leaven
noun
Pronunciation: ˈlɛvən
Definition
A substance, such as yeast or baking powder, added to dough or batter to make it rise and become lighter through fermentation or chemical reaction.
Examples
The baker added a small amount of leaven to the mixture to ensure the bread would rise properly.
Without the proper leaven, the dough remained dense and flat after baking.
Ancient recipes often relied on natural leaven captured from the air to produce sourdough.
How to Use leaven
- leaven with (collocation)
- To add a specific quality to something to improve it. — "He leavened his speech with anecdotes to keep the audience engaged."
Synonyms of leaven
Words with a similar meaning to leaven:
Browse the full Anaversity dictionary