Hi Jens,
If it's any help, I use 2 teaspoons of dry yeast granules to make a loaf of
bread. However, my bread recipe may be quite different from yours. Over
the last 21 years, I've experimented with different rising methods and
amounts of yeast, flour, etc. and have occasionally factored in tidbits
I've read in articles about bread baking. The last information I learned
was while studying at Giuliano Bugialli's cooking school in Italy. It was
using a sponge.
I've found that making a sponge first, then adding it to the rest of the
flour always gives me consistent results as far as the texture and taste of
the bread. The method incorporates a tip that Bugialli gave us about being
able to tell when the sponge had "doubled" in bulk. He had us sprinkle a
light coating of flour (about 1/8 cup) over the sponge and cover it with a
dry towel. When the coating of flour had separated into "little islands,"
the sponge was ready to add to the flour and mix.
Another trick I use was learned from reading an article about a bread baker
in France. I used to use 1 cup of warm water for the yeast mixture. I now
use 1/2 cup warm water and 1/2 cup of beer. The beer aids in the rising
and you don't taste it at all in the final product.
Lastly, a great site to visit about baking in general is Willie Prejean's
site. It is a gold mine of information about every kind of baking
imaginable. Mr. Prejean is well-versed in all of the chemistry involved in
the rising process. A visit to his site would be well-worth your
time. It's at:
http://users.accesscomm.net/prejean/index.html
Be patient while the graphics load. Many illustrations are provided to
allow you to see what the stages of baking really look like.
If you have any more questions, I'm here to help as best I can and I'm sure
you'll have plenty of responses from our other members.
Sincerely,
Frank Cavalier