I love baking with yeast. I love the smell, the consistency, the taste – and not the least all the happy faces of the people around me when it comes to warm, home-baked yeast bread on the table.
Making yeast bread is first and foremost about time, patience, good and natural ingredients and a little about planning. Of course, it’s a bit about procedure as well, but first you have to give the dough the time it needs to be allowed to develop in order to be the best version of itself as it can. For you, most will be waiting time, where you can do other things, or just do nothing at all, my favorite.
There are no shortcuts to good yeast baking, but accuracy and patience are rewarded. And what a reward that is. Below, you will find my best tips for a successful yeast baking session 🙂
1. Preparations – Read the recipe before you begin
It doesn’t matter what you are going to make, it is always a good idea to read through the recipe before you start and check that you have everything you need. Let’s say it happened more than once to be in the middle of a complicated recipe only to discover I’m out of sugar. Or cocoa. Mostly cocoa.
Find all the ingredients, measure out the specified quantities and use exact measurements (weight, deciliter measure and measuring spoon) if you are not already an experienced baker. I always measure everything and I will continue to do so for as long as I’ll bake. Big fan of measurements.
Hygiene is also very important, so wash your hands thoroughly before you start.
The main ingredients in yeast baking are flour, liquid, and, of course, yeast. To get a good result, it is important that the raw ingredients are of good quality and that they are at the right temperature.
2. Flour
Flour is fresh and should be stored in a dry, dark and preferably cool place. When baking, however, it is best that the flour is at room temperature. Flour may have different moisture levels which may mean that it absorbs differently with liquid. You may therefore experience that the dough is dry or sticky even if you have followed the recipe to the letter.
A good rule of thumb is therefore to adjust with more flour if the dough is loose or add a little more liquid if the dough seems dry. However, be careful with the extra flour. If you use too much flour in baking, the result will often be dry and crumbly.
3. Yeast
Yeast is a living fungus that thrives best when it receives fluid and nutrition from the starch in the flour, as well as air by kneading well and for a long time. It pays off to create the best conditions for the yeast to thrive and thaw, because it is absolutely crucial for a good end result. The yeast is extra fond of sugar (such as honey, syrup or malt extract) and works even more diligently then. Just like me.
The ideal temperature for yeast is between 20 and 30 degrees, then it develops slowly at its own pace.
There are two types of yeast on the market, one for sweet yeast dough and one for baking without sugar. In my experience, you get the best and airiest pastries is you use fresh yeast. However, dry yeast is also a good alternative when you do not have fresh yeast available (and also in dough-free baking) and moreover it is much more durable than fresh yeast.
Many people use too much yeast in their pastry and too much yeast can result in leavening and the dough collapsing before or during baking. Furthermore, you get a slightly taste of yeast on your bakings, and in any case, too much yeast is not so good for the stomach, either.
If you use less yeast, it will take longer before the raising process starts, but in return, it matures at its own pace and the taste will be better. The temperature of the liquid (milk and / or water) can also affect the properties of the yeast. I use relatively little yeast in my recipes. If you are in a hurry, you can possibly increase the amount of yeast slightly (up to 50%).
However, salt inhibits yeast development and you must therefore make sure that yeast and salt are not in direct contact with each other. This is important when making bread.
4. Liquid
All yeast doughs contain water or milk. The liquid is important for the yeast to be nourished and for your pastry not to become too dry. The temperature of the liquid is perhaps the most crucial for a good result. If the liquid is too cold, the yeast will take a very long time to rise. If the liquid becomes too hot, the dough can rise too fast, and if it’s above 40 degrees, the yeast cells will die.
Because of that, I’m a long time believer that the liquid should be “finger-warm” – that you should be able to stick your finger up without feeling that the liquid is neither hot nor cold. This happens at about usually 37 degrees. My experience now, however, is that the yeast baking is best when I use milk from the fridge / cold tap water. The actual raising takes a little longer, but the yeast is given a better opportunity to develop at its own pace and the result is better.
If you knead the yeast dough in a machine, you must also remember that the kneading adds energy to the dough, which, in turn, increases the temperature in the dough. If you start with 37 degrees liquid, you can risk that the temperature will pass 40 degrees when the dough is finished kneading.
5. Measure, measure, measure
When baking, it is important that you are accurate when measuring the ingredients. Use weight for dry goods and deciliter measures for liquid. A teaspoon is not always a teaspoon (ding!), so use your own measuring spoons when baking. If somehow you have to use deciliter measures for flour, for example, it is important that you do not “knock” the flour together. Then you can risk that you add too much flour to your pastry and the result can be then too dry.
6. Put the dough together
When making bread, it’s nice to have a solid standing mixer with a large bowl. Measure out and have all the ingredients in the kitchen machine at the asme time and run it for approx. 10 minutes until you have a smooth and pliable dough. If necessary, adjust with more liquid along the way. It is not necessary to stir the yeast into the liquid, just crumble it up a bit, then the mixer does the rest. Yes, I know. I did not quite believe in this at first either, but it actually works. Trust is everything
If you are going to make buns, hamburger bread or other yeast baked with butter, you will get the best results by kneading the butter in the end. Divide the butter into small cubes and keep them in the baking dish after the other ingredients have been kneaded well together for approx. 10 minutes, and then knead for another 10 minutes. By kneading the butter last, you get a dough that is flexible and easy to work with, but most importantly, you get incredibly airy and tasty bakings!
