The Fresh Loaf

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Help with baking Hamelman's Oatmeal Bread

NanooseGuy's picture
NanooseGuy

Help with baking Hamelman's Oatmeal Bread

hi guys,

I am not getting enough rise when baking this bread. I increased the amount of dough to compensate for small loaves (using Hamelman's 18 ounces recommendation) but my loaves are still heavy. By my calculations, my loaves should be overflowing — I am using way too much dough but my loaves are still coming undersized  

I used about 765 grams of dough and 1.7% yeast, adjusted by the .33 factor as I was using instant yeast, following Hamelman's recipe. i generally followed Hamelman's yeast volumes (teaspoons) as my scale is not accurate enough to measure the yeast weight when only baking one loaf. I am using a small baking pan (4" x 8").

I did a bulk ferment for 2 hours at 76°F and proofed the dough in the bread pan for 90 minutes in my microwave where the temperature was 76°F. Dough only rose up to the pan lip, if that. Considering how much dough I was using, I would have expected the dough to rise well above the lip. I got some nice oven spring, maybe 20%.

So what do you guys think? what are your experiences? 

My thinking that the problem is probably that I need to replace the yeast or double it up. Or maybe just extend the proofing time. I did a poke test on the loaf and the finger indention did not spring back.

Here is a picture of the baked loaf, not that it will probably not help much:

 

 

 

idaveindy's picture
idaveindy

I'm unclear on the actual quantities that you used. 

I have the book(1st edition) , but haven't made that bread. 

Could you please give the exact measurements and the ingredients that you did actually use?

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Many people make substitutions, and don't mention their substitution, because they think it's an equivalent; and if it actually is not functionally equivalent, then that is what throws things off.  so please enumerate/list all your actual ingredients. 

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Under the "home" column for this formula, the 1-1/2 tsp yeast is already for instant yeast.  So if you used only  1/3rd of that, that is, only 1/2 tsp for 2 lbs of flour, that could be the source of lower rise.

If you scaled the formula for 1 pound of flour, (one loaf pan), instead of 2 lbs of flour, then 3/4 tsp of instant dry yeast should be appropriate.

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the total dough percentage is 208.9% (ignoring the difference for yeast).   So your stated 765 grams of dough would be 366 grams of flour.

366 grams flour, as a fraction of the original 907 grams (2 pounds) of flour is .4035.

.4035 times 1.5 tsp, (the yeast for 2 pounds flour) is .605 tsp.  

.605 tsp is just a tad under 5/8 tsp. (5/8 = .625)

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I hope this line of thought helps.

NanooseGuy's picture
NanooseGuy

Thanks idaveindy for replying. 

I have the 2nd edition of Bread. I don't have the actual weights I used but they were accurate because I followed (and double-checked) the baker's percentages published in Hamelman's book. The reason that I mentioned the 765 grams was to illustrate how much extra dough I used. For example, following the recipe, Hamelman suggests using 18 ounces (510 grams) of dough for my small bread pan. I used 50% more dough — to get a very heavy but reasonable-sized loaf.

I want to know if the recipe's yeast % of 1.7% works. Maybe there is a member of this forum who has had success with this recipe. If the recipe works then I need to change one or more of the ingredients. Either my instant yeast isn't working or my unbleached flour (13% protein).  Or else I need to double the yeast. Or...but it is a simple recipe so it would seem that it should rise properly. I didn't mention this but I did run a windowpane test and the dough passed.

Working backwards, using my spreadsheet, the flour weights that I probably used were: 276 grams all purpose flour and 93 grams of whole wheat flour and, as mentioned,  2.1 grams of instant yeast. By my calculations this equates to recipe's 1.7%.

Thanks guys for your comment(s).

From memory, I used 2.1 grams of instant yeast (½teaspoon+dash+pinch). Because I was only baking one loaf and the yeast weights are so small, I used volumetric measurements rather than trying to weigh 2.1 grams.

idaveindy's picture
idaveindy

The 1.7% is for fresh yeast.... --> .17 kg (7.5+2.5kg) = .17 / 10 = .017 = 1.7%.

For dry:  .18 oz / 32 oz = .5625 % ,  or approx 1/3 (.33) as you mentioned above.

So your (1/2 tsp + pinch + dash) is right there with my .605 tsp estimate.

I'm guessing your yeast was weak.  I'll look up the post with the official standardized  yeast test and update this comment with a link.

Here ya go: http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/65009/tip-commercial-yeast-testing-expiration-storage

and the original: https://redstaryeast.com/yeast-baking-lessons/yeast-shelf-life-storage/yeast-freshness-test/

Be sure to follow exactly with temperature and volumes of water and yeast.

NanooseGuy's picture
NanooseGuy

thanks very much for your comments and the links. I am a new baker and I have never tried testing my yeast but i'll give it a try.

BTW, with the current covid-19 situation, I was unable to purchase yeast! So a friend from British Columbia mailed me some — so I just don't know it's origin, quality, etc.

NanooseGuy's picture
NanooseGuy

to close off this thread, I tested my instant yeast and, sure enough, it was weak, so I am chucking it. 

In case some of the members may to see the results of my test(s), I am including a couple of photos. The first yeast test photo (of my instant yeast) shows that the mixture rose to only the ⅔ cup mark after 10 minutes. The second photo is the result of the same test but using some active dry yeast that I had not used (for comparison purposes). This second test shows the yeast mixture rising well beyond the 1 cup mark.

I'm having difficulty adding photos...

NanooseGuy's picture
NanooseGuy

let me try again to add the 2 photos...