Yeast dough problems.

[Bolledeig]

Hey everyone!

I'm having serious yeast problems. In my dough that is.
Hopefully someone here would be so kind and help me.

So, I moved to the US a while ago from northern Europe. Many grocery/ingredient problems came my way. Yeast is one of those I can't seem to figure out.

I bake alot of bread (of the darker kind), and that always turns out perfect now a days.
I'm using Fleischmann's instant yeast now.
The yeast we use where I'm from is not in dry grain form, but clay textured clumps. So this is new to me. Our yeast is also always stirred out in lukewarm liquid.

Right now I'm baking a sweet wheat dough with butter in it, and it refuses to rise. Basically 1 liter flour, 1.5 cup of milk, 1 stick (110g) butter and 1 tea spoon yeast. That should be acceptable, right? All the dry first, including the yeast, then the liquid.

Usually I melt the butter with the milk and cool it down to body temperature. This has turned out not to work well in the past (yeast/rising wise), so this time i tried kneading in room temperatured butter as the very last step before rising. Not working either. The dough just won't rise.

When I do melt the butter in the milk, the dough usually rises ok the first time, but the after rising is minimal. Not happy with the result!

It shouldn't be anything wrong with the yeast. Opened the package a few days ago for a bread dough. Worked fine then. Has been sealed in the refrigerator since.

Is it the butter that's the problem? Temperatures and conditions should be just fine. I bake alot, and know the basic routine. This only happens when American yeast meets butter in the dough.

Help?
Sorry about the long explanation.

 

[FrankZ]

You may need to adjust your yeast amount going from fresh yeast to dry.

I proof my yeast before using it. Basically I weigh out how much I need for my bake and let it sit out for 15 minutes or so to warm up (though I am not convinced this matters) and then warm some water add sugar and the yeast and let it sit for 5 minutes or so.

Proofing will also let you know if you have dead yeast. Check your expiration date.

 

[Andy M.]

I would use more yeast. The packets of dry yeast, wither Instant or Active Dry, contain 2.25 teaspoons each. One teaspoon may not give you the lift you need.

If you use Active Dry Yeast instead of Instant, you have to proof it in warm water before mixing in the dry ingredients.

 

[Bolledeig]

You may need to adjust your yeast amount going from fresh yeast to dry.

I proof my yeast before using it. Basically I weigh out how much I need for my bake and let it sit out for 15 minutes or so to warm up (though I am not convinced this matters) and then warm some water add sugar and the yeast and let it sit for 5 minutes or so.

Proofing will also let you know if you have dead yeast. Check your expiration date.

Thanks, FrankZ!

Yeap, have already spent some time adjusting the amount.

Tried the proofing method a while back, and even though it seemed absolutely functional, it gave the same result.


This is so annoying, I almost wanna pull out all my hair and sell it!

 

[FrankZ]

What kind of flour are you using?

I use about 12g of yeast for 960g of flour.

Also how much salt are you using?

 

[Bolledeig]

I would use more yeast. The packets of dry yeast, wither Instant or Active Dry, contain 2.25 teaspoons each. One teaspoon may not give you the lift you need.

If you use Active Dry Yeast instead of Instant, you have to proof it in warm water before mixing in the dry ingredients.

Used the same amount yeast (same kind) for a 3 bread dough the other day, and it turned out just fine. But I'll try another dough with more yeast!


Nobody thinking it could have anything to do with the butter btw?

 

[Bolledeig]

What kind of flour are you using?

I use about 12g of yeast for 960g of flour.

Also how much salt are you using?

Just regular HEB all purpose flour, unbleached. No salt. 125g sugar and a little cardamom.

 

[FrankZ]

The amount of fat (butter) might be causing issues. Is it unsalted butter?

One way to simplify might be to do a basic bread (flour, water, yeast, salt) and that is it. Everything else just changes the final dough or flavors it.

 

[garlicjosh]

I was hoping Frankz had already jumped in on this one..not much to else to add other then
Yeah, let the yeast come to room temp, make sure your liquid is the right temp...past that Frank is on like Donkey Kong.

 

[Bolledeig]

The amount of fat (butter) might be causing issues. Is it unsalted butter?

One way to simplify might be to do a basic bread (flour, water, yeast, salt) and that is it. Everything else just changes the final dough or flavors it.

Salted butter.

But but but I'm baking boller, not bread.
The recipe I'm using is a standard from about pre-caveman time.
I blame American yeast.

 

[FrankZ]

125 grams of sugar? That seems way way high to me.

My typical dough is:

Flour 960g
Yeast 12g
Water 653g
Oil (fat) 24g
Sugar 25g
Salt 19g

I use not quite twice the flour and you have 5 times the sugar.

 

[Bolledeig]

125 grams of sugar? That seems way way high to me.

My typical dough is:

Flour 960g
Yeast 12g
Water 653g
Oil (fat) 24g
Sugar 25g
Salt 19g

I use not quite twice the flour and you have 5 times the sugar.

Yeah, I'm making a dessert.
I would never bake bread with only wheat flour. And certainly not with sugar.

 

[FrankZ]

Ahh..

Sorry.. thought we were talking bread.

Check the expiration of your yeast. Fleischmanns should be fine otherwise.

 

[Bolledeig]

Ahh..

Sorry.. thought we were talking bread.

Check the expiration of your yeast. Fleischmanns should be fine otherwise.

Not expired.
Guess its time to learn to eat cement boller.

Thanks for all your answers, FrankZ!

 

[CWS4322]

What are boller?

 

[Bolledeig]

What are boller?

Traditional boller

I was gonna bake this with the bolle dough

 

[CWS4322]

Those look yummy. Do you mind if I ask where you are from in Europe?

 

[Bolledeig]

Those look yummy. Do you mind if I ask where you are from in Europe?

Sure, I'm from Norway.
And so are all my recipes. Lots of kitchen-raging-time.

 

[CWS4322]

I don't live in the US any longer, but the cake yeast used to be available--you might ask at your grocery store if they have fresh yeast or baker's yeast. Seems to me it was in the dairy case...

 

[CWS4322]

Sure, I'm from Norway.
And so are all my recipes. Lots of kitchen-raging-time.

I do hope you will share them! My ancesters were Norwegian and my dad has been studying Norwegian. I'd love to surprise him over Easter with some "real" Norwegian food. The boller look like something I'd like to try!