Abstract: A developer composition is provided for use in a short time process for the manufacture of leaven bread and like bakery products to impart particular desired characteristics to said bakery products in the form of a very soft and fine-grained texture together with a low specific volume. The developer composition consists of a mixture of (a) amino acid reducing substance containing free sulfhydryl groups (b) ascorbic acid and (c) monocalcium phosphate, in combination with a proportion of dry blending agent. The proportion of monocalcium phosphate in the developer composition is much lower than customary levels.