This is How Lecithin Affects Bread Dough | Are There Benefits to Using It?

Soya lecithin is a common ingredient in factory made bread. It is an emulsifier. An emulsifier stabilizes and helps combine two substances that would not mix otherwise. Most notably fat and water. In large bread productions the dough is made in a very different way than home made bread. It can’t be called bread most of the time as the process is like cake making. Dough is whipped and aerated.
The lecithin is added to stabilize this whipped mix and helps it keep its shape. That is why store-bought bread has such great volume and softness. There are of course several other additives that help too. When it comes to home made bread the mixing process is far gentler, so the emulsifying effect of lecithin may not work the same way.
📖 Read more ➡️ www.chainbaker.com/lecithin/
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
🌾 If you would like to support my work click here ⤵️
www.ko-fi.com/chainbaker
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
🔪 Find all the things I use here ⤵️
🇺🇸 www.amazon.com/shop/ChainBaker
🇬🇧 www.amazon.co.uk/shop/ChainBaker
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
🥨 To learn more about bread making click here ⤵️
Principles of Baking bit.ly/principles-of-baking
The Steps of Baking bit.ly/steps-of-baking
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
🍞 Share your bread pictures here ⤵️
www.flickr.com/groups/chainba...
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
#Bread #Baking #ChainBaker
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Disclosure
I participate in the Amazon Influencer Program which will earn commissions from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.

[@ChainBaker]

📖 Read more in the link below the video ⤴️ 🌾 If you would like to support my work click here ⤵️ www.ko-fi.com/chainbaker 🔪 Find all the things I use here ⤵️ 🇺🇸 www.amazon.com/shop/ChainBaker 🇬🇧 www.amazon.co.uk/shop/ChainBaker 🍞 Share your bread pictures here ⤵️ www.flickr.com/groups/chainbaker/

[@lbamusic]

Adding anything besides the 4 basics could be considered 'cheating'. Personally I feel free to add anything that works, in my Sourdough exploration journey.

[@ChainBaker]

You're right on that one. I guess I just think it's too easy 😄

[@qwerty11111122]

4 ingredients? Now that's cheating. I just throw the flour straight into the oven

[@ChainBaker]

😆

[@perniciouspete4986]

Dirt is great for roughage.

[@philip6502]

@@qwerty11111122 straight salt for me. 😎

[@lindapitchford4941]

I make 100% whole wheat bread. My bread would turn out crumbly with not good height. My bread was like a brick. When I started using lecithin and dough enhancer...my bread was much bigger and it stuck together...and was soft....not grainy. I enjoy your videos'. Thanks

[@leehayes4019]

Instead of calling lecithin an emulsifier, I would call it a surfactant more broadly. Lecithin is surface active. That surface can be between fat/oil and water, or between the gluten and gases.

[@schrodingerscat1863]

Got to say, these experiment videos are absolutely brilliant. Really good to see side by side comparisons for different ingredients, gives a proper understanding of the effect of each ingredient.

[@MLdlRH1308]

3:06 "I'm of course, no scientist..." You would be a good one if you were. I've learned so much from your channel. The way you make the comparison videos are packed with valuable baking information. The method, precision, blow by blow update until the final results are all wonderful to watch. Thank you!

[@elljayq1304]

I enjoy watching these comparison videos Charlie. Thanks. 🙂

[@cczeroX]

At this point I just slap like first and then watch cause I know it's gonna be good. :D Thanks for all the great insights and have a nice (rest of a) Sunday. :)

[@ChainBaker]

Cheers! 😁

[@violetparker8505]

Thank you so much. I've learnt a lot from videos for someone who didn't know anything about baking breads your videos helped me alot. Love from India 🇮🇳🇮🇳

[@Phishoil]

Beautiful! I use soy products quite a lot in my bread making. Especially in donut production; it helps to prevent excessive oil uptake. In eggless baking, in my mind, there’s probably 3 core things to consider: 1)emulsification/binding, 2)structure/texture, and 3)properties that lend to aeration/volume. As a dough conditioner or improver, about 2% soy lecithin can be a wonderful addition to your regular recipe which still includes eggs. It can help reduce the amount of eggs in production, which saves money. Used as a stand-alone replacer for eggless baking in breads and cakes, I “think” lecithin would have to be used at a higher amount (around 4%) to see a similar structure and volume to regular loaf. Experiment time!!

