Leaven
noun
A substance like yeast that is used to make dough rise.
She added a little bit of leaven to the bread dough.
Often appears as...
- add leaven
- leavened bread
verb
To cause something to become more lively, exciting or interesting.
Leaven the party with some dance music.
Often appears as...
- leaven the conversation
- leaven with humor
verb
To add leaven to a mixture like dough to make it light and soft.
She leavened the dough for her homemade sourdough bread.
Often appears as...
- leaven the dough
- leavened bread
noun
A substance like yeast that is used to make dough rise.
She added a little bit of leaven to the bread dough.
Often appears as...
- add leaven
- leavened bread
verb
To cause something to become more lively, exciting or interesting.
Leaven the party with some dance music.
Often appears as...
- leaven the conversation
- leaven with humor
verb
To add leaven to a mixture like dough to make it light and soft.
She leavened the dough for her homemade sourdough bread.
Often appears as...
- leaven the dough
- leavened bread
Definition 1 of 3
Pro Tip 1/3Culinary Term
Used mostly in cooking to describe ingredients that help dough rise.
The recipe requires a teaspoon of leaven for the pastry.
Pro Tip 2/3Literal Use
'Leaven' is usually used literally in the context of baking and not as a metaphor.
His grandmother taught him how to add leaven to the mix.
Pro Tip 3/3Physical Change
Leaven causes a visible change, making the dough expand and become fluffy.
Without leaven, the dough remained flat and hard.
Pro Tip 1/3Culinary Term
Used mostly in cooking to describe ingredients that help dough rise.
The recipe requires a teaspoon of leaven for the pastry.
Pro Tip 2/3Literal Use
'Leaven' is usually used literally in the context of baking and not as a metaphor.
His grandmother taught him how to add leaven to the mix.
Pro Tip 3/3Physical Change
Leaven causes a visible change, making the dough expand and become fluffy.
Without leaven, the dough remained flat and hard.
Pro Tip 1/3Culinary Term
Used mostly in cooking to describe ingredients that help dough rise.
The recipe requires a teaspoon of leaven for the pastry.
Pro Tip 2/3Literal Use
'Leaven' is usually used literally in the context of baking and not as a metaphor.
His grandmother taught him how to add leaven to the mix.
Pro Tip 3/3Physical Change
Leaven causes a visible change, making the dough expand and become fluffy.
Without leaven, the dough remained flat and hard.
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Video examples
The chemistry of cookies...
so like mud baking in the sun, your cookie gets dried out and it stiffens. Cracks spread across its surface. The steam that was bubbling inside evaporates, leaving behind airy pockets that make the cookie light and flaky. Helping this along is your leavening agent, sodium bicarbonate, or baking soda.
Video examples
A New Understanding of...
these early farming populations fostered the development of mathematical knowledge, advanced metallurgy. They learned to cultivate olives, vines and date palms. They invented leavened bread, beer, and they developed textile
Video examples
The chemistry of cookies...
so like mud baking in the sun, your cookie gets dried out and it stiffens. Cracks spread across its surface. The steam that was bubbling inside evaporates, leaving behind airy pockets that make the cookie light and flaky. Helping this along is your leavening agent, sodium bicarbonate, or baking soda.
Video examples
A New Understanding of...
these early farming populations fostered the development of mathematical knowledge, advanced metallurgy. They learned to cultivate olives, vines and date palms. They invented leavened bread, beer, and they developed textile
Example 1 of 2
Quote examples
Virginia Henley
British Writer
History is my passion. So I write what I love to read. I find that if I combine history with a strong, sensual romance, it is like a one-two punch. The reader doesn't want the history without the romance, and of course the heavier the history, the more it has to be leavened with a sensual, all-consuming love story.
Quote examples
Sherrilyn Kenyon
American Writer
I think you need humour and a sense of fun, which is what I try to bring to my books to leaven the danger and action. The ones that really transcend the genre always have a great laugh in them, such as 'Fright Night,' 'Lost Boys,' 'American Werewolf in London' - just to name a few.
Quote examples
Ty Burrell
American Actor
Our house was a place where you were welcome to make an idiot out of yourself. Silliness was valued. My dad worked with foster kids in the foster care system, and I think silliness was a way for him to leaven things up.
Quote examples
Alton Brown
American Entertainer
A pie dough comes together exactly like a biscuit only there is very, very little liquid and no leavening involved. Other than that, the same rules apply. My best advice: handle the dough as little as possible.
Quote examples
Ben Okri
Nigerian Poet
I believe in leavening. You can't have words sticking out too much, like promontories. They disturb the density. You have to flatten them, or raise the surrounding terrain.
Quote examples
Evan Dando
American Musician
When there are no women on the tour it can get awful and ugly - constant horrible jokes and gross behaviour. It needs to be leavened with a feminine presence.
Quote examples
Annalee Newitz
American Journalist
The Red' delivers intense action, leavened by a genuinely sympathetic portrait of soldiers caught up in battles they never chose.
Quote examples
Robert Browning
English Poet
Thou art my single day, God lends to leaven What were all earth else, with a feel of heaven.
Quote examples
George Will
Journalist
If your job is to leaven ordinary lives with elevating spectacle, be elevating or be gone.
Quote examples
William McIlvanney
Scottish Writer
Good lies need a leavening of truth to make them palatable.
Quote examples
Virginia Henley
British Writer
History is my passion. So I write what I love to read. I find that if I combine history with a strong, sensual romance, it is like a one-two punch. The reader doesn't want the history without the romance, and of course the heavier the history, the more it has to be leavened with a sensual, all-consuming love story.
Quote examples
Sherrilyn Kenyon
American Writer
I think you need humour and a sense of fun, which is what I try to bring to my books to leaven the danger and action. The ones that really transcend the genre always have a great laugh in them, such as 'Fright Night,' 'Lost Boys,' 'American Werewolf in London' - just to name a few.
Quote examples
Ty Burrell
American Actor
Our house was a place where you were welcome to make an idiot out of yourself. Silliness was valued. My dad worked with foster kids in the foster care system, and I think silliness was a way for him to leaven things up.
Quote examples
Alton Brown
American Entertainer
A pie dough comes together exactly like a biscuit only there is very, very little liquid and no leavening involved. Other than that, the same rules apply. My best advice: handle the dough as little as possible.
Quote examples
Ben Okri
Nigerian Poet
I believe in leavening. You can't have words sticking out too much, like promontories. They disturb the density. You have to flatten them, or raise the surrounding terrain.
Quote examples
Evan Dando
American Musician
When there are no women on the tour it can get awful and ugly - constant horrible jokes and gross behaviour. It needs to be leavened with a feminine presence.
Quote examples
Annalee Newitz
American Journalist
The Red' delivers intense action, leavened by a genuinely sympathetic portrait of soldiers caught up in battles they never chose.
Quote examples
Robert Browning
English Poet
Thou art my single day, God lends to leaven What were all earth else, with a feel of heaven.
Quote examples
George Will
Journalist
If your job is to leaven ordinary lives with elevating spectacle, be elevating or be gone.
Quote examples
William McIlvanney
Scottish Writer
Good lies need a leavening of truth to make them palatable.
Example 1 of 10
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