Slow Risin' Bread

Submitted by boosaman on November 30, 2006 - 6:54pm

I have been baking challah bread for sometime, tinkering with a variety of recipes. I have been using instant yeast, starting with a slurry (2.5 tsp. of yeast, 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 cup water, let rise for ten minutes until batter gets puffy) and then adding the slurry to the liquid ingredients, and then adding flour. The challah is sweet; it contains both sugar and honey (and vanilla) (and another 3/4 cups of water, and some salt).

While the results are good, it takes a good 3-4 hours to double in size during the first rise. Any thoughts why this takes so long?

Thanks.

Jack

Filed under:

Artisan Baking

Submitted by UnConundrum on November 30, 2006 - 8:02pm.

What is the total volume of

What is the total volume of flour?

What are your temperatures (ingredients and ambient)?

Why create the "slurry"? Try mixing the yeast right into the flour.

Submitted by Breadwhiner on December 1, 2006 - 10:57am.

the yeast

Here are two possibilities and how you could address each:

You are adding so much sugar and honey that yeast growth is inhibited. Either add more yeast or use osmotolerant yeast (designed to work with sweet doughs and available from King Arthur Flour's website).

Your yeast is less active because it is old. Try new yeast.

Submitted by boosaman on December 1, 2006 - 11:02am.

Thanks. I tried not using

Thanks. I tried not using a slurry today, and the bread rose even slower--I left it out overnight, and it barely doubled in size.

I will investigate osmotolerant yeast.

Jack

Submitted by nicholas on December 2, 2006 - 7:00pm.

Hi Jack. Actually, the

Hi Jack. Actually, the slurry is the one thing you definitely want to continue. I started with that awhile back--now I use about 1/4 cup of sourdough starter for every loaf of challah I make. It gives it a nice taste.

Check your yeast--definitely. Are you using regular or fast rise yeast?

Submitted by boosaman on December 2, 2006 - 9:31pm.