Greg wrote:
<snip>
Quoted message said:I do proof the yeast and it quite alive! After kneading the dough I
let it rise and it doubles in ~1hour. I punch it down and let it rise
until it doubles again, ~45min. I transfer it to a loaf pan for the
final rise and it begins to rise fairly well. It crests over the loaf
pan by about an inch and then comes to a complete stop.
It is as if the yeast is spent or there isn't any more starch/sugar it
is able to convert.
The rise you're complaining about is a third rise. Rising bread just twice
is sufficient.
Rising the dough is important, but so is proper kneading. The more you ask
dough to rise, the more you must knead it, and the more you knead it the
more you risk overkneading and toughening the dough.
However, it sounds as though your third rise is rising just fine albeit
unnecessarily. An inch over the top of the pan! How high do you think dough
can go?
Do your first rise in an oiled bowl. Do the second rise in pans, after
you've punched down the dough and shaped the loaves. Then, don't rise it
anymore. When the second rise is done, pop the loaves in the oven and let
oven spring do its magic. THAT is when your dough should rise out of the
pans, set its crust, and cook through the crumb.
Quoted message said:A few questions:
1) Is there any reason to use the "bread machine" flour insteaf of
all-purpose.
Only in a bread machine. For scratch baking, use all-purpose or bread flour
(with a higher protein/gluten content).
Quoted message said:2) Is the 1-inch rise over the edge of the pan good for a 1 lb loaf?
Yes, but not during the rise. The loaf should achieve that height
permanently through oven spring.
Quoted message said:3) After someone in my family moves around the rising loaf pan, causing
it fall from that 1-inch rise over the rim, is there any hope in
getting it rise back or am I screwed?
Uhhhhhh, I'm not sure I understand the question. Your dough fell because
someone moved the pan around, or because someone moved around the pan? It
should not have fallen in either scenario. That tells me that you are
forcing the dough to rise beyond its capacity.
But again, that's the third rise. A third rise is not necessary and in this
case it may be doing actual harm to the dough.
You could probably get the fallen dough to rise again if you remove it from
the pans and knead it to get the gluten worked up again. But each rise will
be less than the one that went before, and a fourth rise would doubtless be
a disappointment.
Quoted message said:4) What happens when the dough rises too long? The rise must saturare
at some point. Is this what is happening to the bread?
The dough is being inflated during rising. The dough's gluten network,
formed during kneading, is being stretched by carbon dioxide produced by the
yeast. If allowed to overinflate, the dough can collapse.
And between each rise, gas is redistributed and gluten is revamped with
kneading. If gluten is underdeveloped by omitting kneading or underkneading,
the dough wont rise. If it's overdeveloped by overkneading, the dough will
rise incompletely.
Quoted message said:5) What environment is best for rising the bread. If I put a towel
over it, I risk disturbing the loaf when I remove it and risk the loaf
falling.
The loaf should fall only if the surface is pulled or torn and gas is
allowed to escape. If you've kept a damp towel over it, it should lift right
back off without any trauma.
I cover mine with oiled plastic wrap. The plastic holds in warmth and
moisture, and the oiled surface doesn't stick to the dough.
Quoted message said:6) What tips am I missing here?
It takes practice to make good bread. So go practice.
And stop worrying so much. Once you've learned to handle flour, judge a
dough's hydration and knead correctly, you'll never mess it up again.
