Carbon dioxide (CO2) plays a critical role in baking. When leavening agents like yeast, baking soda, or baking powder interact with moisture and heat, they generate CO2 gas. This gas is what expands the dough or batter, forming small bubbles that create the light, airy texture we come to love in bread, cakes and pastries.
Without CO2, baked goods would be very dense, flat and lack the familiar crumb structure beloved in bakeries worldwide.
Why Is CO2 Important for Baking?
Non-bakers may not realize that beyond flour, sugar and eggs, one of the most essential “invisible ingredients” in baking is CO2. Leavening agents like baking soda, baking powder, and yeast release CO2 during the baking process, causing the dough to rise.
For example, when baker’s yeast is added to bread dough, it begins breaking down sugars and releases CO2. This forms gas pockets that stretch the dough, giving it elasticity and helping it rise into the perfect shape and texture. In cakes, CO2 comes from the reaction between sodium bicarbonate and acidic ingredients, which is why recipes carefully balance ingredients to encourage proper lift.
Carbon dioxide has been a foundation of bread-making for thousands of years. Traditional breads like sourdough, brioche, rye and even holiday cornbread rely on CO2 formation to build their signature crumb and flavor.
How Bakeries Use CO2 in Bread Production
Bakeries use carbon dioxide all the time, especially in the final proofing stage before baking. In a closed area with hundreds of loaves of bread, this can cause the CO2 levels to rise to potentially dangerous levels. This is why a large, artisan bread company in Minneapolis recently began using our Remote CO2 Storage Safety Alarm and Horn Strobes (RAD-0102-6-HS2) to protect their employees from high levels of CO2 in enclosed bread rising rooms.
Fun Fact: A loaf of bread can double in volume because of CO2 bubbles. The “holes'' inside the bread are a direct result of trapped carbon dioxide expanding during baking.
If dough under-proofs, it may rise unevenly in the oven. If it over-proofs, it may collapse. Mastering CO2 production and timing is the key to consistent results.
CO2 Beyond Baking: Cryogenic Freezing and Food Preservation
CO2 also tends to play a major role in the food industry outside of just baking and leavening. In fact, many bakeries use CO2 for cryogenic freezing to preserve baked goods. Flash-freezing using carbon dioxide is one method that helps retain moisture, flavor, and texture while extending shelf life and supporting wider distribution.
According to Baking Business, "Bakeries freeze raw, par-baked and fully-baked foods to extend shelf life, retain moisture and flavor, and increase distribution capabilities."
CO2 is also used in drying, modified-atmosphere packaging (MAP), refrigeration, and transportation.
Pro Tip: Baking Soda vs. Baking Powder
It's also important to note that while both ingredients produce CO2, they are not interchangeable:
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Baking Soda = pure sodium bicarbonate. Requires an acidic ingredient (like buttermilk or lemon juice) to activate and produce the CO2.
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Baking Powder = sodium bicarbonate + powdered acid. This works without additional acidic ingredients.
The bottom line? Follow the recipe carefully as each reacts differently and directly affects CO2 production and rise.
What Foods Use CO2?
While carbon dioxide serves incredibly useful in baking, it is also used across the entire food industry.
- CO2 gives your favorite soda and beer the sensational fizz of carbonation
- CO2 is used to flash-freeze produce to reduce "freezer burn"
- CO2 is used in drying to extend fruit and vegetable shelf-life
- CO2 is used in both liquid and dry ice forms for refrigeration and transportation
Overall, many of the main foods you come in contact with have already been introduced to CO2 during production, transportation and storage such as:
- Livestock (Pigs, Chickens, Turkeys, Cows)
- Dairy (Ice Cream, Milk, Eggs, Cheese)
- Carbonated Drinks (Soda, Juices, Ciders, Seltzers)
- Packaged Foods (Meats, Cheeses, Fruits, Vegetables)
How CO2 Levels Affect Bread Quality and Texture
CO2 production also does not just make dough rise, it directly determines the final texture, volume, and flavor of your baked goods. The amount of CO2 produced during fermentation controls the size of air pockets inside the crumb, influencing whether bread is light and fluffy or dense and chewy.
For bakers, achieving the right CO2 balance is also a science. Too little CO2 creates flat, compact loaves. Too much CO2, often from over-proofing, weakens the dough structure and causes collapse. Temperature, hydration, yeast activity, and fermentation time all impact CO2 formation. Monitoring these aspects also helps bakers maintain consistent quality and produce the desired style, whether a tight sandwich loaf or an open-crumb sourdough.
High-quality baking depends on a controlled environment where CO2 can be managed and measured. This is especially important in commercial bakeries that rely on precise fermentation cycles to maintain uniformity across thousands of loaves.
So, Is CO2 Safe for Baking?
For the typical consumer, carbon dioxide used in food is completely safe. However, for restaurants and commercial processes that use stored CO2, safety precautions must be used. The presence of carbon dioxide itself is not a problem, but it is the volume of the gas and its ability to displace oxygen that can rise to dangerous levels.
Since carbon dioxide is heavier than air, it also displaces oxygen. At high concentrations this will also cause asphyxiation. In the event of a CO2 release, it is easy to experience personal exposure, especially in a confined space like a tank or a cellar. Early symptoms of being exposed to high levels of carbon dioxide could include dizziness, headaches, confusion and loss of consciousness.
Because of these severe negative health effects, many accidents and fatalities do occur in the food and beverage industry from carbon dioxide releases.
Why Commercial Bakeries Need CO2 Safety Monitoring
Without proper gas safety detection methods in place, everyone at a facility could be at risk. This is fairly common when one person shows symptoms of high carbon dioxide exposure and nearby workers attempt to help, only to become victims as well.
Proofing rooms, walk-in freezers, beverage systems, and cryogenic freezing stations often release CO2 in enclosed spaces. Without proper ventilation and gas safety monitoring, staff may not realize CO2 is rising until severe health symptoms occur.
This is why many bakeries, restaurants, and beverage facilities use devices like the CO2Meter Remote CO2 Storage Safety 3 Alarm and Horn Strobes (RAD-0102-6-HS2) which provides:
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Real-time CO2 level detection
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Visual and audible alarms
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Exhaust fan activation and third-party control system triggers
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Continuous protection for staff and customers
CO2 safety monitoring is not just recommended, it’s increasingly required by fire codes, OSHA guidelines, and best practices in food production.
Overall, whether it’s generating lift in dough, preserving baked goods through cryogenic freezing or supporting countless steps in food production, CO2 plays an essential and often invisible role in the baking industry. But alongside its benefits comes the responsibility to protect workers and maintain safe environments.
With CO2 safety monitoring, you can provide the critical protection needed in bakeries, restaurants, and production facilities, ensuring the people behind your favorite breads and pastries stay safe. To learn more about CO2 safety monitoring or if you have any questions contact a CO2Meter representative today.