[@hickory654]

Finally early for once! These studies you do are a lifesaver. Thanks again for another slice of interesting bread related content.

[@jorats]

I have found soy lecithin to be a great improvement when doing an enriched dough when not using eggs. As for the fact that it's a processed addition, I don't eat bread because it's healthy. ;)

[@vaazig]

This is a great series. I love knowing more about these obscure ingredients.

[@TheBereangirl]

I saw an episode of Good Eats with Alton Brown where he reviled the store bought sandwich loaf and then squashed it into a ball with his hands in utter disgust! I laughed so hard ...I've ALWAYS wanted to do that myself!😂

[@virginiavoigt2418]

It's good for cleaning marks off of walls though.

[@angelawebb6987]

I used to make Lecithin bread, and the recipe was to set it in scalding hot water ( in the pan) which made it rise quickly, then I could bake it sooner than yeast bread. But we had cornbread almost daily. Never dry, hard, tasteless. I made it with buttermilk (fresh from the dairy as long as it was available).

[@AlexanderPoznanski]

Thank you for this deep analysing!

[@Chrandreas]

From the little I’ve read, it seems like you could use 14g of soy lecithin to substitute one egg yolk. In the quantities you were using it, the lecithin mainly works to prevent the bread from drying out. So I don’t think you’d notice a difference from the control until the the following days.

[@koubenakombi3066]

Cool! I've produced lecithin from soybean fat soluble phosphatides from 2000 to 2003! Thank you! I've just acquired some breadmaking malt!

[@user-bw2cr9qo9b]

What kind of malt? Do they sell at a health food store?

[@marjamerryflower]

Thanks ChainBaker! This was interesting!

[@martin_mue]

As a son of a baker I appreciate these videos very much, you are just so much better at explaining. ;-)

[@ChainBaker]

Cheers! :)

[@martin_mue]

@@ChainBaker And as an engineer by trade I greatly enjoy the experimental approach of your videos!

[@nervenjere]

Lecithin is also a non stick agent. Very Importan for industrial baking ovens. It's quite common to add it just because of that property.

[@perniciouspete4986]

BUT lecithin stains your pans brown and makes them sticky. The food industry may not mind, but I do.

[@bonnie5601]

Very interesting. THANK YOU!

[@ImyManzProductions]

Very useful info, thanks.

[@ghuggees6106]

Thanks bro, for resolving the puzzle for me.. 👍 Nice job, keep it up..💥🏵️

[@mansourbhatti]

Excellent info 👍

[@syedazli6580]

One thing to use soy lecithin granuled you have to dissolved it in warm water first for about 30min.

[@rhythmjain5639]

I have recently bought some sunflower lecithin for baking because as you said, it is considered good alternative to eggs, that I can't eat. I can't wait to use it myself! Edit: Now that I have watched the video I am a bit disappointed, I am still going to try it myself though, so wish me luck.

[@vaazig]

Let us know!

[@philip6502]

Yesterday I made a sandwich loaf using Charlie's recipe for Yudane. I doubled all ingredients, but changed none. It came out high and soft. No egg - not even an egg wash. I suggest trying the yudane. 💯

[@rhythmjain5639]

@@vaazig ok so I baked a simple poolish bread, but just added about 1.5g of sunflower lecithin to that dough. It made the bread rise significantly more ( about 30%) than original!! It might be other things, but I tried to do exactly same procedure on both so I am going to believe that it works.

[@vaazig]

@@rhythmjain5639 Nice. I'll get some now. That's pretty cool.

[@vaazig]

Thanks buddy!

