Uploaded May 2025 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Few things stir the senses quite like a loaf of perfectly baked bread. From its irresistible aroma to the crackle of the crust, every detail builds anticipation for that first glorious bite. Yet, a closer look at a slice reveals a surprising truth: bread is predominantly air. In fact, a baked loaf typically consists of 75% to 85% gas by volume, depending on the bread variety. So, our bread is essentially full of bubbles! In this video, we examine the science of bubbles in our bread dough, following them on a journey from their chaotic beginning during mixing to its final form in our delicious bread. Watch the video for more!
#bread #bubbles
Chapters
0:00 Opening
0:36 Introduction
1:26 At the very beginning
3:29 Nucleation sites
5:34 Disproportionation
6:39 Coalescense
14:17 Summary
15:02 Application
1. Sun, Xinyang, et al. "The entrainment and evolution of gas bubbles in bread dough—A review." Cereal Chemistry 100.5 (2023): 1031-1047.
2. Bogdan Dobraszczyk, 2024. Not all bubbles are equal: bread texture and the science of baking, Food Science and Technology, Volume 38, Issue 4, December 2024, Pages 40–43
3. Romano, Annalisa, et al. "2D structural imaging study of bubble evolution during leavening." Food Research International 50.1 (2013): 324-329.
4. Mills, E. N. C., et al. "Bubble formation and stabilization in bread dough." Food and bioproducts
5. Chiotellis, E., and Grant M. Campbell. "Proving of bread dough II: measurement of gas production and retention." Food and bioproducts processing 81.3 (2003): 207-216.
6. Wilde, P. "Foam formation in dough and bread quality." Breadmaking. Woodhead Publishing, 2012. 370-399.
7. Chiotellis, E., and Grant M. Campbell. "Proving of bread dough I: modelling the evolution of the bubble size distribution." Food and Bioproducts Processing 81.3 (2003): 194-206.
8. Dobraszczyk, B. J. "The physics of baking: rheological and polymer molecular structure–function relationships in breadmaking." Journal of Non-Newtonian Fluid Mechanics 124.1-3 (2004): 61-69.
9. Dobraszczyk, B. J., and M. P. Morgenstern. "Rheology and the breadmaking process." Journal of cereal Science 38.3 (2003): 229-245.
10. Chakrabarti-Bell, Sumana, Shuo Wang, and Kadambot HM Siddique. "Flour quality and disproportionation of bubbles in bread doughs." Food research international 64 (2014): 587-597.
11. Chevallier, Sylvie, Rubén Zúñiga, and Alain Le-Bail. "Assessment of bread dough expansion during fermentation." Food and bioprocess technology 5 (2012): 609-617.
12. Peighambardoust, S. H., et al. "Aeration of bread dough influenced by different way of processing." Journal of cereal science 51.1 (2010): 89-95.
13. van Vliet, Ton. "Strain hardening as an indicator of bread-making performance: A review with discussion." Journal of Cereal Science 48.1 (2008): 1-9.
14. Van Vliet, T., et al. "Strain hardening of dough as a requirement for gas retention." Journal of texture studies 23.4 (1992): 439-460.
15. Breadmaking: Improving Quality. 2nd Edition. 2012. Edited by Stanley P. Cauvain
16. Gan, Z., P. R. Ellis, and J. D. Schofield. "Mini review: Gas cell stabilization and gas retention in wheat bread dough." Journal of Cereal Science 21.3 (1995): 215-230.
Few things stir the senses quite like a loaf of perfectly baked bread. From its irresistible aroma to the crackle of the crust, every detail builds anticipation for that first glorious bite. Yet, a closer look at a slice reveals a surprising truth: bread is predominantly air. In fact, a baked loaf typically consists of 75% to 85% gas by volume, depending on the bread variety. So, our bread is essentially full of bubbles! In this video, we examine the science of bubbles in our bread dough, following them on a journey from their chaotic beginning during mixing to its final form in our delicious bread. Watch the video for more!
#bread #bubbles
Chapters
0:00 Opening
0:36 Introduction
1:26 At the very beginning
3:29 Nucleation sites
5:34 Disproportionation
6:39 Coalescense
14:17 Summary
15:02 Application
1. Sun, Xinyang, et al. "The entrainment and evolution of gas bubbles in bread dough—A review." Cereal Chemistry 100.5 (2023): 1031-1047.
2. Bogdan Dobraszczyk, 2024. Not all bubbles are equal: bread texture and the science of baking, Food Science and Technology, Volume 38, Issue 4, December 2024, Pages 40–43
3. Romano, Annalisa, et al. "2D structural imaging study of bubble evolution during leavening." Food Research International 50.1 (2013): 324-329.
4. Mills, E. N. C., et al. "Bubble formation and stabilization in bread dough." Food and bioproducts
5. Chiotellis, E., and Grant M. Campbell. "Proving of bread dough II: measurement of gas production and retention." Food and bioproducts processing 81.3 (2003): 207-216.
6. Wilde, P. "Foam formation in dough and bread quality." Breadmaking. Woodhead Publishing, 2012. 370-399.
7. Chiotellis, E., and Grant M. Campbell. "Proving of bread dough I: modelling the evolution of the bubble size distribution." Food and Bioproducts Processing 81.3 (2003): 194-206.
8. Dobraszczyk, B. J. "The physics of baking: rheological and polymer molecular structure–function relationships in breadmaking." Journal of Non-Newtonian Fluid Mechanics 124.1-3 (2004): 61-69.
9. Dobraszczyk, B. J., and M. P. Morgenstern. "Rheology and the breadmaking process." Journal of cereal Science 38.3 (2003): 229-245.
10. Chakrabarti-Bell, Sumana, Shuo Wang, and Kadambot HM Siddique. "Flour quality and disproportionation of bubbles in bread doughs." Food research international 64 (2014): 587-597.
11. Chevallier, Sylvie, Rubén Zúñiga, and Alain Le-Bail. "Assessment of bread dough expansion during fermentation." Food and bioprocess technology 5 (2012): 609-617.
12. Peighambardoust, S. H., et al. "Aeration of bread dough influenced by different way of processing." Journal of cereal science 51.1 (2010): 89-95.
13. van Vliet, Ton. "Strain hardening as an indicator of bread-making performance: A review with discussion." Journal of Cereal Science 48.1 (2008): 1-9.
14. Van Vliet, T., et al. "Strain hardening of dough as a requirement for gas retention." Journal of texture studies 23.4 (1992): 439-460.
15. Breadmaking: Improving Quality. 2nd Edition. 2012. Edited by Stanley P. Cauvain
16. Gan, Z., P. R. Ellis, and J. D. Schofield. "Mini review: Gas cell stabilization and gas retention in wheat bread dough." Journal of Cereal Science 21.3 (1995): 215-230.
