Austin Munroe

Chemistry
5/1/2016

The Effects of Sucrose and Sodium on Yeast

Abstract
The purpose and goal of this experiment was to study how different values of sodium chloride
and sucrose affect the fluffiness, saltiness, sweetness and overall taste, of the bread. Four
samples of bread were made, each with a version of the salt and sugar concentrations. By
creating test samples and recording the differences in the 2 values the bread was sampled by 7
different individuals to compare their opinion of the bread samples. 4 total samples were tested 2
having only the sucrose values changed and 2 with only the sodium values changed. Each bread
was tested by all 7 individuals and were compared on 4 values. The fluffiness, saltiness,
sweetness, and overall taste. These qualities were rated on a one to five in a survey in a blind
qualitative taste test taken by 7 individuals. Once evaluated, this data could take a positive step
for catering bread to individual taste and preference. I concluded that increased amounts of sugar
in the dough will have a positive effect in two ways. One it will increase total volume and lower
density and 2 will create a more generally tasteful bread.
Introduction
This article in an introduction to how yeast
reacts with sucrose and sodium in dough to
create rise. This lab investigated how dough
changed in volume and texture with different
variations of sodium and sucrose. Most bread
products are considered higher quality when
the bread has a larger volume and an airy
texture. Yeast has been a key ingredient in the
production of doughs and bread. Yeast is a
singled celled microbe. Microbes are tiny
organisms that are visible only under a
microscope.(1) This yeast give our bread an
airy texture are keeps bread fluffy. This
fluffiness is created when the glucan chains
from a elastic form with each other.

When introduced with the yeast and the

combination is allowed to react, the yeast will
fill the dough with Co2 and stretch the bonds
on the individual glucan chains. For this
experiment, 2 variables will change to affect
the outcome of the dough. The sucrose, and
the sodium. The sucrose adds potential energy
to the mixture, giving the yeast the energy to
grow and expand the bread. The salt limits the
growth of the yeast mixture. The recipe will
remain the same otherwise. The goal is to
collect both quantitative and qualitative data
to see which variation of the variables will
create dough with the greatest increase in
volume and have the highest average

of qualitative results. The qualitative data will

be collected based on individual input. This
data will consist of inputs based entirely on
individual preferences in diet. My hypothesis
for this experiment is that increased quantiles
of sugar and decreased quantities of salt will
increase potential dough rise in the a dough
recipe, resulting in higher quality bread that is
generally more appealing to human taste

The point of this experiment is to gather how

changes in sodium and sucrose levels in
dough affect taste and feel of bread in addition
to how the dough rises. Possibilities in
catering different textures of bread to unique
individual taste could change how dough and
bread products are created and serviced.

Methods
This experiment was started with dough.
Using a very basic dough recipe, a 250 ml
graduated cylinder and a food grade scale, I
began my experiment. In a small bowl place a
the dry ingredients. Due to size and use of
ingredients. The recipe was divided by 2.
Using only half the ingredients. For the yeast,
flour, water and oil, the quantities remained
the same the remained the same for every
batch and variation of dough. The importance
of keeping the quantities the same is to limit
the variables. This makes changes in the
dough easily controlled while keeping any
changes or reaction is a direct result of the
change in variables. For the first collection of
data I started by mixing all active ingredients
into a dish. These active ingredients were
teats, sucrose, sodium and water. These
ingredients were mixed then transferred into a
250 ml graduated cylinder. Record the level of
the active solution and let sit.

By using heat from the surrounding area, the

yeast will consume the sugar, causing an off
gas inside the solution and create a increase in
volume. Select a time, approximately 10-15
minutes to let this solution sit in a slightly
warm location. When doing this part of the
experiment is important to make sure that all
solution sit for the same amount of time. After
the allotted time has expired, record the level
of the solution in the 250 ml graduated
cylinder. Using the equation V=r^2 x h.
Using this find the change in volume. Record
values, use units and include the calculations.
For this section of the experiment 4 test were
done. The first was a 50% deduction in sugar,
the second was 50% increase in sugar. The
third was a 50% deduction in salt from the
recipe, the fourth was 50% increase in the salt
content, ingredients were the exactly what the
recipe called for and never intentionally
changed.

