create the desired aerated bread structure.

Brush With Butter

Butter contains fats that retain gases during baking, ensuring the dough rises properly in the oven and softening the crust. If you forget to brush the dough before you bake, you can still apply it as soon as you take it out. The butter will minimize the amount of crisping a loaf will do as it cools.

Overproofed is when the dough has rested too long and the yeast has continued making carbon dioxide while the strength of the dough (gluten bonds) have begun to wear out. The dough will look very puffy, but when you touch it or move it you may notice it deflate or sag.

The baker's yeast enzyme maltase converts maltose into glucose, invertase converts any added sucrose to glucose and fructose, and zymase converts glucose and fructose to carbon dioxide gas which makes the dough rise, and alcohol which gives the baked bread flavor.

A leavening agent is a substance that causes dough to expand by releasing gas once mixed with liquid, acid or heat. Rising agents give baked goods optimal volume, texture and crumb and can include baking soda or baking powder, whipped egg whites or cream, active or instant dry yeast, and even steam.

Increasing the temperature and moisture can help activate the yeast in the dough so it rises. You can also try adding more yeast. Open a new packet of yeast and mix 1 teaspoon (3 g) of it with 1 cup (240 mL) of warm water and 1 tablespoon (13 g) of sugar. Let the yeast mixture proof for 10 minutes.

preheating your oven just until it reaches about 90°F and turning it off will create a nice warm environment for your dough. You can also put hot water in a heat-safe dish and place it on the floor of a cold oven (or on a lower shelf).