Yeast Substitutes- Kitchen Chemistry

Alhamdulilah after a year of bread making I am learning so much mashaAllah!!

Thanks to the awesome sisters on facebook I learned about soaking my flour, but that's for another post.

A lot of people have asked us about why we make no yeast breads. This is our taste preference, we think it makes a great tasting sandwich bread. It's not as fluffy and big like yeast breads but we enjoy them. Yes sometimes we make yeast breads too, we tend to switch it up every now and then. Our favorite will always be a yeast free bread.

If you are not using yeast then there are several substitutes that I have learned and tried personally.. when using a yeast free substitute there is no need for rise time, as you would have for a yeast bread.

Are you ready for some kitchen chemistry? Take out your apron and recipe book... yes you should have one of those :) inshaAllah and let's run down a few ways you can make a yeast free bread:

1.) Baking powder- Baking powder is ready to go, there are aluminum free baking powders and they do not need anything to make it react.  Baking powder contains baking soda and an acid inside. You just add enough that would cover the amount of yeast needed in the bread recipe. It is said a little is needed to help dough rise once it is in the oven

2.) Baking Soda- Unlike its baking powder brother, it does need a reactor that is acidic to help it activate. When you use this method, it is the last ingredient added with its acidic mate.

What acidic mates could you use?

Lemon juice- equal parts baking soda and lemon juice .. When baking soda combines with the acidic lemon juice, it creates carbon dioxide bubbles that helps the dough to rise! Woo hoo!

Vinegar- equal parts baking soda and vinegar --- no this does not change the taste in our breads, as far as making the breads taste like lemon or vinegar mashaAllah

Once you add these ingredients in, place in the oven right away... remember no rise time needed :) and always add the substitute last.

No lemon juice or vinegar?

Buttermilk works with reacting the baking soda

and if you do not have buttermilk substitute it with : yogurt and milk.. mix 3/4 cup plain yogurt with 1/4 cup milk

MashaAllah I have tried every combination mentioned and it works for us, our breads are good mashaAllah. If you ever run out of yeast or want to try something different then inshaAllah consider using one of these substitutes for yeast.