FSCN 1011: Bread

Making Yeast Bread

Disperse yeast in warm water

  • 105-115 F

  • Too warm, kills yeast (Little warmer than lukewarm or hot)

  • Too cold, produce a compound that makes the dough weaker (more plastic)

Scald Milk (~180 F or 83 C)

  • How to tell: Once the skin forms on the top, this means the milk is scalded.

  • What it does: Denatures proteins in the milk, this makes the dough weak.

    • Stronger the dough, the more rounded the top of the bread is going to be. As it gets weaker it is going to round less.

Pour over sugar, salt, and fat to melt and dissolve

Cooling the milk mixture then add yeast, eggs, and flour

  • Makes a kneadable dough

  • Too much flour, the dough is too tough

Let the dough rest for 5-10 minutes

  • Flour is picking up water from the milk and eggs (hydrating), the dough becomes less sticky and easier to handle.

Knead until smooth and elastic

  • Kneading: Spread the dough, grab the front part and fold it over, press on hand, squish it, turn it 90 degrees, and then repeat. Continue until the dough is smooth and elastic

  • Developing the gluten

  • Develops/forms air nuclei; when pressing down the dough

    • Having a lot of air cells creates a coarse or fine grain bread (small air cells).

Let rise until double

  • Yeast produces CO2

  • Yeast produces acid

  • Optimum temp is 78-82 F

    • If too warm, rises too fast, microbes other than yeast grow

    • If too cold, takes too long.

Punch down

  • Prevents gluten film from overstretching (if it keeps rising, cannot recover from this since it becomes limp and not as stretchy).

  • Subdivides gas cells

  • Redistributes nutrients

Let rise again or shape

  • Avoid tearing the dough

What makes the dough weak and sticky?

  1. Not enough flour

  2. Too much water

  3. Not kneading enough

  4. Yeast dispersed in cold water

  5. Not dispersing air cells properly (air cells are too big)

  6. Letting it rise for too long

  7. Adding salt makes the dough more sticky