The Yeast is PERFECT, But the Results are Poor!

[hugocnx]

Good for you. Funny though you now have to use double yeast to get the same results as befor. Picture shows you still have a problem with the breads top or is that normal with bread machines?

I did not use double yeast.

I used 50 percent more.

Also, I do not think it was a yeast problem.

It is either not enough sugar, or related to the old flour I was using, or as someone has already mentioned, some sort of glitch in the programming of the machine, which did not give the bread adequate time to rise.

I guess next loaf I will use normal amount of yeast, and 50 percent more sugar, 3 tablespoons per 0.6kg of flour, and see what happens.

I will also try the yeast at Makro that someone here mentioned. Thanks for that info, because I, too, like the foil packets of yeast.

Yeah, sorry, didn't read that well enough.

20 g sugar and 10 g yeast will do the trick for bread (0.6 kg flower) made traditionally.

Indeed as mentioned, ambient temparature and temp of ingredients play a big part in making bread.

Final dough temp should not excede 27 degrees C and that means you have to use (very) cold ingredients.

Anyways, you make your own bread with succes now.

[hugocnx]

Good for you. Funny though you now have to use double yeast to get the same results as befor. Picture shows you still have a problem with the breads top or is that normal with bread machines?

I did not use double yeast.

I used 50 percent more.

Also, I do not think it was a yeast problem.

It is either not enough sugar, or related to the old flour I was using, or as someone has already mentioned, some sort of glitch in the programming of the machine, which did not give the bread adequate time to rise.

I guess next loaf I will use normal amount of yeast, and 50 percent more sugar, 3 tablespoons per 0.6kg of flour, and see what happens.

I will also try the yeast at Makro that someone here mentioned. Thanks for that info, because I, too, like the foil packets of yeast.

Yeah, sorry, didn't read that well enough.

20 g sugar and 10 g yeast will do the trick for bread (0.6 kg flower) made traditionally.

Indeed as mentioned, ambient temperature and temp of ingredients play a big part in making bread.

Final dough temp should not excede 27 degrees C and that means you have to use (very) cold ingredients.

Anyways, you make your own bread with succes now.

[norbra]

From the look of it, the dough has been left to rise for too long. The yeast has eaten all the available sugar, so the loaf hasn't browned properly. Overproofing would also explain the misshapen top.

Thanks very much.

So what should I do?

Obtain new yeast?

Or, maybe try to fiddle with the controls and see if I can get a different cooking time setting?

The thing is that it was baking perfectly, and would only very rarely produce a loaf which had not risen properly.

Now, every single loaf is as you see it in the blue bowl.

The normal loaf is one I baked a few months ago, shown in the sunlight on the balcony.

When it works, it is superb bread.

And it used to work 95 percent of the time.

Also, you are right that much of the bread is sort of too moist and under-cooked, and doughy.

Really terrible texture.

Maybe a tad too much water?????

[WonderousWand]

Good for you. Funny though you now have to use double yeast to get the same results as befor. Picture shows you still have a problem with the breads top or is that normal with bread machines?

I did not use double yeast.

I used 50 percent more.

Also, I do not think it was a yeast problem.

It is either not enough sugar, or related to the old flour I was using, or as someone has already mentioned, some sort of glitch in the programming of the machine, which did not give the bread adequate time to rise.

I guess next loaf I will use normal amount of yeast, and 50 percent more sugar, 3 tablespoons per 0.6kg of flour, and see what happens.

I will also try the yeast at Makro that someone here mentioned. Thanks for that info, because I, too, like the foil packets of yeast.

Yeah, sorry, didn't read that well enough.

20 g sugar and 10 g yeast will do the trick for bread (0.6 kg flower) made traditionally.

Indeed as mentioned, ambient temperature and temp of ingredients play a big part in making bread.

Final dough temp should not excede 27 degrees C and that means you have to use (very) cold ingredients.

