Quick! Need help with Bread baking please

[Blownaway22]

Not sure what to do ....

My recipe (compliments of another MN thread) is 600g flour/10g salt/6g yeast/390 mls water. It works but I have new yeast and crust hasn’t been great last few times. Just checked yeast tin and instructions are to dissolve a teaspoon of sugar in 160ml warm water, sprinkle 15g yeast on top, whisk and use when the surface is frothy. Which it almost is! Except this is more than twice the yeast in the recipe! I’d obviously reduce liquid in recipe by 150mls.

Should I go ahead with the 15g yeast in water? Or take out the fast bake yeast which I have also.

Thanks.

The crust isn't caused by yeast, the rise is. Is the recipe on the yeast tin for the same amount of flour?

What kind of crust do you want?

Crunchy crust! Okay, that helps re the relationship between rise and yeast. Thank you. No direct mention of flour on tin, just that it makes a 500g loaf. I think I won’t risk the bread so will use the easy bake yeast instead but would like to figure this out and get a better rise as my bread is always just a tad heavy despite tasting lovely!

What you're describing is "proving" the yeast. (Proving it can still grow.) It's usually done with regular yeast, not fast bake/bread machine yeast.

Hi, in 500g of flour i'd normally use 10g of yeast. If it were me id use most of your frothy mixture but not quite all. Good luck, at least you know your yeast is active ! xx

Thanks @SunsetGirl. Yes, this is regular yeast as recipe specifies not fast acting. I also have fast acting. Eeek, not sire which to use. Does 15g sound a lot for 600g flour?

I think the packets are 7g, I've never used more than one

I think you need steam to get a crunchy crust. So add a tin of water to the oven.

Oh brilliant, thank you @ldbemonica1. It most certainly is active! Will use maybe 120mls of it and cross my fingers.

A 500g loaf uses 500g flour. :)

A crunchy crust is most easily done by adding steam to the baking process, some ovens have this as a feature, otherwise you can hack it in different ways - throwing in ice cubes, adding a pan of water, spraying with a spray bottle into the oven.... You'd need to read up on it.

Dense bread implies that there's not enough yeast, not enough rising time, not enough kneading and/or the baking temperature or time is wrong.

The yeast can vary very much.I used to use Allinsons which goes off very quickly.
First Lockdown happened ,no yeast to be bought anywhere. I managed to buy 500g pack of Frangipan yeast in May. The difference is shocking. Just used up the last of it,no difference in rise of bread.

I must say that I looked at your recipe and thought that 6 grams for 600 grams of flour is not enough for me but if if it works for you then stick to it.

Most of recipes I use have about 2% yeast to flour weight so 500g flour and 10g dried yeast.

Thanks everyone. Have used most of the 15g yeast & water mix and will see what happens. So the density of past loaves could be down to 6g just not being enough yeast for the quantity of flour. Am slightly nervous about my mish mash recipe today but will be interested to see how it turns out.

Oh, one more question if anyone has a second. Am kneading with dough hook on a stand mixer ... does 9 minutes sound okay?

Tin or bowl of water in bottom shelf of oven to create steam to get a crust , crust is not a factor of yeast , yeast is the active ingredients to cause rise by bubbles in dough

9 mins is plenty , if it's a KA only speed 2 or you potentially will burn the motor out
I usually do about 5 or 6 mins speed 2

Yikes @crazylikechocolate. It is a KA but have it on speed 1. Shall I reduce the time then?

Oh that’s interesting. A little stickier at the end of kneading (finished it off on 2 and will know better next time!) but much more elastic and stretchier without tearing.

To get a good crust and a nice rise this is what we do:
Put oven on at 220c with a baking tray in the bottom. Boil a kettle. When oven is hot pour the boiling water into the baking tin and put the bread in. Set timer for 10minutes. Then turn heat down to 170C for the rest of the cooking time. (We use another 25minutes).

Agree with PPs, steam is what will give you a crunchy crust.

You need (knead!?) Bake with Jack. Lots of short videos on all matters to do with baking bread.

Thanks for all the comments and advice. Made rolls and they weren’t too bad aside from not having a crunchy crust but will play around with that. Think the extra yeast helped but am looking forward to some more experimenting and trying to improve on what I have. @TonTonMacoute

• saw the Bake with Jack videos linked on another thread and have watched some but plan to have a good look at them - he certainly helped me with shaping a loaf!

Glad you had success. I've never yet managed a crunchy crust so if you manage it do let me know x

I bake bread a lot and use a Paul Hollywood recipe for a basic loaf

400g strong white flour
7g dried yeast (Allison)
8g salt
5g sugar - my addition so optional
230 ml water
sometimes I add 25g butter or tablespoon of olive oil

I use a stand mixer and mix on slow for 14 mins
prove till it's doubled approx 1-2 hours in a clean bowl with the dough lightly floured and covered with a tea towel or in a plastic bag.
knock it back gently then prove again for an hour in a tin with flour sprinkled on the bottom and flour on top covered with a tea towel or in a plastic bag

I bake in oven on 210 for 35 mins and I always have a lovely crust.

I let it rest for at least an hour before eating any.

I have added ice cold water to the bottom of the hot oven for extra steam just after putting the tin in. I don't do that any more though.

Good luck.

Bake with Jack. I love him from watching him on Sunday Brunch so thanks for the link PP.

Also

I often prepare my loaf the night before where I do the first prove and then for the second prove I put it in the fridge in a plastic bag. The next day I take it out and either pop it straight into a heated oven 210 or let it stand for an hour before hand and into oven 210 for 35-40 mins as would do any other loaf.
If it's ready it will be hollow sounding on the bottom. Let cool on a metal cooling rack

If you'remaking anything except white bread, it might be worth adding dough enhancer.www.lakeland.co.uk/11682/Claybrooke-Mill-Dough-Improver