Cooking For Engineers

[Jim Cooley]

I've been playing around with a bread machine and my loaves always seem depressed.

My yeast was (is) a big bag of very fresh stuff, so I keep in it a jar in the refrigerator. Unfortunately, the back of the fridge sometimes freezes.

Is this killing the little yeastie cells? Could this be why my loaves are depressed? Or do they just need a little Prozac?

[Dilbert]

jeesh I hope not.

I've been keeping bulk bought yeast in the freezer for decades.

stuff in the freezer 3-4-5 years "past it's date" still does fine.

a usual&customary cause for deflating / sinking is over-proofing.
shouldn't be an issue in an "automatic" bread machine especially in the cooler weather. don't add more yeast than recommended; too much, it eats itself out of house and home too quick and....collapses.....

[Jim Cooley]

Ah, that makes sense, thanks. The handbook says to use less yeast, too.

Thought I'd ask here before making another brick.

[Jim Cooley]

Dilbert,

You're a genius!

Both loaves made exactly the same way, using the same packet of yeast.

One has 1½ tsp yeast
Other has 1 tsp yeast.

Can you spot the difference?




Need to work on the size of the loaves a bit, but you're right about the yeasties beasties eating up all the sugar.

Less yeast in a warm environment is the way to go.

[Jim Cooley]

Dilbert,

Found the answer to my depressed loaves and it's not one that I'd expect, or have even heard of.

I think it was the "pre-heat" cycle. Once I disabled that, the loaves came out as they should have.

I suspect the "pre-heat" cycle either killed the yeastie-beasties or made them so hungry they ate up all the sugar before baking.

All my ingredients were/are at 70° F, but the "pre-heat" cycle takes them up to a supposed 85° F.

[Dilbert]

yeast will be killed at temps much above 110'F - there's no single number everyone seems to agree on. however, scalding hot for the human skin is around 115'F - so if you can touch it, should be okay.

>>pre-heat cycle
ah, the joys of bread machines. had several, tossed them all.

I wonder if the bottom heat of the pre-heat was so hot that it 'overheated / over-shot' the 85'F mark enough to affect the yeast.

[Jim Cooley]

I suspect I'll eventually toss mine too, but it's been a great way to learn about the mysteries of flour, water and yeast without getting my hands dirty.

Getting dough to the proper consistency, i.e. just the right amount of water, is a bit of an art and not science because so many variables are involved.

Same can be said for rising times.

I think you are probably right about the heating element overshooting the mark. Even when I select "light crust" I get a med/dark one. Lord only knows how to adjust the thermostat!