July 1, 2012 - 10:59pm
Can I use rapid rise yeast at high altitude?
Hi fellow bakers
I used the search feature and didn't find an answer to this question, so here goes. I live at Denver altitude (actually a little lower but who'se counting) and while I do know Baker's Math, I also enjoy using recipes. My favorite recipe source (Cook's Illustrated) almost invariably uses rapid rise yeast for bread recipes. I have about had it trying to figure out how to adapt their recipes for active dry and was wondering if I could just use rapid rise here, and if so, if I need to reduce the amount to compensate for the fact that there's less air pushing down on my dough here. Thanks.
-Melanie
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Yes, you can use rapid rise yeast and yes, you need to reduce the amount because of your altitude. How much you need to reduce is an answer that I do not have for you. I have baked a 4500 ft. but that was a while ago and what I remember is how easily and quickly dough fermented. I am fairly certain that someone here that regularly bakes at high altitude can help with quantifying my answer.
Jeff
Yes you can, however her are some guidelines to go by from 5000ft and above you may have to adjust a bit for your area.
- Reduce yeast by 25% to combat over-rising of the dough.
- Increase salt by 25% to slow the rise of the dough & discourage sinking.
- Add water to the flour, 1 tsp at a time, to counteract dryness; use quality flour.
- Reduce sugar by 1/3 to prevent the collapse of the bread’s center.
- Reduce oven temperature by 20-25%, but bake for the same length of time.
Hope this helps, good luck.Skip