January 10, 2019 - 1:01am
yeast/rising question
My strong-whtie bread from our Panasonic breadmaking machine has not risen. Why? Three thoughts for your comments, please:
- Is the Allinson's Easy Bake Yeast for Bread Makers and Hand Baking too old? The tin says use within four months of opening, but we have had it a lot longer than that. Does yeast lose its effectiveness?
- If the yeast does not lose its power to raise bread, should I continue to use it but add a little gluten, as we do anyway when we make buckwheat bread?
- If yeast has to be used quickly (say, really within four months) is there a better way of buying it than Allinson's tins, which are fairly large (100 g)?
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1: Easy to test your yeast. Dissolve a little in in some warm sugar water. Add a little flour and wait 10 minutes. If it begins to froth then it's not the yeast. I only do yeasted breads on occasion and I've had allinson's dried yeast in the fridge for a very long time. It still works fine.
2: If it hasn't risen at all then adding gluten is probably not going to solve the problem. Adding gluten can make a weaker flour stronger. It's not going to be the answer to a failed loaf.
3: Keep it in the fridge. See point 1.
So question is what are the failed results like? Can you post a photo?
Thanks. I'll try the warm/froth experiment first and see what happens. Never thought of keeping it in the fridge.
As Abe said! Also you can buy dried yeast in 7g packets (6 in a box) it is an expensive way but sounds like it will be best for your needs :)
Sounds as if that might be even better. My wife makes lovely bread by hand, but works full-time and so only gets time and energy to make bread occasionally. I use the Panasonic breadmaker, but again only from time to time. I'll keep an eye open for the smaller sachets if the experiment suggest in the first reply (the experiment is being done now as I type) does not work.