Problems with yeast (and temperatures...and ...)
ON YEAST
deathvalleydan said:
I always use rapid rise, in the little packets. I also always prime the yeast til it is frothy and smells yeasty.
The type of yeast you're using may be part of the problem. Unfortunately marketing idiots use marketing hype to describe yeast and its hard to figure out what yeast is suited to what kind of bread.
For most yeast-rising bread baking, either Active Dry or Instant yeast are fine.
Active Dry yeast seems to be the yeast most widely available. Fortunately, both Fleishmann and Red Star/SAF (same company - they merged!) call it
Active Dry.
Active Dry yeast must be dissolved in water prior to use.
Instant yeast may be labeled Bread Machine Yeast - eg:
Fleishmann's Bread Machine yeast and
Red Star Bread Machine yeast. This is misleading; it doesn't matter if you use a bread machine, stand mixer or your hands to mix and knead your dough.
Instant yeast is added to dry ingredients; unlike Active Dry you should not dissolve it in water prior to use.
Do check out
my small diatribe on yeast for more info on both Instant and Active Dry yeast and for tips on dissolving Active Dry yeast.
When yeast works, it usually rises very quickly, double in volume in about 15 minutes, but if there is no change whatsoever in 45 minutes, I usually call failure.
Rapid/quick rise yeast is primarily designed to give a quick initial rise, however
it tends to poop out under extended rising times.
Fleishmann's Rapid Rise and
Red Star Quick Rise yeast are essentially the same. Like instant yeast, they are
meant to be added to dry ingredients so do not dissolve in water first. You may find them recommended for bread machines but this is simply because bread machines (and the bread recipes specifically designed for bread machines) are aimed at bakers who want edible (but not necessarily superior) bread fast-fast-fast.
I personally would *NOT* use rapid/quick rise yeast in my bread because long rise(s) contribute to flavor and this type of yeast is *not* designed for that approach.
I would recommend either Active Dry [AD] or instant yeast for bread making.
ON RISING TEMPERATURES
I have more problems now that it is winter, as I don't often heat my house. Usually it's about 45ºF (7ºC) inside, so that must be part of the problem. However, even during the summer when my house occasionally got as hot as 110ºF (43ºC), yeast was still hit and miss.
The variability of temperature in your home is a problem. Yeast becomes dormant at about 40F. "Room temperature" is assumed to be around 70F-75F; professional bakers often use special proofing containers or environments that hold the temperature around 80F. In sum, an average range for letting dough rise would be from the low 70sF to the low 80sF.
Below 70F we approach the technique of letting the dough rise overnight in the frig (a home refrigerator typically is between 40-50F) but this assumes the dough is at "room temperature" when it is put in the 'frig and gradually cools off until the entire mass of dough reaches 40F, at which point the yeast becomes dormant (but *not* dead). If the temp in your kitchen is above the low 80sF I would recommend letting the dough rise overnight (8-16 hrs, typically around 12 hrs) in the 'frig.
In the winter, I turn on the oven prior to starting a bread recipe so the top gets warm enough to provide a good environment for the yeast.
I assume when you turn on the oven in winter you are simply warming the whole kitchen, *not* placing the kneaded dough on top of the stove. If the bowl is placed on the stove you *may* be heating the bottom of the dough too much and killing some of the yeast. (Even if you're not over-heating the bottom, you're applying uneven heat to the dough - hotter at the bottom, cooler at the top - which may affect the rise.) If your oven has a tight seal, you could try putting a large pan of simmering water on the floor of a cold oven (the oven is *not* turned on) and the bowl, covered, on a rack at least 5" above the water. Try to avoid letting the dough proof on or near a heat source (such as a heating vent or radiator) where the heat is uneven.
ON FLOUR
I always use all purpose flour
If it is available in your area, try switching to
bread flour. All purpose flour is a mix of "weak" and "strong" flours and the actual proportions may vary from region to region. Just use bread flour in the same amount as the AP flour the recipe calls for. While the type of flour you use seems to be the least of your problems, you may find that, for most recipes, bread flour works better because it has more of the good stuff that becomes gluten when the dough is kneaded and gluten is what traps the carbon-dioxide given off by growing yeast.
Also, you may want temporarily to avoid breads that call for large amounts of whole grain flour (such as whole wheat or rye) until you can reliably produce well risen bread. At that point you'll have a better idea of what techniques work best for you and you can explore the whole-grain breads.
OTHER COMMENTS
Nothing seems to work all the time, although I have far more success with basic French breads than buttery rolls.
You're right! Different breads call for different techniques. A dough made with a high percent of butter is different than a french bread which typically contains no fat. Fat (butter/margarine/oil) contributes to flavor and keeping qualities but high amounts also retard the rising power of the yeast. A good recipe adjusts for these factors.
I have also found if a recipe calls for a yeast batter rather than a dough, it tends to rise more frequently.
A yeast batter (also called a sponge) contributes to rising because it provides an optimal environment for yeast growth. Typically a sponge is made with water, some white flour and yeast (maybe a *small* amount of sweetener) but no fat or salt. It helps to beat the sponge for several minutes since that will help develop the gluten; even a wire whip or a wimpy hand mixer can be used at this stage. Fat, salt, sweetener and (of course) the rest of the flour(s) are added after the sponge has doubled in bulk; the kneaded dough gets a 2nd rise in the bowl and a last rise in the pan. Essentially you have allowed the yeast to multiply happily in the sponge so you have more yeast working for you in the final dough. Pretty much any standard loaf-bread recipe can benefit from this approach and most recipes are easily converted. I almost always start with a sponge when I make a loaf-style bread.
Hope this helps. Don't hesitate to post back to this thread (or PM me) if you have additional questions or problems (or just want some encouragement!) - SF
Subfuscpersona, good stuff. I've learned a few things I didn't know about the rising properties of yeast. This will help me imensely. Thanks.
