Are foods containing yeast likely to cause stomach problems? Which is better for making dough, yeast or baking soda? Fortunately, I found out today.

Expert of this article: Pa Lize, Chief Physician of Nutrition, Science Popularization Committee Member of Chinese Nutrition Society

When you think of yeast foods, what’s your first thought?

Bread? Steamed buns or...

Many people cannot live without yeast foods and must have cakes and desserts every day.

Of course, there are also some sayings on the Internet: eating foods containing yeast frequently can easily cause stomach problems. Is this true or false?

Let’s understand the real situation together…

Is it easy to get stomach problems if you often eat foods containing yeast?

Yeast is the common name for yeast, which is a microorganism that was used by humans relatively early.

Since ancient times, Chinese people have used yeast to make wine and condiments, and families use old dough containing yeast (dough starter, yeast) to make dough for steamed buns, dumplings, naan, etc.

Yeast powder has been rapidly popularized in households and the catering industry around the world since its initial use due to its strong fermentation effect and easy transportation and storage.

Because it is industrially produced yeast, many people are worried that the yeast in staple foods that are consumed very frequently will hurt the stomach and cause stomach pain and other discomfort symptoms.

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Yeast powder is affordable and, more importantly, compared with traditional "dough starter", it has a shorter fermentation time and produces less acid. The yeast's composition and fermentation process give food more nutrition and reduce the gastrointestinal burden.

For example, at a temperature of 25 to 30 degrees, yeast will use the carbohydrates in the dough to grow and reproduce, and decompose maltose and glucose to produce a large amount of carbon dioxide gas, causing the gluten to expand and form a loose texture. At the same time, fermentation will also decompose the phytic acid in the flour that affects the absorption of dietary iron, making it easier for people to obtain trace elements.

From this we can see that eating foods containing yeast regularly will not hurt the stomach, but will greatly improve the digestion and absorption of nutrients in the diet.

Will eating yeast-fermented steamed bread frequently cause high uric acid and gout?

Long-term intake of high-purine diet is a high-risk factor for hyperuricemia and gout. Generally, diets are divided into three categories: high-purine, medium-purine and low-purine.

Judging from the purine content alone, 100g of yeast powder has 559mg of purine, so yeast powder is indeed a high-purine food.

However, based on the analysis of intake, the recommended amount of yeast powder added is 0.5%, that is, 5g per small packet, which can ferment about 1 kilogram of flour. Calculated based on 100g of staple food per person per meal, the purine content is basically negligible. There is no need to worry about high uric acid and gout caused by eating yeast-fermented steamed buns frequently.

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Which is better for making dough, yeast or baking soda?

Generally speaking, the proper use of yeast and baking soda can achieve the purpose of making pasta leavening, but the conditions required for these two types of dough leavening agents are different.

Yeast is more suitable for making dough for steamed buns, dumplings and naan with no or low added sugar and oil. However, high-sugar and high-oil cakes and pastries require chemical leavening agents such as baking soda and baking powder to achieve the purpose of loosening. If ordinary yeast is used for this type of pastry, the excessive sugar and oil will inhibit the activity of yeast and the dough will not be expanded.

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Some people use baking soda and baking powder to steam steamed buns because chemical leavening agents make the dough expand quickly.

Although the reaction products of chemical leavening agents, ammonia and carbon dioxide, which are also products of human metabolism, will not cause obvious health damage if not used in excess, they will affect the senses, have an alkaline taste, turn food yellow, and also destroy some B vitamins in flour, reducing the nutritional value of the food.

Yeast dough needs sufficient time and temperature to produce carbon dioxide, and the dough will continue to expand. As mentioned earlier, the protein and carbohydrate composition of the yeast itself and the rich B vitamins and trace elements such as calcium and zinc will protect the vitamins in the flour and add to the nutritional value of pasta.

Therefore, using yeast to make dough is the best choice for daily pastries.

What should I pay attention to when using yeast to make food?

Choosing the right yeast

First, you should make sure that the yeast is within its shelf life;

Secondly, and this is a point that is often overlooked: pay attention to whether the yeast is high-sugar or low-sugar. "High-sugar" yeast is generally used for doughs with more than 7% added sugar, such as sweet breads.

When making steamed buns or whole wheat bread at home, just choose yeast powder labeled "low sugar".

Finally, check whether the packaging is hard, because active dry yeast is usually vacuum-packed. If the packaging bag becomes soft, it means that air may have entered, which will reduce the activity of the yeast.

It is best to "activate" the yeast first

Before using yeast, add a small amount of warm water to the required amount of yeast and stir gently to dissolve. Then add a small spoonful of sugar and let it stand for 3-5 minutes to "activate" the yeast before adding it to the flour and adding enough water to knead the dough to ensure that the kneaded dough is fully fermented in the shortest time possible, saving time and making the steamed pastries softer and sweeter.

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Suitable temperature

The temperature of 30℃-35℃ is most suitable for dough fermentation. Whether the fermentation is sufficient can be seen by whether the dough is fluffy and expanded and honeycombs appear inside the dough.

Recommended amount of yeast to use

Generally speaking, the best amount of yeast is about 0.5% of the weight of flour.

It can also be adjusted according to the fermentation time and season. For example, in summer and autumn, 5g can be added to the dough of about 1 kg of flour, which may take 45-60 minutes. In winter and spring, the amount of dough may need to be doubled, that is, 10g, which takes about 60-90 minutes.

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