Scientists from Naples claim to have created the perfect yeast-free pizza by puffing up the dough.
Experts subjected yeast-free pizza dough to intense pressure in an industrial device called an autoclave, commonly used to sterilize plastics.
This unconventional method created bubbles of carbon dioxide, just like yeast does in regular pizza dough.
The development of a yeast-free pizza is a “big challenge” for bakers and yeast-crust lovers around the world, experts say.
Dissolving gas in high-pressure dough can create the perfect yeast-free rise, according to experts from Naples. They used small pieces of dough to test the rise with and without yeast.
According to Pizzacraft, the yeast in the pizza dough formed bubbles of gas, creating an airy and bubbly crust (image)
WHY PIZZA DOUGH NEED Yeast?
Until now, yeast has been one of the key ingredients in pizza.
It is the main leavening agent in the dough, which means it causes the pizza dough to rise.
The best pizza dough recipes produce dough that rises quickly, creating an airy and bubbly crust.
Source: Pizzacraft
Researchers at the Federico II University of Naples said that the taste tests of the yeast-free dough were successful.
Now they want to purchase a larger food autoclave that will be used to cook full-sized pizzas in future experiments.
They hope their method will be used in pizza parlors, providing an alternative for those with yeast allergies, which can be fatal if they cause anaphylaxis.
One of the authors of the study, Ernesto Di Maio, is himself allergic to yeast.
“This new technology can spur the development of new products, new dough formulations and specific recipes for people with food intolerances, which we hope will help people enjoy healthy and delicious food,” he said.
Yeast normally produces bubbles through a biochemical process, causing the dough to rise and turn into a light and airy base for our pizzas.
Without this yeast, it is difficult to make pizza with the same characteristic taste and texture.
The team made the dough by mixing water, flour and salt and placing it in a hot autoclave, an industrial device designed to increase heat and pressure.
This close-up photo shows the bubbles in a traditional dough made by yeast.
Yeast intolerance
Yeast is a fungus that is used as an active ingredient in many foods, especially baked goods.
From pizza to loaves of bread, yeast is what makes dough rise.
A yeast allergy or intolerance is a hypersensitivity to a protein found in yeast.
Common symptoms include fatigue, joint pain, mood swings, and problems with vomiting and diarrhea.
Source: University of Leeds.
Autoclaves are typically used to sterilize materials such as plastics for healthcare or industry, not food preparation.
“The idea of approaching food samples with the same technology and knowledge that is used for thermoplastic polymers has been surprisingly successful,” said study author Rossana Paschino of the University of Naples. Federico II.
From there, the process is similar to the one used to carbonate carbonated drinks—the release of carbon dioxide from the bubbles into the atmosphere.
Similarly, the yeast in regular pizza dough creates carbon dioxide by feeding on the fermentable sugars in the dough ingredients.
In an autoclave, the gas dissolves into the dough under high pressure and bubbles form in the dough when the pressure is released during baking.
However, the scientists had to be careful with the release of pressure, because compared to carbonated drinks, pizza dough does not respond as well to a sudden change in pressure.
“The key to the process is to create a pressure release rate so as not to stress the dough, which likes to expand smoothly,” said study author Ernesto Di Maio.
Autoclaves (pictured) are typically used to sterilize materials such as plastics for medical or industrial purposes, not pizza.
The authors then evaluated their dough using rheology, a field of science that studies how liquids and gases flow.
Fine-tuning the pressure release using rheological analysis allowed the bubbles to be gently inflated to the desired degree.
The researchers used small pieces of dough to test growth with and without yeast and compare results.
“We mainly studied how the dough behaves with and without yeast — how the softness changes with sourdough and how the dough reacts to the temperature program during baking,” said Paschino.
“This was fundamental to the development of the yeast-free dough pressure protocol.”
In addition to pizza dough, the autoclave method can also be applied to other traditionally leavened products such as bread, cakes and snacks.
The new study was published today in the journal Physics of Fluids.
SCIENTISTS CREATED EGG WHITES USING MUSHROOMS IN A LABORATORY AS A ‘ECOLOGICALLY SUSTAINABLE’ ALTERNATIVE TO GROWING CHICKEN
Using the fungus, a vegan and environmentally friendly egg white has been created that can be an alternative to intensive chicken farming.
Researchers in Finland have created ovalbumin (the main protein in egg white) from Trichoderma reesei, a type of fungus known to ruin clothing.
Ethically produced ovalbumin using T. reesei, called “Tr-OVA”, could be a sustainable replacement for chicken egg protein powder, a widely used ingredient in the food industry.
Currently, one of the most widely used vegan egg white alternatives at home and in restaurants is aquafaba, the liquid left over from cooked chickpeas.
However, aquafaba needs to be whipped vigorously for over 20 minutes to get fluffy peaks, while this new replacement retains its shape and “has great foaming properties.”
Trichoderma reesei has already been used by scientists to produce self-healing concrete, industrial enzymes and jeans.
See also: Scientists create vegan egg white using a fungus.