to leaven
Third Person
leavens
Present Participle
leavening
Past Tense
leavened
Past Participle
leavened
1
to add a substance, such as yeast, to dough or batter, causing it to rise and become lighter during the baking process
transitive
- She leavens her bread by carefully mixing in yeast and allowing it to ferment, resulting in a light and fluffy texture.
- The baker knows exactly how much yeast to use to leaven the dough.
- Traditional sourdough bread is leavened by natural fermentation.
- Adding baking powder to the cake batter will leaven it and create a soft, airy texture when baked.
- The dough needs to be left to rest for several hours to allow the yeast to leaven it and create a light, airy loaf.
2
to spread through something and cause positive change or enhancement
transitive
- Her optimism leavened the tense atmosphere, making everyone feel more at ease.
- His humor leavened the otherwise serious discussion, lightening the mood.
- A sense of hope leavened the community as they worked together to rebuild after the disaster.
- Her kindness leavened the workplace, creating a more positive and supportive environment.