My New Roots' Life-Changing Loaf of Bread Recipe on Food52 (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to bread rising? ›

You can also put hot water in a heat-safe dish and place it on the floor of a cold oven (or on a lower shelf). The steam and heat from the water will help the temperature rise just enough that the yeast is active. The steam will also assist in keeping the surface of the dough moist so it will stretch as it rises.

As A Flour Substitute

This ingredient is used more as a binding and texture agent as it helps to bind recipes together, making them easier to create and handle. Psyllium husk is also great at giving gluten-free bread a realistic bread texture.

The secret of successful rising

Most recipes call for the bread to double in size – this can take one to three hours, depending on the temperature, moisture in the dough, the development of the gluten, and the ingredients used. Generally speaking, a warm, humid environment is best for rising bread.

If you're dough didn't rise, the yeast is probably dead. This could be because the yeast was old, it wasn't refrigerated, or because the water you bloomed it in was too hot (ideally the water should be warm, about 100F). You can still bake the dough but don't expect the same flavor.

Once reactivated, yeast begins feeding on the sugars in flour, and releases the carbon dioxide that makes bread rise (although at a much slower rate than baking powder or soda). Yeast also adds many of the distinctive flavors and aromas we associate with bread.

Active Dry Yeast is an ideal yeast to use for artisan breads or no knead breads that require a slower rise time. It's also the preferred type of yeast for those doughs that proof in the refrigerator for extended periods of time.

Use this ratio of psyllium husks in baked goods

In volume, that's about 1 heaped tablespoon psyllium husk per 1 cup gluten-free flour. Ideally the gluten-free bread recipe you're eyeing up already includes it, but if not, you can use this ratio as a guideline to play around.

Psyllium husk powder is finer, so it has more surface area to help absorb water. You generally need less of it than whole psyllium husk. For my bread recipes, you want the full husk, as that's how I've tested my recipes.

Psyllium husk is the crucial ingredient in gluten free bread baking. It acts as a binder, and it gives gluten free bread dough the elasticity, flexibility and extensibility it needs so you can actually knead and shape it without any problems.

“If the dough has risen too long, it's going to feel fragile and might even collapse as you poke it,” says Maggie. If this is the case, there's a chance you can save your dough by giving it a quick re-shape. Learn more about this fix in our blog on saving overproofed dough.

Where is the best place to let bread rise? ›

The best place for your dough to rise is your oven – when it is switched off! Experts advise that you preheat your oven then have it cool down a little before explaining the dough in it to rise. The key to achieving this is ensuring that your oven is going to stay warm enough to facilitate rising, but be careful.

yes The purpose of kneading is to develop gluten in the dough. ... Therefore, you need to knead before rising. If you knead the dough again after its first rise, you'll destroy many of the bubbles and your dough will become flat and dense.

If the flavor is unappealing, then yes, toss or compost it. But if it tastes good, then you can make bread crumbs and/or croutons with it. Bread crumbs are useful for coating foods that will be fried e.g. chicken or fish.

A vacuum-sealed bag of yeast stored at high temperatures, however—e.g., in a hot kitchen over the summer, or in a hot warehouse before delivery—will fairly quickly lose its effectiveness. After awhile, if stored improperly, yeast cells will die. And if you use dead (or dying) yeast in your bread, it won't rise.

But almost as good as a proofing box is taking a Mason jar filled halfway up with water, microwaving it for two minutes, then putting your bowl of dough into the microwave with the jar to rise. The other thing you can do is place your lidded container or bowl of dough into a second, larger bowl of warm water.

The best place for your dough to rise is your oven – when it is switched off! Experts advise that you preheat your oven then have it cool down a little before explaining the dough in it to rise. The key to achieving this is ensuring that your oven is going to stay warm enough to facilitate rising, but be careful.

For best results, use a non-porous, tight fitting cover such as a saucepan lid, bowl cover or even a sheet pan laid on top of the bowl, weighted down with something. Also make sure your bowl is deep enough for the dough to double in size without hitting the cover and impeding its rise.

So I brought a 2 qt pan of water to a boil, put it in the oven, on the bottom shelf, then put my bowl of dough on the shelf above. Worked like a dream. Thanks for the idea. Great tip, I put the bowl with the dough in it covered it and placed it on top of a small bowl of hot water then placed it in the oven.

Increasing the temperature and moisture can help activate the yeast in the dough so it rises. You can also try adding more yeast. Open a new packet of yeast and mix 1 teaspoon (3 g) of it with 1 cup (240 mL) of warm water and 1 tablespoon (13 g) of sugar. Let the yeast mixture proof for 10 minutes.