Another question

[Sandaidh]

In the french bread recipe I just made, it said:

"Dissolve yeast in warm water in warmed mixer bowl. Add salt, butter and flour...."

When I do it this way, dissolve the yeast in water, the dough doesn't mix well and I end up adding more water. Would it affect the recipe to 'turn it around' and add the liquids to the solids, rather than the solids to the liquids?

Hoping you understand because that's clear as mud.

[Heather Sullivan]

You do generally need to soften the yeast in warm water. You can do "add wet to dry" if you stir in fast acting, bread machine yeast into the flour.
Although if you mean dissolve the yeast in something other than the mixer bowl, you could try it. I can't think of how it might adversely affect the result and I think I've seen recipes do it either way.

[Donna M.]

I don't have a Kitchenaid mixer so I can't answer any of your questions about that. As far as dissolving the yeast in water, the way I prefer to do it is to take 1/2 cup of the water used in the recipe and dissolve the yeast in it. I then add a spoonful of sugar and let it set for about 10 to 15 minutes to proof. This gives the yeast a good jump-start, plus it will prove if your yeast is still active. It should grow and get quite frothy. At this point I dump the yeast mixture into the bowl, add the remaining liquid and rest of ingredients and proceed with the recipe.

[CarrolJ]

Today I accidently did something I had never done before. I was making pizza dough from Pizza Hut Style Pizza Dough (bread machine) #51209 in my ABM which is my favorite pizza dough recipe.

The dough had been kneading about 10 minutes when all of a sudden I remembered I had forgotten to add the yeast! (Probably from my making so much bread with starters that don't need yeast!)

I knew that even though this particular recipe has baking powder in it as well as yeast that it wouldn't turn out well if I left it as is. So rather than throwing out the dough and starting over, this is what I did.

First I turned off the cycle of the ABM. I took a 1/4 measuring cup and filled it about 2/3 full of warm water. Then I added the 1 1/2 teaspoons of yeast called for and stirred it very well. It was medium thick. Then I restarted the dough cycle and poured the yeast mixture slowly over the kneading dough. I let it knead for the entire first kneading as I usually do.

Then I simply removed the dough and proceeded as normal. Everything turned out fine. In an emergency go with your best guess...it just might turn out okay.

[Iron Bloomers]

Sandaidh wrote:
In the french bread recipe I just made, it said:

"Dissolve yeast in warm water in warmed mixer bowl. Add salt, butter and flour...."

When I do it this way, dissolve the yeast in water, the dough doesn't mix well and I end up adding more water. Would it affect the recipe to 'turn it around' and add the liquids to the solids, rather than the solids to the liquids?

Hoping you understand because that's clear as mud.

silly question I know,...but are you sifting the flour first, then measuring....??????? I does make a difference...the flour I get lately seens more compact from shipping....have had to sift first....but I know exactly what you mean....

hth

IB

[Sandaidh]

Iron Bloomers wrote:

Sandaidh wrote:
In the french bread recipe I just made, it said:

"Dissolve yeast in warm water in warmed mixer bowl. Add salt, butter and flour...."

When I do it this way, dissolve the yeast in water, the dough doesn't mix well and I end up adding more water. Would it affect the recipe to 'turn it around' and add the liquids to the solids, rather than the solids to the liquids?

Hoping you understand because that's clear as mud.

silly question I know,...but are you sifting the flour first, then measuring....??????? I does make a difference...the flour I get lately seens more compact from shipping....have had to sift first....but I know exactly what you mean....

hth

IB

No, I'm not sifting. When the store I was working at closed, I was able to pick up quite a bit of all-purpose flour at clearance prices (up to 60% off ). It doesn't seem to need sifting, it's pretty "fluffy" (not compacted) when I'm using it. It just seems as if the ingredients mix better when I add liquids to solids rather than the other way round. It might just be that it's been a long time since I really did a lot of bread baking - other than my "standard" Herb Batter bread.

[Connie K]

When I add flour to the yeast mixture, I start with half the amount of flour. Let that mix to something of a batter, then start adding the rest of the flour about 1/2 cup at a time.
Some days, the dough won't take the full amount of flour, and some days it may need extra. It depends on the weather, humidity, amount of moisture in your flour, and whether you stand on your left or right foot when mixing. ( Ok, I made up the last part!) Seriously, the moisture in the air/flour has a lot to do with the amount of flour you'll need. Start out conservatively, and add until you get the texture you're after.

Good luck!

[CarrolJ]

Connie K wrote:
When I add flour to the yeast mixture, I start with half the amount of flour. Let that mix to something of a batter, then start adding the rest of the flour about 1/2 cup at a time.
Some days, the dough won't take the full amount of flour, and some days it may need extra. It depends on the weather, humidity, amount of moisture in your flour, and whether you stand on your left or right foot when mixing. ( Ok, I made up the last part!) Seriously, the moisture in the air/flour has a lot to do with the amount of flour you'll need. Start out conservatively, and add until you get the texture you're after.

Good luck!

Great hint Connie. I always check after my machine has been kneading about 5 minutes and then add more liquid or flour a little at a time if needed. Others may not realize this and what a difference it can mean.