Glucono Delta Lactone, often abbreviated GDL, is a naturally occurring food ingredient and is one of a class of ingredients known as acidulants. In food manufacturing, acidulants are used to reduce the pH of the food, retarding spoilage (GDL can be used as a natural preservative in some circumstances), as well as to prevent the discolouration of the final food product. In large scale commercial manufacturing GDL is widely used in products such as tofu, honey, fruit juices and wine.
GDL is made through the fermentation of plant-derived glucose, generally rice or maize. It is not made from wheat or from any other gluten-containing grain. The final product, which is a fine white powder, is 100% free of wheat, gluten and dairy. It is soluble in water, is completely non toxic and is completely metabolised by the human digestive system.
Silly Yaks uses GDL as a part of our yeast-free leavening mix, which we use to raise our Bread Loaves (not the Bread Roll products, which contain yeast) and our Pizza Base products. We combine the GDL with Sodium Bicarbonate and Potassium Bicarbonate to form a baking powder. When the baking powder is combined with water, the acidity of the GDL reacts with the Sodium and Potassium Bicarbonate to produce carbon dioxide, which causes the bread to rise.
In yeasted products, the yeast metabolises sugars during the proving process and excretes carbon dioxide to achieve the same effect.
Posted in: General, Glucono Delta Lactone