November 22, 2009 - 6:08am
Help for a Humid Climate
I'm a wannabe bread maker....I now have all the time in the world, but it would appear that my climate isn't participating. I live on the sea - which is lovely - but I can't get bread to rise - EVER! I love french and belgian breads - rich and dense. And although I have a breadmaker, I don't like the results.
Can anyone provide a recipe and instructions for yummy, homemade bread in a 'rise challenged' environment???
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I just checked the weather report for Nassau; 79% humidity. It's 86% here in Georgia. If a formula has a range for the amount of water to add; I usually get ok results with the lesser amount.
Maybe your yeast isn't any good.
If you're not getting bread to rise, "ever", I doubt that humidity is the problem. Just look at a map of Italy or France and you'll see that there are a lot of coastal cities where dough rises just fine.
My intuition leads me to believe your yeast is dead or you're killing it in the process of preparing the dough. I'd suggest you pick up a fresh packet of instant yeast and have another go at it. Check the expiration date on the package and be sure to proof the yeast before introducing it into the mix.
I live in Florida along the coast. Plenty of humidity here. Also bake bread on our boat in the Bahamas all the time. No problem with getting dough to rise.
Probably the yeast!
wayne
Everytime I've tried baking the bread, I buy a new packet of yeast, and use it the same day. I've checked the expiry dates, just to be sure that it isn't the yeast. And in the end, I STILL don't have rising bread!
Ken and Wayne and Flournwater - do you have any simple, yummy french type white bread recipes that you've used in your humid climates? I would love to try them...
Thanks...
Check your message file. I sent you a standard that I use quite often when I want to serve up something fresh for dinner.
I am a rank beginner so I hesitate to offer advice to anyone but I have had pretty good luck with the King Arthur "guaranteed baguette" recipe. Google King Arthur flour and you can find it.
Maybe you are killing the yeast. My guess is excess heat.
"Warm" water doesn't really mean that. It means "not ice cold". Try room temperature water and allow your dough to rise at room temp. It might take twice as long, but you won't be killing your yeast.
don't let it sit in a hot car, not even for a minute, keep it on you, in your pocket where it can't over heat and get killed before you get it home. I have had this happen to me in warm climates.
Some questions.
1. What kind of yeast? Brand and type as in Active Dry or Bread Machine or Instant, etc.
2. Are you proofing the yeast or mixing it in dry with the flour?
3. At what point is it not rising? 1st rise after kneading? Final rise before baking?
4. If it is not rising in first rise, is there any sign of yeast activity such as bubbles, etc.
5. For dough to rise, you need to have gluten developed, often through kneading. What are you doing to develop the gluten?
6. Of course, flour must have abilty to develop the gluten, what kind of flour?
7. Is your water killing the yeast? I understand that chorinated water is bad for yeast.
Good luck -- wayne