Why do some loaves from same batch rise higher than others?
So, I do batches of bread. Last week I made 4 loaves of King Arthur's Honey Oatmeal wheat bread. I used 100% white whole wheat. Two of the loaves I kept plain, and two I rolled out to make it a cinnamon swirl bread (I do a slight variation from traditional with making it a twisted dough). I weigh all four pieces to make equal size loaves and I start with the plain loaves so they have more time to rise as this happens EVERY time I do this. Then I roll out the cinnamon swirl bread pretty thin, sprinkle with a powdered sugar/cinnamon mix, roll it up, and then twist it to get it to fit in the pan.
When I put them in the pans, the are all approximately the same height, but ALWAYS the cinnamon bread grows taller and faster. I end up with a sandwich loaf that is 4 inches tall and a cinnamon bread that's 5" tall or more. Why is that? More manipulation? I do slightly roll out the plain bread and then roll it up and tuck under the ends, so I don't get it!
Help! I want a taller sandwich loaf! (And less dense).
I think it probably has something to do with the sugar you are adding to the cinnamon swirl loaf. Without seeing recipes for both, and noting the additional step of sprinkling with cinnamon and sugar, that would be my guess. I always add a bit of sugar to my sandwich loaves, since I started doing so I've never had any problems with rising.
This dough is a HONEY oatmeal white whole wheat bread. It has a lot of sugar already... But maybe it's a combination of more sugar and more manipulation. I'm going to try the 'twist' method with my regular plain bread once and compare it to it's cinnamon sugar twist cousin and see.
Yeast loves sugar, Try working a teaspoon of sugar or honey into your plain sandwich loaf and see if that helps.
I think its shaping. Probably has something to do with all the tension you put on the cinnamon bread when you twist it. More tension usually leads to better volume.
--Chausiubao