A Little Kitchen Science
Discover why dough rises, onions brown and ingredients change as cooking turns chemistry into dinner.
Discover why dough rises, onions brown and ingredients change as cooking turns chemistry into dinner. Take ten thoughtfully chosen questions at your own pace. Each answer comes with a short explanation to help you connect the facts and remember something new.
What gas helps yeast dough rise?
Your question-by-question study guide
Prefer to read, or revisit what you learned? Explore every question below. Open an answer when you’re ready.
1. What gas helps yeast dough rise?
- Helium
- Carbon dioxide
- Oxygen
- Nitrogen
Reveal answer and explanation
Carbon dioxide — Yeast fermentation produces carbon dioxide that becomes trapped in the dough.
2. What is emulsification in cooking?
- Dispersing one liquid in another that normally does not mix
- Freezing a solid
- Removing all water from food
- Grinding spices
Reveal answer and explanation
Dispersing one liquid in another that normally does not mix — An emulsion disperses tiny droplets, as in oil and water-based mayonnaise.
3. What is the boiling point of pure water at standard atmospheric pressure?
- 80°C
- 90°C
- 120°C
- 100°C
Reveal answer and explanation
100°C — At one atmosphere of pressure, pure water boils at 100 degrees Celsius.
4. Which cooking method uses hot water vapor?
- Broiling
- Dry roasting
- Steaming
- Grilling
Reveal answer and explanation
Steaming — Steaming transfers heat from water vapor to food without immersing it.
5. What is caramelization?
- Dissolving salt in water
- Browning of sugars through heating
- Freezing of fats
- Fermentation of milk
Reveal answer and explanation
Browning of sugars through heating — Heating sugars causes chemical changes that create caramel's color and flavors.
6. Which ingredient supplies the acid in a basic lemon vinaigrette?
- Lemon juice
- Olive oil
- Sugar
- Black pepper
Reveal answer and explanation
Lemon juice — Lemon juice provides acidity that balances the oil in the dressing.
7. What does kneading help develop in wheat dough?
- Caffeine
- Milk proteins
- Fruit pectin
- A gluten network
Reveal answer and explanation
A gluten network — Kneading helps hydrated wheat proteins form a stretchy gluten network.
8. Why does an apple's cut surface often turn brown?
- Yeast fermentation
- Salt crystallization
- Enzymatic oxidation
- Ice crystal formation
Reveal answer and explanation
Enzymatic oxidation — Enzymes react with compounds exposed to oxygen, producing brown pigments.
9. What does simmering mean?
- Baking without heat
- Cooking in liquid just below a full boil
- Cooking over a direct flame without liquid
- Freezing rapidly
Reveal answer and explanation
Cooking in liquid just below a full boil — Simmering uses gentle bubbling and lower heat than a vigorous boil.
10. Which substance is mainly responsible for chili pepper heat?
- Capsaicin
- Lactose
- Pectin
- Starch
Reveal answer and explanation
Capsaicin — Capsaicin activates receptors associated with heat and pain, creating a burning sensation.