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Farm Kitchen:  What am I doing wrong?  |
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melody
True Blue Farmgirl
3329 Posts
Melody
The Great North Woods in the Land of Hiawatha
USA
3329 Posts |
 Posted - Mar 14 2011 : 7:53:39 PM
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THREE times I attempted to make cinnamon rolls Sunday afternoon. I followed directions to a "T" with dissolving the yeast in 110-degree (used a cooking thermometer)water and not once did the dough rise. I ended up pitching every batch I tried-
Was the water too warm? My yeast too old? (2 attempts with dried yeast) and then I sent DH to the store for a different brand of yeast...but nothing---dough would not rise at all.
What am I doing wrong?
Talk to me ladies...
Melody Farmgirl #525
www.lemonverbenasoap.etsy.com
www.longtallsallys.etsy.com
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Brew Crew
True Blue Farmgirl
676 Posts
Molly
Arizona
676 Posts |
Posted - Mar 14 2011 : 7:57:38 PM
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Aw bummer. Cinnamon rolls are so much work, too! :( My first guess would be the yeast was old, but if you tired a different kind and it still wasn't working then I'm at a loss! Hope your next attempt works out!
"The ideal equestrian has the courage of a lion, the patience of a saint, and the hands of a woman."
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Okie Farm Girl
True Blue Farmgirl
1674 Posts
Mary Beth
McLoud
Oklahoma
USA
1674 Posts |
Posted - Mar 14 2011 : 8:05:23 PM
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Melody, I don't test the temp of my water, but just use warm tap water. I also add 1 tsp of sugar to the water and stir that in. Then I sprinkle the yeast on the top of the water and kind of swirl it around to get some of it under the water. I leave that alone to sit for about 5-10 minutes while I get everything else ready. By that time, the yeast should be bubbly and foamy in the water. You can even watch it make bubbles. If it isn't doing that, then it isn't any good. I use SAF yeast which is Red Star, I think, but I have also used the rapid rise Fleischman's yeast with great success. Good luck!
Mary Beth
www.OklahomaPastryCloth.com
www.Oklahomapastrycloth.com/blog
The Sovereign Lord is my strength - Habakkuk 3:19 |
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natesgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
1735 Posts
angela
martinsville
indiana
USA
1735 Posts |
Posted - Mar 14 2011 : 8:28:37 PM
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I went through the same thing about a hundred times. My grandma told me to put a spoon of sugar in the water for the yeast first, then add the yeast.
She also told me to wait for the yeast, which sometimes takes longer than the recipes says to dissolve.
The other thing is the temperature where the rolls are left to rise. My grandma always uses a heat lamp even in the summertime. I use one now and I rarely ever have a problem with them not rising.
Just some thoughts for you to try.
Farmgirl Sister #1438
God - Gardening - Family - Is anything else important? |
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gramadinah
True Blue Farmgirl
3557 Posts
Diana
Orofino
ID
USA
3557 Posts |
Posted - Mar 14 2011 : 9:29:55 PM
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My well water will not allow Yeast to do its thing. I always use bottled water and never have a problem. I to use some sugar and heat the water to 110 120 degrees proof the yeast until it blooms and off you go. I can't keep a soudough starter alive with my water either.
I have a warming oven for rising but have used the oven turned on to 150 and then turned off for the rising time.
Diana
Farmgirl Sister #273 |
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HDA
True Blue Farmgirl
59 Posts
Heidi
Hood River
OR
USA
59 Posts |
Posted - Mar 14 2011 : 11:29:42 PM
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| as long as your yeast looked good (got foamy & bubbly in the water) I agree that the temperature in the room where it is rising could be the culprit. I've had that happen before, especially at this time of year when it is not very warm. Make sure it is in a warm spot. I have even turned the oven on the lowest setting briefly (just enough to breifly warm it, too hot can be damaging too!) & then turned it off & put the dough in the there to rise & that has worked well during chilly winter months. |
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melody
True Blue Farmgirl
3329 Posts
Melody
The Great North Woods in the Land of Hiawatha
USA
3329 Posts |
Posted - Mar 14 2011 : 11:52:16 PM
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The yeast never bubbled.....even when DH went out and bought a completely different brand. I will definitely try sugar in the warm water and yeast.
Wish me luck I am going to attempt make Brioche tomorrow!!
