What is lecithin for in bread making, and what are alternatives?

Lecithin in Bread: What It Does (and When You Actually Need It)

You’ll often hear that lecithin helps improve gluten structure in bread. While that’s true, it’s not the biggest—or most important—thing lecithin does.

Lecithin’s primary role in bread is as an emulsifier. It helps fats and water mix together and stay mixed, which leads to:

• a softer crumb

• better moisture retention

• improved shelf life

That’s especially noticeable in enriched doughs that contain fat.

What Lecithin Actually Is

Lecithin is an emulsifier, meaning it helps water and oil stay combined—similar to what egg yolk does when you make mayonnaise.

If someone chooses to use store-bought lecithin:

• Powdered lecithin works best in bread

• Liquid lecithin is better suited for very oily mixtures (like vegan mayo)

• Typical usage is around 1% of total flour weight

That said… buying lecithin usually isn’t necessary.

Natural Sources of Lecithin From Your Kitchen

Most home bakers already have excellent sources of lecithin on hand.

Egg Yolks

Egg yolks contain roughly 1.5 grams of lecithin per yolk. In bread, this helps:

• keep fats and liquids evenly distributed

• make the crumb more pliable

• reduce cracking and crumbling

This is why enriched dough traditionally includes eggs—they naturally support structure and softness without added ingredients.

When Lecithin (or a Substitute) Makes Sense

In my opinion, lecithin—or something that acts like it—makes the most sense when:

• you’re making vegan enriched bread

• you can’t use eggs

• eggs are scarce or unavailable

In those cases, I’d still look to whole-food options first, such as:

• tofu or soy milk pulp (okara)

• sunflower seed or nut butters

These provide emulsifying support without turning bread into a chemistry experiment.

Replacements for Lecithin in Bread

If you guessed egg—specifically egg yolk—you’re absolutely right.

Before buying lecithin, I recommend trying:

• one or two eggs in your dough

• 40 grams of tofu

• 30 grams of okara

• 25 grams of sunflower seed butter

Pay attention to how the bread feels and how long it keeps on the counter. Most people find this solves the problem without needing an additive.

Your kitchen, your rules.

Recommendations (If You Choose to Use Lecithin)

Some bakers prefer sunflower lecithin over soy. If you do go this route, I recommend choosing organic, especially when adding ingredients to bread.

A commonly recommended option is:
Micro Ingredients Organic Sunflower Lecithin

That said, I no longer use lecithin in my own bread recipes. Once I dialed in hydration, fermentation, and techniques like yudane, it simply wasn’t necessary.

More on that in another post.

A Related Question You Might Have

Many people who ask about lecithin also wonder about gluten strength and additives. If that’s you, this article may help:

What Is Vital Wheat Gluten?