OK. Breadmakers, for some reason my mini loaves are not rising correctly, "Rapid Rise" yeast is fresh, flour is half whole wheat and half all purpose. It seems that all the yeasts gasses are squeezed out during kneading for the recommended 10 minutes. The loaves just do not expand enough in the middle and the center is doughy.

-- mitch hearn (moopups@citlink.net), December 11, 2001

Answers

I've been fighting this same problem in my bread machine since moving to Colorado. At first I thought it was an altitude adjustment problem, but I read in the trouble shooting section of my cook book that I should warm wet ingredients in cooler weather. I suppose if you are doing it be hand, you are already doing that?

-- mary (mlg@aol.com), December 11, 2001.

Hello Mitch,

Sounds like your yeast died! What was the temperature of the water you used to activate the yeast? You said, you kneaded for ten minutes. I always knead for fifteen.

Sincerely, Ernest

-- http://communities.msn.com/livingoffthelandintheozarks (espresso42@hotmail.com), December 11, 2001.

I just realized that I am 2100 feet above sea level, before I was in flat Fla., could this be it? Yeast was disolved in very slightly warm water, should I shift to self rising flour instead of all purpose? The recipe calls for 1/3rd a package of yeast, does that change with heights?

-- mitch hearn (moopups@citlink.net), December 11, 2001.

I would definately look at the rising time or yeast. I am in NE and when I "hurry" my bread and bake it before it has a chance to rise fully, the center is doughy. I put a Tablespoon or two extra sugar to fuel the yeast. Do you let your yeast sit a spell after mixing with warm water and sugar or do you put it in a machine? I let a foam form on the yeast to know they are good and active, and make sure everything is just the right temperature or the yeast will die. (Lots of learning experiences!)

-- notnow (notnow@blabla.com), December 11, 2001.

When yeast is fresh it doesn't matter where you live, usually the problem is with the temp of the water, OR the temp of the counter you use to knead the dough...My kitchen in Winter is just a tad chilly because we are fighting the heating bill, so when I make my bread I have to remember to 1)let HOT water sit in the cup a few minutes before I put the warm water in it to dissolve yeast 2)use a warmed board (I put my wooden board in the oven for 5 minutes) before I knead the dough...place the covered dough in a warm place to rise..before I figured this all out, I had been baking bread for over 40 years and never had a problem until I moved to Alabama....this is the first house I have lived in without central heat, so the counters are cold, the dishes are cold, etc. etc....I found that you can kill yeast by happily kneading the dough on a cool surface! BTW, all thses years the only dough which I knead for more than 10 minutes is when I am making French bread.

-- lesley (martchas@bellsouth.net), December 11, 2001.

Methinks that it is because evertything in the house is COOLER now, try moving the rising bread to a warmer area, Grandmom always had the dough on top of the heat duct in cooler weather. Yeast needs heat to work well, but not too hot.

-- Annie Miller in SE OH (annie@1st.net), December 12, 2001.

When I make rolls, I put them in the oven to rise, with just the light on for warmth.(At least I did in Texas;)

-- mary (mlg@aol.com), December 12, 2001.