June 16, 2008 - 3:29pm
another newbie question
Hello. what is ascorbic acid? what does it do? where do you get it? thank you
Share
another newbie question
- Anonymous baker's blog
- Log in or register to post comments
- Printer-friendly version
The Fresh Loaf
A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.
Comments
It is commonly known as Vitamin C. You can get it many places - almost anywhere you can buy vitamins. Health food stores will carry it in more forms.
It is an oxidizing agent and is often added to bread doughs (in very, very small quantities) to tighten them - or make them more elastic. It is thought to improve loaf volume.
It is also used to prevent browning in cut apples, peaches, etc. (You know those bags of sliced apples you can buy in the grocery store? They are dunked in an ascorbic acid/water solution so they won't go brown...)
Hope this helps.
thank you so much for your answer, sandy
Vitamin C is an anti-oxydant: It prevents oxydation and is used as a (natural) preservative.
For example, it's added to apple juice to prevent it from chaging color and to keep it fresh.
Yes, it works that way for fruits(as I mentioned). However, I double checked my source on that flour oxydant thing and if I believe my source (and I always do) it is an oxydizing agent for flour.
Odd, that...
Having recently studied chemistry I can say that you both are corret.
The AA is often acting as an anti oxidising agent in the meaning that it prevents certain cemicals from oxidising by doing so itself. IE the AA is oxidising whatever is responsive to oxidisaton. In a bread dough there are nothing to protect from being oxidised so the AA is not doing any "anti" work, it is still working in the same way though.
does dough made with eggs take longer to rise than dough without eggs? if yes, what is a normal length of time for a sweet dough to rise?
...for information on ascorbic acid
http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/7416/ascorbic-acid
Can a starter (biga) be made with wheat flour instead of white flour?