Fermentation is a metabolic process that produces chemical changes in organic substrates through the action of enzymes. In biochemistry, it is narrowly defined as the extraction of energy from carbohydrates in the absence of oxygen.

What exactly is fermentation?

Fermentation, chemical process by which molecules such as glucose are broken down anaerobically. More broadly, fermentation is the foaming that occurs during the manufacture of wine and beer, a process at least 10,000 years old.

What does fermentation mean in cooking?

In brief, fermentation refers to the chemical decomposition of complex organic compounds into simpler substances. With bread, this refers to the process where yeast converts sugar to carbon dioxide and alcohol in the absence of oxygen, causing dough to rise.