What is happening on a molecular level when kneading dough with yeast in it?

Question

I just made pita bread and had to knead it for 10 minutes then let it sit 10 minutes. When I came back to it after those 10 minutes it was all pillowy and soft. I’m curious what’s happening on a molecular level while kneading to make this happen.

In: Chemistry

Answer 1

I’m not a baker, so this is probably grossly oversimplified, but two things come to mind.

First, kneading wheat flour and water together produces gluten. Gluten is a tough protein that enables doughs to be all stretchy without breaking.

Second, kneading with the yeast distributes the yeast throughout the dough. The yeast then consume sugars present in the dough (that you probably added as part of the recipe), producing alcohol and carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide then forms little pockets trapped by the gluten, leavening the dough.