February 8, 2016 - 11:53am
Sugar, is it needed?
Hi All,
I've been baking lovely loaves using Alinsons Easy Bake Yeast, until one day when doughs seemed to go lifeless. I tried various things to improve my doughs but finally put it down to the yeast. I contacted the manufacturer who said my issue was lack of sugar in my recipe! I'd been making very successful loaves with just the usual 4 ingredients, so I'm puzzelled as to why they state sugar, and butter, needs to be added.
Any thoughts on this?
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Not for basic bread doughs that is. Flour, water, salt yeast. That's all you need.
It's not impossible you got a bad sachet of yeast. Maybe the sachet had been punctured or ... etc.
Adding sugar & butter will give you a slightly enriched dough - it might taste a bit sweeter and last a day longer, but if you're going to do that, then make a "proper" enriched bread dough.
If you've a Sainsburys near you, go to the bread counter and ask for some fresh yeast- it's quite cheap. 200g will last a few weeks in a sealed tub in the fridge. Or see if they (or a local wholefoods shop) has the Doves farm dried yeast. (a 200g bag I think - keep it in a tupperware once opened)
I use bioreal organic yeast for the yeasted breads I do, but it's a bit more expensive than others - I get 500g bags from Shipton Mill.
-Gordon
Thanks Gordon.
I bought a few tins of yeast and threw the ones I had problems with. Alinson (Tate & Lyle), end s prepaid envelope for md to send back some yeast. I only had a new unopened tin, which they said worked fine. My thoughts are a bad batch of yeast as you say.
I was a baker for 12 years only only use fresh yeast. The dried stuff seems to work ok got home baking.