A Wonderleaf question
Why does bread rise?
a real page from the book
Bread rises because yeast feeds on sugars from the flour and gives off carbon dioxide. The dough's stretchy gluten catches that gas in tiny pockets, so the whole lump puffs upward from within as more bubbles gather and press against the dough.
In the oven, heat stops the yeast, but the bubble pattern remains. The dough firms around those air spaces, which is why a slice of bread has a soft crumb instead of being a flat, solid block.
Wonder words
- yeast
- gluten
- carbon
- dough
Try it out
Mix warm water, yeast, and a pinch of sugar in a cup, then watch for foam after ten minutes.
Read the whole picture book
Watercolour scenes, straight answers, about three minutes cover to cover.
Open the picture bookKeep wondering
- Who invented pizza?
- How is chocolate made?
- How did people keep food fresh before refrigerators?
- Why do fruits taste sweeter when they are ripe?
- Why do we cook food?
- How does food turn into energy?
One more wonder: Why is space so dark?
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