Leavening - Meaning, Definition & English Examples
Leavening is a substance, such as yeast or baking powder, used to make dough rise by producing gas bubbles. It creates lightness and texture in baked goods like bread and cakes.
Definition:
A substance used to make dough rise, or the process of lightening or enlivening something.
Synonyms:
yeast, ferment, raising agent, lightening, enlivening
Part of Speech:
noun, verb
Antonyms:
flattening, weighing down
Common Collocations:
baking powder, bread dough, cake batter, sourdough starter
Derivatives:
leaven, leavened
Usage Tips:
Use "leavening" to describe agents like yeast or actions that lighten mood or texture in cooking and conversation.
Common Phrases:
leavening agent, leavening effect, a touch of leavening
Etymology:
From Old French "levain," meaning "yeast," derived from Latin "levamen," meaning "alleviation."
Examples:
- 1. The baker added leavening to the dough for fluffy bread.
- 2. Her humor acted as leavening in the tense meeting.
- 3. Without proper leavening, the cake will be dense and flat.
- 4. Natural leavening takes longer but enhances flavor in sourdough bread.