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Entire books are devoted to the topic of yeast breads, so you may be intimidated by that culinary task if you've never baked bread before. After you make one loaf of yeast bread, however, you'll find that it's not so hard after all — just time-consuming.
Choosing a yeast
Three kinds of yeast are available:
- Active dry (regular) yeast is in granular form and needs to be added to warm water to rehydrate and activate before using.
- Fast-rise (quick) yeast is also in granular form, but it can be added directly to the flour before baking. A higher water temperature than active dry yeast is required, usually 130 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Cake yeast, also known as compressed yeast, comes as a cube that you crumble and to which you add a barely warm liquid. Cake yeast is highly perishable and has a very short shelf life.
The three types of yeast are interchangeable, but keep in mind that they all require slightly different usage techniques.
Just like Goldilocks, only one yeast is just right. That's the active dry yeast. Although the fast-rise type may save a few minutes, you may prefer to know if the yeast is alive and kicking. When you see it bubble as it "proofs," (see the following section) you know that you're off to a good start. You're investing time in making the bread, so taking a few extra minutes to test the yeast doesn't matter. Also, the taste is better in the end with regular active yeast.
Proofing the yeast
Proof is the term that means testing to make sure that the yeast is actually alive. Reliability was more of an issue in the past when live yeast was not always a sure thing. The active dry yeast is now pretty foolproof (no pun intended).
The yeast has only two basic requirements:
- The water it is placed in should be warm, not hot, between 105 and 115 degrees Fahrenheit. Use a thermometer to determine the liquid temperature. If the temperature is too hot, it will kill the yeast. If it's too cold, it will greatly retard the growth of the yeast.
- Add a little sugar to the water to feed the yeast. Yeast needs a little snack food before it decides to grow. In about 15 minutes, the mixture should start to foam, and you'll see "proof" that the yeast is alive.
Mixing the dough
You can mix bread dough by hand, by a combination of stand mixer and hand, or with a heavy-duty mixer. (You can also use a food processor, but the method is slightly different so it's best to consult the manufacturer's directions or cookbooks dedicated to processor recipes.) With all three methods, start mixing by combining the yeast, liquid, and enough flour to make a batterlike consistency. Doing so helps develop the gluten (which is the substance that gives bread dough its elasticity). Then gradually add the remaining flour. If you use a stand mixer, the heavy dough eventually will strain the motor on mixer, and you'll have to switch to hand mixing. A heavy-duty mixer can complete the whole process, but you may want to do the initial very wet stages with a paddle attachment, switching later to the dough hook. Consult the manufacturer's directions for speeds appropriate to your machine.
 | It's best to add salt at a later stage in the mixing because it fights with the flour to absorb the most liquid. Put salt in later, and the flour wins. |
 | A bread recipe doesn't always use the same amount of flour, due to variables such as the age of the flour and weather conditions. Always add flour in the smallest increments, using the minimal amount possible. |
Kneading the dough
You've probably heard that you can take your aggressions out on the dough, and you can. Bread dough can take a fair amount of abuse. But it is the rhythmical repetition of kneading that produces a trancelike peace. Repetition is also what stretches the gluten in the flour and builds a structure for the air bubbles to hang out in which makes the bread rise.
Here are the steps in kneading:
- Turn the ball of dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Work the final amount of flour into the dough.
- Press the heel of your preferred hand into the dough and simultaneously push it away from you a few inches.
- Without even taking the heel of your hand out of the dough, close your fingers around the edge and bring the dough back toward you, folding it over on itself.
- Give the dough a quarter turn and repeat the motion. Keep repeating the process for however long the recipe requires, usually about 10 minutes.
Making it to the first rise
After the kneading is done, place the dough in a lightly greased bowl. Roll the dough over in the bowl to coat it with grease. Doing so helps prevent a skin from forming while it rises. Cover the bowl with a clean tea towel, dish towel, or plastic wrap. Place the dough in a warm place (80 to 85 degrees) away from any drafts. Allow the dough to rise until double in size, usually 1 to 1-1/2 hours. To test whether the dough has risen enough, gently poke a finger about 1/2 inch into dough. If the indentation stays, start punching, as explained in the next section.
Punching down and shaping
To punch down the dough, make a fist and sink it into the middle of the dough, deflating it. Bring the edges inward toward the spot where you punched. Begin to shape the dough according to the recipe. For example, to make a round bread, remove the dough from the bowl and turn it upside down, making the side that was just on the bottom of the bowl the top. Massage the sides downward and under, pinching them in place under the ball of dough. You want to form a smooth, taut surface on the ball.
Reaching the second rise, baking the bread
Place the dough on a baking sheet and cover with a clean tea or dish towel. (Don't use plastic wrap because it may stick to the loaf.) Let rise in a warm, draft-free place (try the top of your fridge) until double in size, usually about 45 minutes. Slash the top with a sharp knife or single-edge razor, if the recipe instructs you to do so. "Wash" the dough, if the recipe requires it. Traditionally, washes can be egg (only the white, only the yolk, or both), milk, or cornstarch mixed with water. A wash enhances the appearance of the loaf and help things like nuts or oats stick on top, which also improves the appearance. Bake in a preheated oven. Wait for the magic to happen.
Testing for doneness
When the shortest baking time is up, turn the bread over (if it's a free-form loaf) or slip the bread out of the pan and knock on the bottom. You should hear a hollow thumping sound. If you don't hear that hollow thump, put the loaf back in the oven. You can remove a loaf from its pan about 5 minutes before finish time and place it on the oven rack. Doing so adds to the crispiness and color of the crust.
When bread is done, always remove the loaf from the pan to a wire rack to cool, unless the recipe directs otherwise.
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