Is eating warm yeast cake bad for your stomach? Experts weigh in
Who hasn't counted the minutes until a cake is ready to come out of the oven? And the subsequent disappointment when grandma insists you can't immediately cut it. She was particularly strict with yeast cakes. "Don't eat it warm, or you'll get a stomachache," she'd say. Sound familiar? Let's find out if there's any truth to this old saying.
2:26 PM EDT, July 27, 2024
Grandma's warning against eating warm yeast cake was based on the belief that it could cause stomachaches. But where did this idea originate, and should we still be concerned?
Important yeast
According to traditional beliefs, warm yeast cake can cause stomach pain because of the yeast. Do these microorganisms really pose a risk? The expert stated that if this were true, Italians wouldn't recommend eating pizza straight out of the oven. Pizza, another widespread baked good that relies on yeast, is enjoyed hot in Italy without concerns about these microorganisms being harmful.
Just a mild heat
The expert assures that eating warm pizza and yeast cake is perfectly fine. Baker's yeast, most often Saccharomyces cerevisiae, works under the influence of temperature to make the dough rise. However, these yeasts die when the surrounding temperature exceeds 120 degrees Fahrenheit. They are most active at temperatures close to a mild summer heat, about 85 degrees Fahrenheit. That's why milk or water used to prepare the starter is only gently warmed. Grandmas, who are masters at preparing yeast dough, often said that yeast must not be "boiled."
Who is right
Yeast simply stops working at high temperatures. Even when active, leading to the dough rising, it does not produce any harmful chemical compounds that could affect the digestive system. Only certain amounts of carbon dioxide are produced, which makes the dough rise. The body quickly removes this gas. Therefore, in this case, grandma got it wrong.
