Troubleshooting...

Two Questions from a Reader:

Wow! People are reading this blog and trying out my recipes! (At least one person is! Hi Christian!) I just got a question from one of my friends about some of the bread recipes featured in this blog!

Distressed Reader:
“I followed all your instructions for the cinnamon rolls and corned beef rolls, but my dough did not seem to rise even after an hour. My bread ended up a bit hard. What could have gone wrong? I used self-rising flour, because I was told that it is the counterpart of all purpose flour here in Amsterdam. What do you think?”

ANSWER:
I believe you have two question: first about how a dough manages to rise to end up being a soft and fluffy bread, second, about self rising flour.

Yeast Physiology
In general, breads rise because of yeast. It is available in the market in two general forms: active dry yeast which is sold in packets or cans and looks like light brown granules. The other is cake yeast which is a frozen block of yeast. These are live, but temporarily “deactivated” microorganisms.

In every bread recipe, they always ask you to dissolve the yeast in warm water plus some sugar. This is to ACTIVATE the yeast. Warmth wakes up these little critters, whereas sugar acts as their food. I always dissolve my yeast in this solution (warm water + sugar or warm milk + sugar) and then I wait for it to BUBBLE or froth. It usually takes five to 10 minutes for it to do so. If it bubbles, then you know it IS ACTIVE. The yeasts are alive!

At this point, the things that may possibly go wrong are the following:
Ø Water is too hot – I usually take warm water and test it on my wrist (much the same way you test if the water is the right temperature for making baby formula. If it burns your skin, then it is too warm!
Ø Salt – some recipes ask you to add salt to the water. I only add salt when the mixture has bubbled, and I am ready to add my other ingredients: oil, eggs, flour, etc.
Ø Yeast is expired! Check the label. That is why it is important to wait for the solution to bubble and not rely on the package alone.

Some recipes ask you to skip the above step and instead mix the yeast with flour. Again, you won’t know if the yeast is active or not. I always do the above step.

The bread rises as a result of gaseous substances accumulating in the dough. Once activated, yeasts metabolize, grow and multiply. They produce gaseous substances that get trapped in the dough, producing the “cells” or bubbles in the bread when you view them on cross section. Air makes the bread soft and fluffy!

Rising time
Rising time is not fixed. It is more reliable to judge your dough based on the volume it has raised rather than on the time it has spent rising. I imagine Amsterdam to be cold, even this time of the year compared to Manila. So rising time should be longer there.

My aunt sometimes makes bread in the evening and bakes it in the morning! First, she kneads it and lets it rise. She then shapes it and sticks it in the refrigerator until the following day. The cold temperature does not stop the activated yeasts from metabolizing, so the dough continues to rise, but at a very slow rate! She only needs to pop it in the oven the following day.

My grandmother, on the other hand puts the bowl of dough in the oven during the first rising. Of course, the oven has to be turned off! The enclosed space traps heat and humidity making yeast metabolism more conducive. Warning though, do not close the oven shut when actively rising bread is inside! You need gas exchange! Close the door but do not shut it tight. Wedge a potholder or wooden spoon, or whatever. On taking it out, she preheats the oven. By the time she is finished shaping the dough, the room would have been warmed by the preheating oven. She sets the moulded dough beside the oven to capture heat. She then bakes it after an indefinite period of time – usually shorter than an hour – just until it has DOUBLED in volume.

Self-rising flour
No, no, no! Self-rising flour is NOT equivalent or ordinary all purpose flour! Self rising flour is flour with SALT and BAKING POWDER added! Baking powder makes cakes rise via a chemical reaction. This is not a substitute for yeast!

(I don't know how they make their bread there in Amsterdam, i never tried any as I left in a hurry, remember?)

I hope that helps!