Melody
Farmgirl #525 |
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Patsy
True Blue Farmgirl
592 Posts
Illinois
USA
592 Posts |
Posted - Mar 15 2011 : 06:05:52 AM
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Sometimes I will set the dough on a heating pad on low to rise. It works really well.
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Calicogirl
True Blue Farmgirl
5216 Posts
Sharon
Bruce Crossing
Michigan
USA
5216 Posts |
Posted - Mar 15 2011 : 07:19:29 AM
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I agree with using sugar. I also add 1/4 teaspoon of ground ginger. This acts as a catalyst for the yeast. Found that tip in a vintage bread making book from the 30's. It really does work and you cannot taste the ginger :)
~Sharon
By His Grace, For His Glory
http://merryheartjournal.blogspot.com/ |
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melody
True Blue Farmgirl
3329 Posts
Melody
The Great North Woods in the Land of Hiawatha
USA
3329 Posts |
Posted - Mar 15 2011 : 07:45:19 AM
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Thank you girls for all the great suggestions-Never would have thought of a heating pad! And ginger?
I think I am ready to try again...
Melody
Farmgirl #525 |
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HollyG
True Blue Farmgirl
214 Posts
Holly
Hamburg
Arkansas
USA
214 Posts |
Posted - Mar 15 2011 : 08:15:21 AM
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I've also just used the pilot light in my oven to help breads rise. Another thing I noticed living in "humidity captial of the world (South Arkansas." When using my automatic bread maker, the days when the humidity was high - moist, rainy, or even sticky outside, the bread would not rise - even in my temp-controlled home INSIDE a bread-machine. On wonderful days of low humidity, it would rise so high I thought it'd open the lid before it finished baking. I may be the only one who has experienced this, but I can tell you from living in the south, humidity does affect your cooking... May be something to consider.
HollyG
Farmgirl #2513
www.mydeepwoodslife.com |
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melody
True Blue Farmgirl
3329 Posts
Melody
The Great North Woods in the Land of Hiawatha
USA
3329 Posts |
Posted - Mar 15 2011 : 08:21:22 AM
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HollyG,
It was kinda creepy...After a while I thought maybe it might be related to "unseen forces" being the paranoid that I am- LOL! I mean I have made stuff with yeast before and it turned out very well, but on Sunday it just would NOT work. The day was damp and overcast. It's nice and sunny right now so I am off to try my hand at some Brioche!!
Melody
Farmgirl #525 |
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Okie Farm Girl
True Blue Farmgirl
1674 Posts
Mary Beth
McLoud
Oklahoma
USA
1674 Posts |
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highlandviewpantry
True Blue Farmgirl
214 Posts
WV
USA
214 Posts |
Posted - Mar 15 2011 : 12:00:47 PM
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Proof your yeast first by mixing it with water and a little sugar from the recipe. Let it sit five minutes - it should get foamy and then you know you have good yeast.
www.thehighlandviewpantry.blogspot.com |
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lisalisa
True Blue Farmgirl
216 Posts
Lisa
Broomall
PA
USA
216 Posts |
Posted - Mar 18 2011 : 09:29:31 AM
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Aw, Melody!
It is very frustrating when things come to yeast. I've been trying off-and-on for years, and I've noticed that an insta-read thermometer is a big help. The weather doesn't help, either! When it's chilly outside, the house stays cold (mine does, anyway!), and my dough won't rise.
It reminds me of an old Tomie DePaola book about his grandmother making bread dolls. She puts everybody's coat on the bowl of yeast so it will be warm enough to rise~!
Don't give up, Melody! Your recipes sound great! ---L |
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Penny Wise
True Blue Farmgirl
1903 Posts
Margo
Elyria
OH
USA
1903 Posts |
Posted - Mar 18 2011 : 10:26:29 AM
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i'm glad that i read this thread- i have well water and haven't yeasted since i moved here-hmmm.good ideas gal! thx
Farmgirl # 2139
~*~ counting my pennies and biding my time; my dreams are adding up!~*~ |
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Okie Farm Girl
True Blue Farmgirl
1674 Posts
Mary Beth
McLoud
Oklahoma
USA
1674 Posts |
Posted - Mar 18 2011 : 10:32:24 AM
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Margo, we are on well water too and I make bread every week. I use the SAF yeast which I absolutely love. But I have used Fleischman's RapidRise too and like it.
