Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
When bread dough is placed in a hot oven, it undergoes a final, rapid increase in volume before the crust sets. This phenomenon is a critical part of the baking process and has a specific technical name.
Step 3: Detailed Explanation:
Let's analyze the terms:
- Oven spring: This is the correct term for the final burst of leavening that occurs in the dough during the first 10-12 minutes of baking. It is caused by two main factors:
1. The heat of the oven accelerates the activity of the yeast, causing it to produce a large amount of carbon dioxide gas rapidly.
2. The existing gas bubbles trapped in the dough expand significantly as they heat up, and the water in the dough turns to steam, which also expands and contributes to leavening.
- Sheen: This refers to the glossy or shiny appearance of the bread's crust, often enhanced by an egg wash or steam during baking. It is a visual characteristic, not a volume increase.
- Bloom: This term describes the attractive appearance of the finished loaf, particularly how the crust has opened up or "bloomed" at the score marks. While related to a good oven spring, it is not the name for the volume increase itself.
- Rising: This is a general term for the leavening of dough that occurs during fermentation and proofing, before it enters the oven. "Oven spring" is the specific term for the rising that happens {inside} the oven.
Step 4: Final Answer:
The rapid increase in the volume of bread during the initial stage of baking is known as oven spring. Therefore, option (B) is the correct answer.