Book 1, Question 139 · Video
Why Does Toast Turn Brown? The Maillard Reaction!
Toasting bread changes more than its color. Heat changes the sugars and proteins in bread, and that browning is called a Maillard reaction. Toast for too long and the brown becomes
Read the full answer →What Crafty Clover says in this video
Intro
Hi! I'm Crafty Clover! Let's discover something amazing. Why does toast turn brown?
The Big Idea
Pop a pale slice of bread in the toaster, and out comes golden, crunchy toast! The heat doesn't just dry the bread. It actually makes brand-new molecules, with new colors, smells, and flavors. Let's see how!
Heat Changes Food
Step one: heat changes sugars and proteins. Bread is made from flour, which has tiny bits of sugar and protein inside. In the toaster, the surface dries out and gets really hot, much hotter than boiling water. That's when the magic starts!
Maillard Reaction
Step two: that browning is a Maillard reaction. Say it with me: my-YAR! The hot sugars and proteins join together, making brand-new molecules. They turn the bread golden brown, and give it that yummy toasty flavor.
Burnt Carbon
Step three: too long, and brown becomes burnt carbon. If the toast keeps heating, the molecules break apart, until mostly black carbon is left. Burnt toast tastes bitter and smoky. So golden is the goal!
A Closer Look
Let's watch the whole toasty journey! First, soft pale bread. Then, golden brown toast, thanks to the Maillard reaction. And finally, too much heat makes black, burnt carbon.
Quick Facts
Quick facts! The smell of toast is new flavor molecules, floating up to your nose! The Maillard reaction makes hundreds of different flavor molecules. It also browns cookies, pancakes, roasted marshmallows, and grilled cheese. It's named after a French scientist, Louis Maillard. Say it: loo-EE my-YAR!
Think Like a Scientist
Now, think like a scientist! With a grown-up, toast one slice light, and one slice a bit darker. Smell them both. Then take a taste. Which one smells stronger? The darker toast has more new flavor molecules!
Outro
So toast turns brown because heat makes sugars and proteins team up in the Maillard reaction. Yum! Crafty Clover can be found on Amazon Books, Google Bookstore, and Apple Books. Available for purchase or download! Bye for now!