Yeast Breads
An excellent loaf of yeast bread should have an evenly rounded top and be symmetrical in size with no cracks, bulges or bumps. Between the sides and top, there should be a “break” which should be even with a well-shredded look. Crusts should be crisp and tender. The interior color should be uniform with no light or dark steaks and should feel soft and fine with no crumbliness. The crumb should have many small even holes.
Breads made from batter will have less uniform holes and will be more open in grain than those made from doughs. The crumb should be tender and moist with uniform texture. There should be a sweet fragrance and flavor even after bread is cold.
Breads, sweet breads and rolls that contain chopped fruits or nuts should have an even distribution of them (toss fruit and nuts in a bit of the flour before adding to batter breads and they won’t sink to the bottom).
Rolls should be symmetrical and not over-iced or over-decorated.
COMMON PROBLEMS/CAUSES WITH YEAST BREADS
Sugar feeds the dough and helps rise, while salt helps control over rising.
But too much sugar can actually contribute to under-rising.
Cracks, bulges, bumps: not needed properly, too much dough in pan, cooled
too quickly or too long a rising period.
Poor volume: yeast killed by too high a temperature, not enough flour, or
too short rising period.
No shred or “break”: not needed enough or wrong type of flour
Large air holes: too long rising in pan, too cool an oven, not enough flour
or not enough kneading.
Heavy, close, compact: yeast killed by too high a temperature, poor distribution
of ingredients, or too cool when rising.
Heavy, dry, crumbly crumb: wrong type of flour, too stiff dough (too much
flour), too cool an oven or insufficient kneading
Gray or streaked crumb: wrong type of flour or too much flour added while
shaping, poorly mixed, improper rising
Too yeasty flavor: too long a rising period or high temperature
Tough crust: insufficient proofing (not doubled in bulk) or too much handling
of risen dough
Pale crust: too low baking temperature, too much salt, drying of dough during
rising, or too little sugar (sugar contributes browning)
Crackled crust: too fast cooling in a draft.
TIPS FOR PERFECT YEAST BREADS:
• Fresh yeast
• Good quality flour: old flour can produce an inferior loaf of bread.
Check the flour’s expiration date, particularly in the summer. If
it smells rancid or musty, toss it out. The gluten/protein in old flour
can’t produce elastic dough. Flour also tends to dry out during winter.
Maybe your recipe won’t need s much flour as it does in summer. Aerating
the flour by whisking before measuring helps. When your flour is stored
in a bag or container, it will compact down. To measure, use the spoon and
sweep method.
• Fresh shortening (Cheryl can detect even the slightest rancidity!).
Store shortening in a cool, dry place, preferably the refrigerator. Shortening
helps the dough develop, enables the gluten to stretch and retain gas. It
helps produce a tender crumb, maintain freshness.
• Mixing: Mix and knead thoroughly. If the dough seems sticky after
you remove it from the board, add just a bit of flour and knead until little
bubbles can be seen (blistering) beneath the surface.
• Preheat oven: at least 10-15 minutes. If the oven isn’t at
proper temperature, what will happen is the dough will just keep rising
slowly and could collapse.
• Dough hard to handle and not feeling elastic? Pick it up and throw
in hard down on the counter.
• Eggs, fruits, nuts, milk, and other ingredients: Make sure they’re
room temperature or they will slow don the rising.
• Breads make with milk will take a bit longer to bake than those
with water because of the milk’s protein and milk solids. You might
have to tent the loaves with foil during the last half of the baking period
if the top is getting too dark.
Great tips for YEAST BREADS.
©2006-2010 Rita Heikenfeld and AboutEating.com
