Something to chew at

http://www.applepiepatispate.com/bread/peter-reinharts-french-bread/

Something that was introduced to me today whilst I studied away my youth: the key to why bread is fluffy and delicious or firm and thoughtfully chewy is in understanding anaerobic respiration.  That's right folks, no need to cheer, it's all a day's work in the wondrous world of science.

Anaerobic respiration is a fancy phrase for the common task that bacteria and muscle cells undertake in order to create adenosine triphosphate (ATP for short), which stores energy we need to perform cellular processes. In addition to ATP, the process yields pyruvic acid.  In order to disperse the acidic nature of this compound, something miraculously scientific happens.

Let's backtrack: The process happens in our lump of dough because of a fairly important ingredient: yeast.  Yeast, a protist, can undergo anaerobic respiration, but after the first phase (glycosis, which yields pyruvic acid and ATP), it must complete its alcoholic fermentation, transforming the materials provided into ethanol and carbon dioxide. And what helpful ingredient put the idea and enthusiasm into the yeast?  Sugar!  Sugar provides energy for yeast to undergo anaerobic respiration!  And that is the secret.  Carbon dioxide bubbles created by deliberately positioned and suffocated yeast trapped in a blob of dough (often under a cheesecloth seal) just trying to get some sweet anaerobic respiration up in that joint.

Nothing better than our lovely carbohydrate staple, except maybe our friendly kitchen organism yeast!