[@jabberman3000]

Hey Charlie, I was watching this video today where a guy talks about how changing the temperature of his oven gave him a much better spring in his bread. Might be a bit more challenging, but could you do an experiment on baking temperature one day? They claimed lowering the temp to 230 from 250 improved it quite a bit. I know you don't would do this many tests anyways, but I think 260c, 250c, 230c, 200c and 190c would all be good temps to try. Thanks anyways even if you don't, your videos have helped me learn quite a bit more about baking

[@ChainBaker]

I am planning an oven temperature video sometime in the future. Not sure why it would make the bread rise better though. Perhaps it takes longer for the crust to set at a lower temperature and that makes it expand more?!

[@davidklinger6105]

Excellent content, well written and produced, and very interesting (as usual). Thank you for doing it. Never used lecithin before. Now I know I never will.

[@ChainBaker]

Thank you, David!

[@terrim.602]

The only reason I'm interested in lecithin is for preservation. I make multiple loaves at a time on bread making day and freeze them. Some times the homemade bread goes stale or even moldy quickly. Lecithin has multiple benefits, not just the softness and rise, it also helps bread last longer.

[@dmremtp]

As a blooming baker, videos like this are invaluable. I had been searching for ways to make my bread lighter and comparing ingredients in factory bread. I was considering using lecithin from sunflowers, but now I'm just going to stick to more natural ingredients.

[@ChainBaker]

Try the yudane method. There is a video about it in the Principles of Baking playlist ✌️

[@nicogun7086]

Nice experiment. I'm glad I could learn more about how lecitin affects bread. I'll stick with yudane tough, because I get consistent results and it's easier with my schedule

[@elainethie4620]

Thanks so much. My recipe called for both egg and soy lecithin. Now I know I can add another egg yolk and leave the soy out. It should work.

[@therealcryptidcorvid]

it also helps if you whip the lecithin in hot water till foamy then add sugar, and the yeast once cooled between 105-110 Fahrenheit, 1/4 teaspoon ginger helps with yeast activity as well as being a natural preservatives and lends no flavor to the dough because of how small of an amount you need

[@18Janeen]

Adding lecithin when you live at high altitude is the game changer! High alt. baking is a challenge this stuff makes a much better loaf.

[@user-tr1ez2ow5s]

Wonderful

[@jeanahollings]

thank you again, these comparisons are great! for what it's worth i think, like me, you're a backyard engineer and not a backyard scientists. scientists would do way more batches than i ever think is worth the time or energy. :) i only use one dough conditioner consistently and that's diastatic malt powder. i was really turned on to this when my brioche was never quite good enough no matter how much milk, sugar, eggs, and butter i added. and it's such an old product i'm not sure i would even call it "commercial", per say. you might try it too. be warned, it does somehow increase the hydration of the dough just a tad - i don't know why.

[@AriesSupertramp]

According to the National Institutes of health: "Phosphatidylcholine (PC) is the main component of lecithin, the content of which is ~73.0%. The content of lecithin in egg yolk is three times higher than the content of lecithin in soybean. It has been shown that the content of lecithin in egg yolk and duck egg yolk is large, accounting for ~10% of total lecithin." IF I understand this correctly, adding one egg yolk (average 18 g) would be the the equivilant to 5.4g soy lecithin.

[@ok-tchau]

I love your comparison videos. Can you please consider making one regarding resting covers? I mean, the difference between covering the dough with cloth, wrapping plastic, no cover or a metal pan lid during the rising rest.

[@ChainBaker]

I might make a conversion vide someday. The main thing to do is use more water since whole wheat flour can absorb so much more than white flour.

[@diablominero]

When you're making mayonnaise, you need to whisk quickly to break apart the oil drops faster than they recombine. Once you've mixed in some oil and the mayonnaise thickens, drops move through it more slowly and adding more oil takes less vigorous mixing. So I bet graual kneading can successfully emulsify butter into dough, seeing as how flour thickens dough enough that the butter isn't going anywhere.

[@oldvlognewtricks]

Always exciting to see these comparisons! Have you done a comparison to the effect of solid versus liquid fats? Coconut oil, butter, lard or tallow versus vegetable oils or chicken fat that are liquid at room temperature? Butter is delicious, but I’m curious if the different fats cause a structural difference.

