Talk:Leavening agent

Nitrous oxide
Why is Nitrous Oxide listed as a Leavening Agent? First of all, how can you add a gas that causes gas bubbles to makes the dough rise? Second, how can you safely add a flammable gas to dough and then put it in the oven (and survive the experience)?

I'm removing it and leaving it to anyone that can cite a reference (which I can't find) to add it again.
 * I'm not sure that Nitrous Oxide is flammable in itself. It just provides an oxidiser.  As for leavening, I wouldn't use it for bread, but it is used to turn flat cream into whipped cream when it is dispensed from hair cream cans.  I don't think that is technically 'leavening', though. --Mdwyer 20:50, 20 November 2006 (UTC)

Which Potassium?
Pearlash links to potassium carbonate, not bi-carbonate. Which is correct? --Mdwyer 20:50, 20 November 2006 (UTC)
 * potassium bicarbonate (a.k.a., potash or Pearlash)
 * I went ahead and separated them. It looks like both forms were used. --Mdwyer 20:53, 20 November 2006 (UTC)

Pesticide?
Since when is 'pesticide' a leavening agent?

Leavening which isn't Leavening
Creams such as whipped cream from a can are not doughs or batters, and hence foaming them does not fall under the category of leavening agent.
 * That's probably true, but you also removed the section on 'creaming', which describes a process for making leavening work better. I reverted the whole thing. --Mdwyer 03:51, 31 January 2007 (UTC)

''According to the definition of Leavening, mechanically adding bubbles is not leavening. The definition says a leavening agent PRODUCES GAS (as yeast, or baking powder)''
 * Air is not a gas? I do see your point, though.  Would you consider rewording that section?  Something along the lines of "While not technically leavening, there are other methods for creating foams." --Mdwyer 03:51, 31 January 2007 (UTC)

History of it all
It would really nice to know the food history behind the use of these leavening agents. I'm assuming that yeast has been used for thousands of years to make bread, and alcohol. However, when did sodium bicarbonate start to be used by the common person? And by whom? The Egyptians? The Chinese? The Irish with their soda bread? When was baking powder invented? When did commercial baking start using non-yeast leavening? There seems to be a general bias at wiki on the present. However, people consult encyclopedias to learn about subjects in their entirety--a great deal of which is their history of discovery, use, etc. The PAST is important too. We all know that baking soda and powder are used NOW. Millions of people don't have to log on to wiki to know their names and uses. However, the history of their use is not commonly known. Perhaps a food historian could add a paragraph or two to several of the individual leavening agent articles. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.210.85.164 (talk) 18:58, 1 October 2007 (UTC)


 * I hope to work on this article over the holiday, but if I don't a great reasource for all that information is On Food and Cooking by Harold McGee. I am also thinking the artilce should be more about the process of leavening and will suggest a page move from Leavening agent to Leavening once I start working on this.-- Birgitte  SB  15:34, 15 December 2007 (UTC)


 * There really is a need for some history in this article! Skaal - Williamborg (Bill) 23:27, 19 November 2011 (UTC)