What's the Problem?

[Michael in FtW]

I was reading Shirley Corriher's Cookwise last night and ran across these examples in the section on "how to spot a bad bread recipe". I actually knew the answers before I read them! No, not from reading Shriley, or Harold McGee - but from reading the sections other than just the recipes in Joy of Cooking! Can you spot the problems?

1. Rye Bread:
The recipe calls for 2-packages of yeast and 3 cups of rye flour. The bread comes out dense like a doorstop.

2. King's Cake:
This is a New Orleans Mardi Gras sweet bread and the recipe was published in the newspaper. The recipe calls for 2 packages of yeast, 3 cups flour, and 1 cup of sugar. Turned out flat and dense.

HINT: I have given you the part of the recipe that causes the problem in both cases. The rest of the recipes is insignificant and has nothing to do with the problem.

I'll post the answer in about 48-hours ... need to give you time to make your guesses.

 

[luvs]

the yeast was dead. inactive.

 

[Michael in FtW]

the yeast was dead. inactive.

Nope ... but the most obvious answer. In both cases - the yeast is alive and well, and both breads were proofed at the proper temperatures.

That's my fault luvs - I should have said the yeast was alive and kicking.

All indregients are in 100% working order ....

 

[lyndalou]

Too much yeast to flour ratio?

 

[thumpershere2]

I agree with Lyndalou

 

[jkath]

that's the only thing I could come up with as well.
(I feel like I'm watching Alton Brown firsthand)

 

[Alix]

I agree too. Tell us if we are right Michael.

 

[Andy M.]

You can't use all rye flour, you have to mix it with some wheat flour - preferably bread flour. 1/3 rye and 2/3 bread flour would work.

For the King Cake, I'd guess there's too much sugar.

 

[jkath]

doh!

(which is why I don't bake bread too much, except for one recipe!)

 

[IcyMist]

You notice I didn't pop up with an answer? Anybody need some brown hocky pucks? Or how about a loaf shaped pop art piece? Could probably be drilled and a light socket put in it.

 

[Michael in FtW]

Either Andy did his homework or is just naturally smart?

I guess I posted this because sometimes you can follow a recipe to the letter and it just doesn't turn out right. You think it's your fault - when the truth is that it's the fault of the recipe!

The problem in both cases is a lack of gluten. Gluten forms a tight elastic network that is able to hold gas in - think of bubble-gum here. Without gluten the CO2 produced by the yeast just floats off into space. It's kind of like trying to blow up a pair of pantyhose like a party balloon - no matter how much air you blow into them their not going to puff up.

But - the lack of gluten production is for two different reasons.

1. Rye flour doesn't contain enough glutenin and gliadin for significant gluten production. Andy's approach is one solution. The other, to retain more of the rye flavor, would be to add 1/3 cup "Gluten Flour" and a little more liquid to the original recipe to get a risen loaf.

2. The King Cake's problem is because of the sugar. Glutenin and gliadin bond with sugar easier and faster than they bond to each other. And, when they are already bound to sugar they don't bond with each other to make gluten. The simple solution here was to reduce the sugar to 3 Tablespoons (1 Tblsp per cup of flour).

Source material (problems and solutions) taken from: CookWise by Shirley M. Corriher - page 98.

 

[Andy M.]

Thanks, Michael. I must confess, I'm just naturally smart

...actually it depends a great deal on the question. If you keep asking the questions I happen to know the answers to, I'll look like a veritable genius. Then again, you'll run out of questions really fast.

 

[lyndalou]

Andy, you are the man. I truly thought that it could be what you said, but I'm not a bread baker, so went with my first answer. That was kinda fun, Michael, got any more?