[@mattlevault5140]

I'd like to know more about this as well.

[@Jeepy2-LoveToBake]

Toby and Matt, there is one "fat comparison" video in the Principles of Baking playlist - take a look , though not sure if it is answering your question. kzbin.info/www/bejne/n5C4aaagjL6XrLc

[@ChainBaker]

I've done a fat comparison. Not with such a variety of fats, but some of them were used there. It's in the link that Lan added below.

[@oldvlognewtricks]

@@ChainBaker I enjoyed the video very much! Thank you for all your hard work and insight.

[@potatochips6131]

Dude you look like a retired hitman who found his passion through his baking! Anyways love your channel u deserve more subscribers, u explain the overall bread baking technique in a simple understandable way

[@ChainBaker]

Thanks 😁😎

[@philip6502]

What? Baking is more satisfying than being a hitman? In what universe? 👨‍🍳

[@joellenlevitre2590]

Thanks!

[@ChainBaker]

Thank you! :)

[@knottybead4871]

One of the reasons I make my own bread is to get away from all the crap commercial breads put in their bread.

[@carolinegallano7645]

I like your voice..your videos are very informative

[@walterwhitney2202]

I’ve been experimenting with Sunflower Lecithin powder, but am goin to try the egg yolk method on my next batch to see. I’m very curious now. Thanks 🙂

[@perniciouspete4986]

Interesting.

[@tiffanygayle4537]

Thank you for that.. extremely helpful video. It's pretty hard to find detailed information on the internet about lecithin in baking. If you happen to see this in wondering what can be added to sourdough for a better (predictable) loaf?

[@ChainBaker]

Once you get to know your starter well, the loaves will always be predictable. Experience is the magic ingredient 😉

[@catpawsandplay]

Oh my another amazing video thank you chain baker! Also can I ask. Is egg yolk included hydrarion? And how much? Thanks again!

[@qwerty11111122]

1:40 - yes

[@ChainBaker]

You can find the written recipe in the link below the video. With adjustments and all 😉

[@catpawsandplay]

@@ChainBaker thank you chainbaker!

[@catpawsandplay]

@@qwerty11111122 thank you!

[@zippy2641]

I just made my regular weekly basic white bread recipe using (250 g flour), substituting soy lecithin granules for the egg yolk. I had read that 1 TBL (7.5 grams) is the amount needed to replace the yolk. My loaf was easily 25% higher than the yolk version, and much lighter. I was very surprised that it didn't collapse! So happy with it, I order 2 more cans. I had also included 1 TBL white vinegar that I've never used before either. They say that the acetic acid will kick start the yeast. (Not really sure how much effect that had). In short, your lackluster results for the lecithin loaf may have been because you used too little? Make 2 loaves, 1 with .6% and one with 1 TBL (7.5 g). See what you get.

[@ChainBaker]

👍

[@therealcryptidcorvid]

the reason why the lecithin loaf failed so hard is because you're supposed to use more, I use sunflower lecithin, one tablespoon to a loaf made with 3 1/2 cups of flour. Don't be afraid of lecithin, some people take 1 to 1.5 tablespoons a day as a supplement for supporting liver health

[@kathygarner419]

Charlie: One reason to use Lecithin is the cost and availability of eggs. Some countries are experiencing high instances of avian flu. In the US we have seen the cost of eggs nearly quadruple in this year they are as much as $7.00+ per dozen in some areas. Small bakeries are struggling to survive in an environment with egg and sugar price increases. Also there is sunflower lecithin availability for those who prefer to avoid soy. I was wondering if there is any significant difference in the performance of soy vs sunflower lecithin and how do the unit measurements compare for liquid lecithin vs powdered lecithin? I would advise freezing some eggs if the prices are favorable and you have the freezer space as avian flu tends to spread with seasonal bird migrations.

[@mr.pizzamarlon]

I use egg yokes 🥚 to make strong pizza 🍕 dough since I have all-purpose flour only.

