09/15/2026
Vitamin C in bread? Yes—but probably not for the reason you think.
Ascorbic acid is commonly used in bread baking as a tool to influence dough strength, not simply for nutritional fortification.
In this episode, Michael Eggebrecht breaks down what ascorbic acid actually does to dough, when a baker might want to use it, and why stronger dough isn’t automatically better.
We cover how ascorbic acid can affect dough strength, resistance, fermentation tolerance, gas retention and loaf volume, along with practical applications for sourdough, pan breads, baguettes and even frozen croissant dough.
Michael also explains:
• Why new-crop or “green” flour can suddenly change the way your dough behaves
• How ascorbic acid can help when dough loses strength
• Practical dosing ranges from roughly 20–100 ppm
• How to make a simple 1% ascorbic acid premix for easier bakery scaling
• Why too much can create overly bucky dough and reduce oven spring
• How ascorbic acid fits into the move away from bromated flour
• Why it can be useful in frozen croissant and laminated dough production
Vitamin C in bread? Yes—but probably not for the reason you think....