Anyways, you make your own bread with succes now.

Regarding temperature of ingredients, this is always a conundrum.

If you bake in the hot season without aircon, or with aircon, then there could be a 15 degree difference in the baking environment.

However, if your house is 8 degrees C during wintertime, that is a major difference from 32 degrees in hot season.

I started keeping my flour in the refrigerator, just as a handy storage spot, but I stopped because I thought that might be a contributor to the dough rising problem.

Still, in the end, if the ingredients are not warm enough initially to provide the right environment for the fermentation process, then maybe you need to warm them.

I had been thinking, during Hot Season, that the environment was too warm.

But I now am leaning towards the hypothesis put forth by someone here ;

A programming glitch. So I will unplug the machine and let it reboot before each baking session.

[steve73]

I brought a new machine over from the UK - worked fine for about half a dozen loves then the motor broke - possible due to voltage instability...

So now I mix & knead by hand, leave to rise for 2-4 hours, knead again and then put it in the breadmaker on the standard 3 hour programme to rise again and cook - usually pretty good results.

0.4 gm white swan flour, 10g yeast (500g vacuum pack from Makro), 5g sugar, 5g salt, about 5-10ml of oil (added once I start kneading to stop the dough sticking to my hands), and about 250ml of water.

I've tried adding dried fruits, onion, garlic, etc... but my favourite is with a teaspoon of crushed chilli's... This gives it a nice perky taste - not too hot - and it's good whether you eat it with just butter, sweet (jam/marmalade), or savoury. I've recently started adding a tablespoon of chocolate ovaltine as well, and this makes it a little darker and a smoother taste.

In the past I've had problems with the small bottles or packets of yeast - possibly due to incorrect storage before you buy it. I'm now about 1/3rd through my pack and there's no deterioration in it's performance - I keep it in a jar, but not in the fridge.

Anybody else got any suggestions for successful "unconventional" loaves...?

[stag4]

OK.. Well, I just added 50 percent more yeast, and 50 percent more sugar.

Started the machine 30 minutes ago.

The loaf should complete baking in another 3 hours.

Then we will see if the sugar might be the solution.

How many teaspoons of yeast did you use?

I am having the same problem using 2 tsp of Perfect yeast and 1 Tablespoon of sugar for a 750 Gm loaf

[csabo]

I'm struggling with yeast as well when making pizza dough. I have used the green packets and Perfect bottles. I can never seem to get it to pre-activate. I have tried indoors, outdoors, more sugar, less sugar, honey etc etc. I want it pre-activated to make a "sponge" which leads to a yeastier flavored dough. In the end I just use what appears to be the inactivated yeast to my flour and then it does cause my dough to rise. Usually quiet well. I have basically given up on pre-activating but always have that fear I will not get rising dough and waste the flour.

[Pdavies99]

Nearly always the yeast is dead, (How long has the shop kept the yeast on sale without cooling etc?)

I suggest you buy powdered yeast and keep it in the fridge.

As soon as you open it (vacumn sealed from purchase) the air gets in and if over 85F temp it will start slowly dying. You must keep in the fridge and put into several sealed bags to keep as much air out as possible.

When you make the dough, prepare a pudding mix and leave for 10 minutes to see if yeast is bubbling, if no bubbles then it is dead.

The water temp must be between 95f and 1115f, too low no activation, too high and yeast is killed!

I am not suugesting other suggestions are not correct, but I make about 20 loaves a week without a machine and for me its always the yeast.

Best Paul

[Pdavies99]

OK.. Well, I just added 50 percent more yeast, and 50 percent more sugar.

Started the machine 30 minutes ago.

The loaf should complete baking in another 3 hours.

Then we will see if the sugar might be the solution.

How many teaspoons of yeast did you use?

I am having the same problem using 2 tsp of Perfect yeast and 1 Tablespoon of sugar for a 750 Gm loaf

Actually the trick is use less salt in general.