[@takusungjung3894]

thank you for advice

[@juliennapoli]

3:27 that's one of the keywords that explains the difference between homemade/artisanal and industrial breads. They are not the same product in the end. You may like each for different reasons but you cannot reproduce industrial breads with artisanal methods.

[@nathanielfuentes5294]

This is an amazing comparison. Great job

[@ChainBaker]

Cheers ✌️

[@margritkaminsky1470]

Very interesting. Thank you. You taught me how I could use lecithin also in other ways in the kitchen. I have one question: Have you been repeating the same tests. In research science one principle is that the tests need to be repeated a number of times to obtain certainty.

[@hanneken4026]

Wouldn't it be better, scientifically speaking, if someone else reproduced his tests? That way, if something specific to his kitchen but not considered in the variables was influencing the outcome, you would notice it in a different outcome. Scientific tests need to be reproducible *by other researchers* using the same methods.

[@ChainBaker]

Other much smarter people have done this many times. I just read stuff and compact it into a video 😄

[@harrymason1053]

In the 1960s, I used to put a little soy flour in my loaf. I felt it improved the loaf but since then soy-anything has come into disfavor. Also, I got a little gas, myself, so I stopped.

[@HelmutRockstroh]

Was reading about emulsifiers in the context of creams and angel food cake making recently. Seems they pre-dissolve the emulsifier in the fat/oil phase at around 50°C. That would make it more similar to egg yolk AND I suggest that the lecitihin kernels will have no effect. So maybe a 3d try?

[@ChainBaker]

I'll definitely give it a go again.

[@Quibus777]

ooh nice, never used it (i do know lecithin will be completely broken down in the stomach and is used in chocolate, there it ends :) )

[@Quibus777]

And after watching, i surely not going to use it lol, thanks!

[@JonathanOvnat]

Do you have a video that explains why bakery buns are so different from home made? (Softer with softer crust and stays that way longer)

[@ChainBaker]

This may be the bun you are looking for - kzbin.info/www/bejne/gmewlqyKq95qfbM

[@deborahboateng4062]

Can i use both dough improver and lecithin in bread

[@ChainBaker]

Sure, why not. Personally, I don't have a reason to ever use either one of them.

[@mattlevault5140]

I'm enjoying this series on dough enhancers. Personally, I've used ascorbic acid in my home baked dough for many years as that's what I learned from my father 30+ years ago when he taught me to bake bread. I don't know the exact percentage but I typically use 2 heaping tablespoons of enhancer to 7 - 8 cups of flour and I get a very consistent 'small bubble' soft crumb (using vegetable oil as shortening). I'm an American so please forgive my 19th century measuring devices. As Americans it seems like there are a number of 19th C "things" we can't seem to let go of... (insert eyes rolling here...). I'm using my scale to measure grams now, I promise! 😁 Anyway, I digress. I saw a comment or two about the impact of other types of fats used when baking bread. Butter? Lard? Bacon fat? Beef tallow? Vegetable oil? Avocado oil? The list is tremendous! I'd be interested in some comparisons along that line of thinking - in both volume and taste of the final product. Maybe a sort of 'elimination tournament' where only the best gets to move on to the next comparison.

[@ChainBaker]

I made a fat comparison video a while ago - kzbin.info/www/bejne/n5C4aaagjL6XrLc 😉 But I did not try a greater variety of fats there. Perhaps an idea for a future video for sure. Cheers!

[@PinkGoldPetch]

"grabbing a processed powder off the shelf and chucking it in your dough would be the last thing you should do" *glances nervously at my bag of high protein bread flour*

[@ChainBaker]

True 😄

[@kellychin2895]

Hi! Chef, does it necessary to use eggs in breads and buns?

[@ChainBaker]

Not at all. They serve a function and achieve a certain result, but it's up to you to add it or not.

[@kellychin2895]

@@ChainBaker Ok. Thank you very much! I actually wanted to try your yudane bread method into a japanese savoury buns with fillings and the hot cross bun recipe for the sweet bun with fillings.

