December 15, 2013 - 7:53am
Varied Amounts of Yeast in Cinnamon Roll Recipes
I've been looking for a cinnamon roll recipe to make this morning and noticed some recipes calls for 2 packets of yeast with all purpose flour and another calls for 1 packet of yeast with bread flour. I'm down to my last packet of yeast and wonder if 1 packet of active dry yeast in an all-purpose based recipe will work? 2 packets seems like a lot of yeast in a standard cinnamon rolls recipe. Any thoughts on this would be appreciated.
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One packet will work. It will probably just take a longer time for the first rise. Just put the dough in the warmest spot you can provide, practically speaking, for the first rise(bulk proof). Just keep an eye on it. Don't forget it. It will probably rise faster than you expect. You don't want it to over proof.
What kind of AP flour are you using(type/brand)? Some AP flours are better than some lousy, no name "bread flours" for making bread.
If you have King Arthur brand AP flour, it is suitable for most bread making situations. Especially for cinnamon rolls. Even though Gold Medal AP is a little lower in protein than KAAP, it makes very decent cinnamon rolls, for me, in my favorite cinnamon roll recipe(that calls for bread flour). The dough may just be a little "stickier". If it seems a little stickier than normal and makes it uncomfortable for you to handle, just add a little more flour. Maybe a tablespoon or so extra.
Another suggestion, if you are uncomfortable improvising on the fly, there are hundreds of other recipes. Maybe find one that matches the ingredients you have on hand. Maybe one that utilizes the one packet of yeast in a sponge. Or maybe one that uses only one packet(or less) but calls for over night refrigeration for the bulk proofing phase. Lots of possibilities.
Lastly, although I have not used commercial yeast for a while, the last time I made a recipe that called for 2 TBS of yeast, I only used 1 TBS and the recipe came out perfect. The loaves seemed to be bigger than those demonstrated in the recipe( ATK wheat bread), and did not take much longer to proof, if any, than prescribed in the recipe.
ps: My favorite cinnamon roll recipe calls for bread flour and 2½ teaspoon yeast, but I use sour dough starter instead of yeast. Sometimes I may use twice as much sourdough starter than others. I usually let it sit in the refrigerator for various amounts of time though. I usually use GM Better for Bread flour but have used GMAP. I won't swear they turned out exactly the same, but was pleased non the less.
Good luck.
One sash of active dry yeast for a pound of flour is about right.
Thanks! Does anyone have a favorite recipe they would recommend? I was going to use the one I found on foodandwine.com but am open to any suggestions. My concern with that recipe is that it calls for putting the dough in the freezer for 15 mins. which I thought may affect the butter in the dough and make the dough more dense. I am still learning though, so it could not be that big of a deal to put the dough in the freezer. I just don't want dense dough.
This thread contains several, ranging from very good to spectacular. It's a long thread, so be sure to scan all the way to the bottom before deciding which one you want to make first.
Paul
by adding a Tangzhong water roux to the recipe. You can add the water roux to any white flour, yeast bread recipe. It really does make a lighter, more tender recipe.
Take a look at Inside the Jewish Bakery, in particular the recipe for Seven Sisters. Also, you should be aware that cinnamon in the dough retards/kills yeast, which is why cinnamon rolls are almost always filled with cinnamon sugar. Also, consider buying your instant yeast in bulk. It's cheaper by far than the supermarket packets and lasts a long time.
Stan Ginsberg
www.nybakers.com