[puyaidon]

I have read online that yeast has an expiration date which I adhere to whenever I bake. This is normally on the bottle or on the packaging. I could be wrong but your yeast in the bottle might be out of date.

[WonderousWand]

OK.. Well, I just added 50 percent more yeast, and 50 percent more sugar.

Started the machine 30 minutes ago.

The loaf should complete baking in another 3 hours.

Then we will see if the sugar might be the solution.

How many teaspoons of yeast did you use?

I am having the same problem using 2 tsp of Perfect yeast and 1 Tablespoon of sugar for a 750 Gm loaf

Not enough sugar, I think.

Try using same amount of yeast, but double the sugar.

Or, maybe more.

[WonderousWand]

I have read online that yeast has an expiration date which I adhere to whenever I bake. This is normally on the bottle or on the packaging. I could be wrong but your yeast in the bottle might be out of date.

I don't think it is out of date, or after the expiry date.

But I will check.

[WonderousWand]

Nearly always the yeast is dead, (How long has the shop kept the yeast on sale without cooling etc?)

I suggest you buy powdered yeast and keep it in the fridge.

As soon as you open it (vacumn sealed from purchase) the air gets in and if over 85F temp it will start slowly dying. You must keep in the fridge and put into several sealed bags to keep as much air out as possible.

When you make the dough, prepare a pudding mix and leave for 10 minutes to see if yeast is bubbling, if no bubbles then it is dead.

The water temp must be between 95f and 1115f, too low no activation, too high and yeast is killed!

I am not suugesting other suggestions are not correct, but I make about 20 loaves a week without a machine and for me its always the yeast.

Best Paul

The yeast I used was definitely foaming when I added it to warm water and sugar.

Also, it worked on the last loaf.

So I think there was some other causal factor.

[andrusius]

Hate bread makers they can be very inconsistent.

For any yeast i recommend using a yeast starter. I have had great results using a sourdough starter making pizza dough.

[WonderousWand]

Hate bread makers they can be very inconsistent.

For any yeast i recommend using a yeast starter. I have had great results using a sourdough starter making pizza dough.

This is very interesting...

Because I really like sourdough bread!

So, do you just add the sourdough culture to the dough?

And then where do you get the culture?

[MissAndry]

I'm struggling with yeast as well when making pizza dough. I have used the green packets and Perfect bottles. I can never seem to get it to pre-activate. I have tried indoors, outdoors, more sugar, less sugar, honey etc etc. I want it pre-activated to make a "sponge" which leads to a yeastier flavored dough. In the end I just use what appears to be the inactivated yeast to my flour and then it does cause my dough to rise. Usually quiet well. I have basically given up on pre-activating but always have that fear I will not get rising dough and waste the flour.

If you want a 'sponge' just save a few tablespoons of dough from your last bread.

It keeps in the fridge for a week or two.

I make my own pizza dough because I love pizza.

800ml of flour, 350ml of water, 10ml yeast, 10ml sugar and a pinch of salt.

Mix for 5 minutes in a bowl, turn out onto a floured cutting board (you need to add more flour to the board when it starts to stick) and knead for 5 minutes. Put the dough back into the bowl, cover with a plastic bag, leave for 2 hours.

Cut as much as you want off for a pizza, the rest (including bag) goes in the fridge. This keeps me in pizza base for about a week.

Cut off your dough, roll in a ball, shape by hand, dropping on a floured board when it gets to sticky, minimum of handling for best results.

Tomato for the dough, just chop up a half a tomato on a chopping board, then spread the drier bits on the dough.

Mozzarella cheese, buy in a shop or make your own in the microwave.

Toppings, your choice. A drizzle of olive oil on top.

No need to wait it will rise as it cooks.

Cook on a slightly oiled tray/dish in the oven for 15 minutes at 175c.

The older the dough, the better it tastes. At least for the first week, never managed to keep any longer than that.