The second part of this lab was done with a

The the total survey was taken by a range of
taste test of the 4 different samples of bread. A teachers and students and total in 7 responses

basic survey was designed to evaluate the

bread on Sweetness, Saltiness Fluffy and
Overall Taste. This survey let the taste tester
judge the each bread sample on these 4
qualities with a quantitative scale from 1 to 5.
1 in this survey was the lowest possible score
and 5 being the highest possible value given
to these qualities. The the total survey was
taken by a range of teachers and students and
total in 7 responses for every sample of bread.

for every sample of bread. I know that this

result are divided up even farther with the
results. The survey was designed to be taken
by one person at a time and taste all 4 samples
of bread and evaluate them. While observing
the taste test my participants would often
leave the survey half way through. Only
answering 1 to 2 of the sample section the
survey and leaving it for the next participant
to finish.

Results
Graph #1 Final Volume After Sucrose Quantity Variation

Graph #2 Final Volume After Sodium Quantity Variation

The results section above is the final data of

the volume after each version of dough was
created. The 2 graphs above show how
changes in quantities of sodium

and sucrose effect the increase in volume of

the yeast solution. The units for the volume is
in cm3 to show the cubic volume of the dough
solution.

Discussion
The results for this experiment divided into 2
sections. The quantitative and qualitative. The
differentiation between these two sections of
your experiment are best done in the
methodology section. The first data collected
was a set of quantitative data on the rise of the
yeast in a simple dough recipe. This was
measured by mixing the active ingredients of
the recipe into a 250 ml graduated cylinder.

The active ingredients in the recipe for all

experiments was the same amount of yeast,
with varying quantities of sugar and salt. For
this section of the experiment 4 test were
done. The first was a 50% deduction in sugar,
the second was 50% increase in sugar. The
third was a 50% deduction in salt from the
recipe, the fourth was 50% increase in the salt
content, all other ingredients were the

exactly what the recipe called for and never

intentionally changed. The results varied. As
you can see in the graphs of the results section
above. The intention of the test was to
measure the volume of the bread and how
much the change in variables would change
the growth.

What this experiment actually measured was

the metabolic growth arc of the yeast in the
solution of sugar and salt and water This is the
growth of yeast population. The count of the
singled celled organisms in the solution. The
conclusion of this unintentional experiment
was that lower concentrations of

sugar will result in a faster growth of yeasts in

the solution but will lower the potential
number of yeast organisms in the solution.
While this increased rate of growth may work
for some bakers higher concentration will
have a higher potentially yeast cell count but
will require a larger amount of time to grow
and reach its peak. The interesting part of this
experiment, it opens a new door to how
bakers prepare bread and how different types
of bread and dough products are created.
Breads that require quick bake times or need
to be created within short time contraints can
use lower concentrations of sugar to create a
quicker rise will lower total rise. While breads
that are more pleasing with more fluffy
feeling. Can use much higher quantities of
sugar to generate more rise but over a longer
period of time. The second part of this lab was
done with a taste test of the 4 different
samples of bread. A basic survey was
designed to evaluate the bread on Sweetness,
Saltiness Fluffy and

Overall Taste. This survey let the taste tester

judge the each bread sample on these 4
qualities with a quantitative scale from 1 to 5.
1 in this survey was the lowest possible score
and 5 being the highest possible value given
to these qualities. The the total survey was
taken by a range of teachers and students and
total in 7 responses for every sample of bread.
I know that this result are divided up even
farther with the results. The survey was
designed to be taken by one person at a time
and taste all 4 samples of bread and evaluate
them. While observing the taste test my
participants would often leave the survey half
way through. Only answering 1 to 2 of the
sample section the survey and leaving it for
the next participant to finish. This changed the
results. If only half the result are from one
person and the other is from another I not
seeing the personal qualitative result from one
person of all bread samples,

I'm seeing 2 different individual results

presented as one. This will add one more
factor of inaccuracy for my results. This
measurements of bread and yeast. Research
new opportunity to quantitatively and
qualitative

done on yeast and how it affects bread will

change how bakers and consumer alike value
bread and other products.unexpected change a

Conclusion
This experiment was shown that change in
concentrations of sodium and sucrose will
affect the texture of the bread. For bakers
increasing the total sugar content will give the
yeast microbes more potential energy to
expand the bread. This allows the yeast to
make the dough larger and increase its total
volume. The increase in sugar gives it a more
airy texture and makes it generally more
pleasing to the subject. In addition to
increasing volume, larger concentration of

sugar, about 50% more sugar has a sweeter

taste to subjects. Unfortunately increased
amounts of sugar are less healthy. Bakers in
generally should use this data to balance sugar
intake with increasing volume. The data
collected from this experiment verified that
increased amount up to 50% will create a
noticeable rise in the bread. For bakers and
scientist alike this data show be drawn on as a
first step to alterations of your bread and
dough recipes.

Cited texts
(1) Microbes." Microbes. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 May 2016.