Q&A: Looking for Leavening

Question: What is leaven?

Answer: During Unleavened Bread we are to have no leaven or leavened products in our home (Exodus 12:15; 13:7). This includes yeast, a biological leavening agent that produces fermentation, and chemical leavening agents such as baking powder, baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) and potassium bicarbonate. These are ingredients to look for on labels. Items such as bread, cake, crackers, cookies and prepared cereals and pies that contain leavening must be put out. Doing this is symbolic of putting both the visible and hidden sins out of our lives.

Although the following ingredients are associated with leavening products, they are not, by themselves, leavening agents: brewer's yeast, yeast extract (a flavoring), corn starch and cream of tartar. Cream of tartar, being a dry acid, merely neutralizes the alkaline nature of baking soda and does not, by itself, cause dough to rise. UN