Does anybody know about yeast?

[Andy in Sig]

The bakery was shut this morning (the lazy sods have decided to have two days off over Christmas - the cheek of it!) so I decided that it was not a problem and that I would bake some bread: two kinds, the first following a recipe for quickly prepared French stick and the other for raisin rolls. I didn't need the quantities in the cook books and so halved all the ingredients except I didn't notice that the French sticks needed oil and popped an unhalved quantity in at the end. That could explain the less than impressive performance of the yeast cells (if the little bastards have indeed performed at all). It also leaves one wondering what on earth is wrong with foreigners that they need to have oil in their dough!!!

The raisin roll dough isn't doing much either: it's in a covered bowl on top of the espresso machine - where the cups get warmed up - to get the warmth from that.

The yeast was in its unopened packet in the fridge for about 18 months. I always thought that yeast was immortal. Can it in fact snuff it after all? Or am I doing something wrong?

Stop press: the dough atop the espresso machine might just be starting to perform!

 

[summerdays]

Most (?all) dough recipes have fat in it whether it be oil or butter.

Goes off and gets book...

Fats are used sparingly in most breads but are important. They act as preservatives and give a tender texture. French bread goes stale quickly because it uses no fat.

It goes on to say more about how the different fats can also effect the texture.

 

[Andy in Sig]

If I'd realised that I would have put some butter in. Thanks for the tip: I'll remember it for the future.

 

[ufkacbln]

So glad that someone was able to rise to the challenge

 

[I like Skol]

I've done some DIY bread baking over the last 12 months and I used dried yeast that has to be activated by mixing into warm sugary water. Even in ideal conditions in summer the yeast didn't always take (develop a frothy head after about 5 mins) so I had to remix the yeast solution a second time. In the Delia cookbook I use she says you can allow the dough to rise in the fridge overnight if you want, so it isn't necessary to leave it in a warm place but this does speed things up.

 

[Aperitif]

Whatever happens Andy, your culinary effort is going to be well bread, and well raised. The ideal child of Crust!

Delia's quick and easy wholemeal bread is a fast standby for times like this - otherwise embark on making croissants...by the time you have finished the prep, the bakery will be shut again - for Easter!

Good on you for having a go. Anyone fancy a bit of Andy's french stick?

 

[vernon]

Me. I'm a gluten for all varieties of bread.

 

[Aperitif]

Me. I'm a gluten for all varieties of bread.

It would take a lot of bread to make you a whole meal, vernon.

 

[vernon]

I'm having naan of that!

 

[Aperitif]

You silly focaccia!

 

[vernon]

Be careful or I'll proja

 

[Aperitif]

bollos!

 

[vernon]

Ciabatta be careful with your taunts.

 

[Jezston]

Now you're just looking up lists of bread types on wikipedia to find puns.

Anyway what I like skol said is correct. You need to activate yeast in warm water with sugar and wait for it to go frothy before you use it.

Then when you've made the dough you leave it somewhere WARM to rise and you leave it there for AGES.

 

[Gerry Attrick]

At yeast Andy knows he kneads to be butter prepared in the future.