Mary Beth
www.OklahomaPastryCloth.com
www.Oklahomapastrycloth.com/blog
The Sovereign Lord is my strength - Habakkuk 3:19 |
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msdoolittle
True Blue Farmgirl
1145 Posts
Amanda
East Texas
USA
1145 Posts |
Posted - Mar 21 2011 : 06:54:00 AM
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What kind of yeast did you use? Cake, active dry, or rapid/instant? The yeast isn't going to foam in warm water because you have given it no 'food' to consume. Yeasts 'eat' sugars/starches and the by-product is gas...which creates bubbles...which is what rises your bread for you. See this demo: http://allrecipes.com//HowTo/proofing-yeast/Detail.aspx
99% of the time, I use instant yeast (I also have sourdough starter, but I wouldn't recommend it for bread beginners). Instant yeast does not need to be proofed and you may ALSO eliminate the first rise! Proofing is when you do the warm water/sugar process. With instant AKA RapidRise yeast, you would do a recipe like this. In your mixing bowl/breadmaker, add all liquids FIRST (including eggs). Then you add the salt, then the sugar, then the flour. Then, you make a small dip in the top of the flour in your bowl, and add the yeast. THEN, it's time to mix/knead. I either use a Kitchenaid mixer with a dough hook here, or a bread machine set to Dough Cycle. How are you doing it? If you have a mixer or are doing it by hand, I can't recommend watching YouTube videos enough! If you can't see something firsthand, then these videos allow to to watch the process and see what a finished dough should look like. Don't worry, you are going to make some bombs, trust me. I still have my moments (more so with the sourdough starter, lol) Anyway, when the dough is ready, you cover the bowl and allow it to rest about 10-12 minutes INSTEAD of allowing it a first rise. After those few minutes, you take the dough out, shape it however you'd like it, put it in your greased pan/dish/whatever, and then allow it to rise, allowing it to double before baking.
But how long before it's doubled? Dough, ideally, needs to be around 80-85 degrees to double within about 45 minutes to an hour. Any cooler than that, and your rising time will be longer. Obviously, if you're having a warm day, you can even set the covered dough outside in the shade. I've done it on a covered part of my deck or in my grill when I don't want to warm up the house in the summer. Most of the time, during nice weather, I do this: Set your oven to the lowest temp. Turn it on and allow the heat to kick on for about 2-3 minutes, then turn it off. I do this just before my dough is finished in the breadmaker/mixer. So now your oven is probably going to be around 100 degrees or so. I set a pie pan of hot water on the lowest rack (for humidity). Then I set my prepared, shaped dough on the middle rack to rise. I also use my instant read thermometer, set on the rack, to make sure that the temp is not too high. Typically, my oven will be right around 90 degrees by the time that the dough is put in. You will have to experiment with your own oven...you may have to crack the door for a bit to vent the extra heat if it's over 100 degrees.
With the instant yeast, as long as I have not added too much flour and kneaded the dough properly, I have not had any disappointments with rising. As you can see, breadmaking is an art, but I PROMISE you, it isn't difficult once you have the hang of it and see the process for yourself. You make the yeast happy, you will get good bread.
Even though you may use instant yeast, which doesn't require proofing, it's still fun to proof some to see it work. After a few minutes, you'll see a creamy foam begin to form, and it will just grow and grow.
My best teacher was my grandmother's bread machine which taught me how dough is supposed to feel and look when finished. I recently got another machine (for free...there's a real glut of breadmakers out there) and I LOVE the thing, even if some people gasp in horror at the thought of it. I don't see it being any different than using my Kitchenaid. It makes great bread, it's fool-proof, so who cares? I found another maker at a charity store for 5 bucks. If I want to shape my own loaf, or make cinnamon buns, or pizza dough, I use the dough cycle.
FarmGirl #1390
www.mylittlecountry.wordpress.com |
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msdoolittle
True Blue Farmgirl
1145 Posts
Amanda
East Texas
USA
1145 Posts |
Posted - Mar 21 2011 : 06:56:36 AM
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Oh, and here's something else. While sugar and starches (read: flour) feed the yeast, the salt in the recipe will inhibit the yeast's growth. I don't ever use more than a teaspoon of salt in a recipe.
FarmGirl #1390
www.mylittlecountry.wordpress.com |
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Farm Kitchen: What am I doing wrong? |
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What am I doing wrong?
