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Re: Certain Breads Don't Rise-Help

"Bill Hatcher" <bhatcher@gc.net>
Sun, 18 May 1997 09:46:28 -0400
v097.n037.3
>
>From: "Christopher J. Flann" <cjflann@imt.net>
>Subject: Certain Breads Don't Rise-Help
>Date: Sun, 11 May 1997 17:42:24 -0600
>
>I am new to this list, and to bread baking. And I could use some help and
>advice. So far, I am making bread with a machine, the Regal Kitchen Pro.
>Many of the recipes in the accompanying cookbook have turned out fine. I
>have even experimented and produced a really good cracked wheat loaf;
>however, certain recipes never turn out.
>
>The two problem recipes are for sourdough and cinnamon raisin bread. For
>the sourdough, I made the starter as per instructions in a glass dish,
put
>in with the rest of the ingredients, including yeast, and produced a
>cannonball. As far as I can tell the loaf never rose at all. It is the
same
>story with the Cinnamon Raisin. The loaf increased in size about 10% in
the
>rise cycle.
>
>It seems to me that some component of each recipe must be inhibiting the
>yeast. The same yeast works fine in other breads. In the sourdough recipe
>it must be something in the starter because every other ingredient
(honey,
>milk, flour etc.) works fine in other loaves. In the Cinnamon Raisin, I
>suspect the Cinnamon(very aromatic, from Penzeys). Again, all the other
>ingredients present no problems in other recipes.
>
>What to do? I want to make both these types of breads, and I want to do
it
>in my bread machine. Is this an impossible quest? Please help.
>
>
>Christopher J. Flann
>cjflann@imt.net
>Montana. The Last Best Place.

Christopher -

I also have a Regal; mine is just called the "Deluxe Automatic Bread
Machine", but I suspect some of the recipes are probably the same.

The main thing that I have found which affects rising is salt contamination
of the yeast.  As has been discussed on the list, if a recipe calls for
salt, it should be added; otherwise, one will not get the same yeast
action.  Aside from enhancing (at least to some) the taste of the bread,
the salt also acts as a regulator on the yeast.  If a recipe has been
developed using a given amount of yeast and salt, omitting the salt will
allow the yeast to work more with unpredictable results.

More directly to your problem, if the yeast and salt (and quite possibly
the cinammon) are put in the ABM all together, particularly on timed bake,
I have found that results are erratic at best.  Somewhat over a year ago I
was having the same problem, but not consistently.  I read in one of the
"Bread Machine Magic" books about salt contamination and have not had the
problem since.

Now, no matter what order called for in a recipe, I put all liquid
ingredients (water, sourdough starter, oil, milk, eggs, etc.) in the bottom
of the bread pan, along with all dry ingredients other than flour and yeast
(salt, sugar, cinammon, milk powder, etc.).  The flours go in next, with
the yeast all by itself nestled on top.  I consistently get good results
now.

I am appending a sourdough bread recipe that I developed and which works
well for me.  I can't vouch for the taste of what you turn out, for that is
determined to a great extent by your particular sourdough starter.  Mine,
which I nurture with great care, was sent to me by a gentleman named
Stephen Brazil from Kauai, HI.  He has had it for better than a decade, and
I have been caring for it for over a year.  Makes excellent breads,
hotcakes, waffles, etc.

                     *  Exported from  MasterCook  *

                    Bill's ABM Italian Sourdough Bread

Recipe By     : Bill Hatcher <bhatcher@gc.net>
Serving Size  : 8    Preparation Time :2:30
Categories    : Bread Machine                    Breads
                Sourdough                        To/From Breadlist
                To/From Eat-L                    To/From Mc-Recipe

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
   1      cup           sourdough starter
     3/4  cup           warm water*
   2      tablespoons   oil
   2      teaspoons     salt
   3 1/4  cups          bread flour*
   2 1/4  teaspoons     yeast

Place ingredients in bread machine pan in order given.

Use the "Bread Rapid" or whatever the setting is called on your machine for
reduced cooking time.

*May need to be adjusted, depending on consistency of your sourdough
starter.  Dough should ball and just pull away from sides of pan during
kneading.

                   - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 


The Raisin Bread recipe that I use from the Regal cookbook calls for 2 1/2
tsp. yeast, but I have found that I need to use 3 tsp. to get the proper
rise.  I also flour the raisins before I put them in or they do not mix
throughout the loaf.

HTH.

Regards.

Bill Hatcher
bhatcher@gc.net
Southampton County, Virginia, USA