7. Kneading
Kneading is the alpha and omega of a good result. Kneading creates a good gluten network so that air and moisture stay inside the pastry. The kneading also makes the dough easier to work with, gets a better taste and the baking will also be slightly smaller. The dough is usually finished kneading after 10-15 minutes and should then be pliable and have a shiny surface.
You can check if the dough has been kneaded by taking a small lump of dough and stretching it out carefully. If you can stretch it so thin that you can almost read through it without cracking, the dough is completely kneaded. If the dough does not stretch, it is not completely kneaded and you should run it for a few more minutes before testing again.
If you do not have a a good standing mixer, go and buy one. No, seriously. You can use your hands as well, but be prepared for a proper workout session.
Mix everything dry in the baking dish and make a hole in the middle Stir the yeast into some of the liquid and add the yeast mixture and the rest of the liquid to the pit. Stir with a ladle or similar from the middle outwards until the dough is well mixed. If necessary, adjust with more liquid or flour along the way, and then knead as much as you can before raising the dough. An extra pair of hands might come handy, if you can afford it.
8. Rising
When the dough has finished kneading, it must rise. If the dough is not allowed to rise, or is not allowed to rise enough, you will get a heavy and flat pastry. During the rising process, the yeast cells multiply and carbon dioxide is formed which will blow bubbles inside the dough. The slower this fermentation process takes place, the better the taste will form inside the dough.
The dough rises best at its own pace, at room temperature, and it is therefore not recommended to place the dough over a bowl of steam or on the heating cables on the bathroom floor (yes, that is very specific). Cover the baking dish with plastic or a lid so that the dough does not dry out on the surface, and let the dough rise in a warm and draft-free place.
When it comes to leavening time, it is not possible to say anything exactly as it will vary according to, for example, the type of dough, the temperature of the raw ingredients, and room temperature. A rule of thumb is to let it rise to about double size. Therefore, take leavening times in recipes as a guide and let the dough rise longer rather than shorter than what is stated in the recipe.
9. Cold raising – overnight
Did you know that you can raise the yeast dough in the fridge overnight? This method is especially suitable for light doughs. Knead the dough ready in the evening and store it covered in the fridge. The next morning, take the dough out of the fridge and remove the plastic so that the cold escapes.
Then, let the dough rest for approx. one hour at room temperature so that it is tempered before you treat the dough in the same way as you do after ordinary rising.
10. Rest time
After the dough has risen, it should usually be taken on a well floured table and kneaded (agaaain) before it is divided into suitable pieces. Such kneading and cutting “stresses” the dough, and the gluten therefore needs to rest before you work more with it. I therefore usually divide the dough into finished pieces, whether it is bread, buns or something completely different, shape them into small or large “buns” that can rest on the table anywhere from 5 to 20 minutes.
11. After-raising
When the dough has rested a little on the floured table, shape it into the desired pieces. Place the end results on a baking tray lined with baking paper (or in greased loaf tins) for the final raising. Cover the baking sheet with plastic or a kitchen towel and leave to rise until the items are about double in size. This usually takes around 45-60 minutes.
After raising is absolutely necessary in order to get an airy baking, and is actually more important than the original raising. Which is also important. Just don’t skip the raising. Either.
12. Brushing
Sweet yeast bread often gets a finer surface if you brush the finished pastry with beaten egg and / or milk/water before baking. Make sure that the egg or liquid is at room temperature before you brush it on.
13. Baking
Yeast baking is in my opinion usually best if you bake it with regular top and bottom heat. Bread is usually baked deep in the oven, while, for example, buns, rolls and small bread are baked in the middle of the oven. After putting the baking tray in the oven, it is very important to close the oven door as quickly and carefully as possible and keep it closed at all times so that the heat is kept inside the oven. If the temperature drops, there is a risk that the baking will also drop. Collapse, I mean.
Ovens bake differently and you must therefore always include baking times in recipes as a guide. I always set the timer to a few minutes shorter than what is in the recipe and keep an eye on the baking in the last minutes. The pastry is finished when it has a golden brown surface and has started to get a little color on the underside.
If you are unsure whether the bread is ready, you can check the core temperature with a baking thermometer. When the thermometer shows approx. 96 degrees, the baking is well done. You can also check if it’s done by tapping on the underside of the bread. When it makes a ‘hollow’ sound, the baking is cooked through.
It the bread has a golden brown color but is still not cooked through, you can put some baking paper on top so that it does not burn.
14. Baking with water steam
Yeast baking is better if steam is added during the process. Bread and rolls, for example, then get a crispier crust. You can get this steam effect if you put an empty pan in the bottom of the oven while it heats up. Then, add a cup of boiling water to the pan and close the door quickly. After 5-10 minutes, carefully remove the pan and close the door immediately.
15. Cooling
Freshly baked yeast bread should be cooled on a rack. The baking will then keep the crispy crust longer. Bread that is baked in bread form, for example, must be taken out as soon as possible. Freshly baked buns and rolls should be carefully lifted from the baking tray and onto a cooling rack.
No matter how excited you are about tasting the results, you must let the baking cool slightly before you cut into it or put your teeth into it. It can be an ordeal for anyone and everyone, including me. I know the pain. I’ve been there.
16. Storage
Yeast baking loses weight relatively quickly if you do not store it properly. Pastries to be eaten on the same day can be stored in a paper bag or under a clean towel. Baked goods that are not to be eaten on the same day should be frozen in closed plastic bags as soon as they have cooled down.
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