[@HannibalJV]

I tried using the lecithin, it was recommended for when I run my wheat berries through a hand mill, but it doesn't really break down it's just a clump. Maybe if there was a way to get it mixed in good with a liquid it would work better? Appreciate all your videos!

[@ChainBaker]

Use a blender perhaps. There is also liquid lecithin available. That should be a much better option. I noticed that the powdered stuff I had started absorbing moisture and clumping together while it was just sitting in a sealed bag in the kitchen cupboard.

[@HannibalJV]

@@ChainBaker if I try it again, I think I'll just throw in an egg yolk! Thanks to your video!

[@DreadKyller]

@@HannibalJV I know this is late, but generally for things that are really clumpy, you want to whisk it in a very small amount of liquid, to break up clumps you need to actually be able to separate the clump, but if there's too much liquid then you just end up pushing the clump around, the overall solution needs to be pretty thick to break clumps down easily. This is why you should not add corn starch directly to a thin sauce, either make a roux or mix the cornstarch with a small amount of cold water to make a slurry, adding it directly to thin liquids/sauces will result in clumps that are hard to remove, same principle here. Once you make a slurry with it, you can thin it out further, but start with a small amount of liquid first.

[@chopsddy3]

I love the way you filter out hearsay traditions and boil things down to the axioms. You better keep your guard up against the corporate factory bread mafia. Your “spilling their beans”. 🕊👍🕊

[@ChainBaker]

They'll beat me up with stale baguettes 😆

[@chopsddy3]

@@ChainBaker 😂👍❤️ You better start honing some skill with stale pita ninja stars. Or you could get rough on em’ with a hard stick of pepperoni .It may seem extreme to those with tender sensibilities, but they would deserve it! 👊🤨

[@sheilam4964]

👍👍👍👍👍

[@A..S.M]

From where lecithin can buy it. 🎉

[@ChainBaker]

I got it off Amazon.

[@Leguminator]

I love these videos as a source of learning and knowledge, but using ingredients such as soy lecithin isn't something I'm interested in, though I have nothing against others using them --- people should bake what they want to bake and let their journeys take them where they may. In the end what really matters is that you enjoy eating what you make. I've been exploring breads for about a year now and my path is one using the least amount of ingredients possible and focusing more on technique. I may change my mind once I achieve a certain skill level, but I'm too far off from that to think about it.

[@abdulkadireraslan2330]

Where is the egg comparison video?

[@ChainBaker]

In the Principles of Baking playlist.

[@Helllllllsing]

Since Lecithin is a type of fat, I guess that the fact that you added butter diminished the difference between the bread with or without lecithin.

[@ChainBaker]

That is interesting. Perhaps it was so.

[@AaronNicoli]

The problem I have with using egg is that the bread cannot be toasted, if you toast it - the smell and taste is horrible, like burnt eggs.

[@ChainBaker]

Here's an alternative kzbin.info/www/bejne/o3WQdYqGlsuAg80

[@pelakful]

I wonder what happens with all these test breads..🤔

[@ChainBaker]

Breadcrumbs 😄

[@pelakful]

Lots of them 😀

[@perniciouspete4986]

OK, everyone say "soy lecithin" aloud 5 times as quickly as you can.

[@geraldineh.5093]

Excellent video BUT never put ANY ingredient back in a bag, container....after touching with your hands. It contaminates the rest of the product. Cleanliness counts.😏 Otherwise, really enjoyed your experiment.

[@mikegallegos7]

Eggs forever !

[@kathybridges3343]

I don’t like using anything soy, unless it’s organic

[@ChainBaker]

👍

[@michelemarch8606]

Thanks!

[@michelemarch8606]

Big thanks for ALL of your videos! I've learned so much and love trying your recipes. My question is about using whole wheat flour in your brioche recipe ( for burger and hotdogs buns). Will it work? Have you tried that? Many thanks.....love the bit of science with the baking!!

[@ChainBaker]

Thank you! :) Wow, that is a great idea. I had never even considered it. Whole wheat brioche has been added to the projects list. Cheers 😁