Bread smells like alcohol - What you should know?

Bread is a staple in most homes. It’s a shelf item that many of us keep close at hand. Bread can be used for many things. Whether you buy bread or make it yourself, you understand the usefulness of bread.

Bread is very versatile and quite cheap. If you make your own bread, it’s usually a simple process. You can do it in a bread maker or even in your oven. Of course, you can also buy any flavor of bread at your local grocery store.

Does your bread ever smell like alcohol? Your bread has been in the pantry for a few days and you open it and the smell of alcohol is strong. What are you doing? Is it safe to eat it?

This is a common thing and there is no need to worry too much. The bread has a unique elaboration: it usually has yeast. Yeast is an interesting additive that helps your fermentation, but it ultimately falls under the category of fungi. In short, when your bread smells like alcohol or vinegar, yeast is most likely to blame. 

In this guide, we’ll take a look at what can cause your bread to smell like alcohol, beer, wine, chemicals, or even vinegar. There are scientific reasons behind these odors that we will share with you. We also have some valuable tips and information on what to do when this happens to you.

Read on to find out what you should know about when your bread smells like alcohol.

Also, if you want to store your bread in a way that keeps it longer, make sure your counter has a good bread box (I like this one from Amazon).

Guide to alcohol-scented bread

Let’s start by talking more about yeast.

All about yeast

Almost all bread is made with yeast or some type of leavening agent. Some breads can even be made with beer instead of yeast (hmmm, maybe that’s a clue to the smell?).

Yeast is a single-celled microorganism that is considered part of the fungi family. There are multiple species of yeast. Yeast is used in all kinds of confectionery, but it is also a common agent in making wine and beer.

Yeast is not considered a bacterium because it is contained in a nucleus whereas bacteria do not have a nucleus. Yeast can be found in many places: skin, intestinal tract, soil, flowers, fruits, etc.

Yeast doesn’t usually just appear in that powdery form you buy it in at the store. It is processed in that way to achieve a purpose.

So why do we use yeast in bread making?  The yeast basically ferments the sugars in the mixture. It is considered a leavening agent.  This agent produces carbon dioxide and alcohol to help the bread rise, as well as give it texture and even aroma.

Yeast is used in both bread and alcohol making, which is the main reason you may notice that smell. It’s not necessarily that you smell like alcohol, but rather that you smell like yeast.

How does yeast leaven bread?  It combines with the sugars and oxygen in the dough and basically produces more yeast and carbon dioxide . It is this multiplying process that causes the bread to rise and make it light and fluffy. It is basically a yeast fermentation process.

Howcast on YouTube has a great 2 minute video on how to use yeast to rise bread. Check it.

How is bread made

Now that you understand what yeast is and what it does, we think we need to talk about how bread is made. Walking through this process might help tie this information together as we talk about why your bread might smell like alcohol.

This is a simple homemade bread recipe to give you an idea of the ingredients and the process in general . Remember that it is only a reference and is not intended to be a static recipe that cannot be adjusted to your needs.

1. To make homemade bread, you usually need yeast, hot water, sugar, salt, oil, and bread flour (regular flour works well, too).
2. Start by dissolving the yeast and a small amount of sugar in the hot water. Let it sit until bubbles start to form on the surface of the water.
3. When bubbles start to form, whisk in the rest of the sugar, salt and a part of the flour. Add the water and yeast mixture and beat the mixture.
4. Add the rest of the flour a little at a time, mixing as you add it. This should form a smooth dough.
5. Spread some flour on a surface and place the dough on top of the flour.
6. Knead the dough lightly for about 8-10 minutes. It will become soft and elastic.
7. Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover it. Let it rise in a semi-warm place for 1-2 hours.
8. Pierce the dough. Most recipes will give enough dough for two loaves. Divide it in half and place it in greased molds. Let the dough rise another 1-2 hours.
9. Bake at 375 for 30-35 minutes, or until golden brown.

Notice that you let the bread rise twice. It is at this time that the yeast does the work within the bread dough mixture. 

Why does my bread smell like alcohol, wine, beer or vinegar?

We could separate each of these categories, but we really don’t have to. If you notice that your bread smells very similar to beer, alcohol, wine or vinegar, you can understand that the smell comes from the use of yeast in the bread-making process. 

Don’t worry, we’ll explain what happens.

The smell comes specifically from the fermentation of the yeast used in the bread. It is a natural process that occurs when yeast settles in the bread and converts carbohydrates into alcohol and carbon dioxide.

The bread will almost certainly smell of alcohol during the process while you are making homemade bread. The good news is that usually when you bake your bread, you get rid of the smell and alcohol into the yeast fermentation mixture. 

However, when the bread stays in the pantry or wherever you keep it, sometimes the smell comes back. It’s perfectly safe to eat, nothing wrong with it, other than the smell can be quite annoying.

You should know that the smell does not mean that the bread is sour or that it is undercooked. You’re not feeding your kids alcohol when you serve them smelly bread.

What can you do with the smell?

If you make your bread at home, there are a few steps you can take to potentially reduce the smell of alcohol. Remember that if the bread is fully baked, the smell usually disappears on its own.

However, you can also try reducing the amount of yeast you use by 10%. This should still be enough yeast for your bread to rise properly. Use cold water instead of hot water when preparing the yeast for the bread mix, this can also make a difference.

Be sure not to let the dough rise for too long . Stay within the recommended time frames. The longer the dough is allowed to rise, the more the multiplying process occurs, which is essentially what causes the smell.

In the case of store-bought bread, if you notice the smell, don’t be alarmed. It is usually just a sign of the process that the bread has gone through during its preparation. You can try baking or slightly warming the bread to reduce the smell.

If not, it’s best that you understand that your bread is safe to eat. You don’t need to write it off because of this smell. The smell occurs naturally due to the yeast process in the dough and is perfectly safe and normal to eat.

Related questions

We hope you find this guide to understanding the smell of alcohol on your bread informative and useful. Remember that your bread is safe to eat, despite the smell.

We invite you to review the following section of questions and answers for additional information that may be useful to you.

Can you tell if bread is bad by smell?

We do not recommend that you rely on the smell to know if the bread is bad. Unfortunately, that strong smell of alcohol, wine, beer or even a vinegar-like smell only comes from processing and does not mean the bread is bad.

Taste the bread and if it tastes weird you can throw it away. Otherwise, you can keep eating the bread until it’s stale or tastes sour to you. Another reason to throw it away would be if it starts to get moldy.

Can the bread be frozen?

Yes, sure you can, and freezing the bread will extend its shelf life for quite some time.  When you go to use it, you can let it thaw at room temperature and you shouldn’t have any problems.